Business community steps up to join Big Push for the Rosie

Over 100,000 infants have been delivered at the Rosie Hospital since it opened in 1983 and it is recognised as one of the finest maternity hospitals in the country. Now a major expansion and modernisation programme to double its size is due for completion later this year.

ACT, the dedicated charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals, has invited the whole community, including local businesses, to make a long-term investment to help give the next generation of babies born at the Rosie the best possible start in life.

One of the first businesses to back the Big Push was family-owned local firm Ridgeons, the leading independent timber and builders' merchants. Ridgeons is promoting Rosie Campaign wristbands to customers throughout its 22 regional branches. The company has also nominated ACT’s Rosie Hospital Campaign as one of its Charities of the Year for 2012-13.

Commenting, Anne Ridgeon, chairman of the Ridgeons Group said: “This is an exciting time for Ridgeons to be supporting the Big Push for the Rosie Campaign. Many younger members of our current workforce were born at the Rosie and so were lots of our customers. With the Rosie so widely recognised as a centre of excellence, we are really keen to do what we can to support such a good cause.”

Kwik Fit in Cherry Hinton, the fast fit and automotive parts replacement specialist, is also stocking Rosie wristbands. And the store has just taken delivery of the brand new Big Push and RosieBorn car stickers. Sean Donovan of Kwik Fit said: “I’ve had three children born at the Rosie and we’re only too pleased to be able to help the appeal.”

Businesses across many market sectors have volunteered to stock Rosie wristbands including: all branches of the Cambridge News; St John’s Innovation Centre; the Castle and Cambridge Blue pubs; Gymophobics; Cambridge Squash Club; Cafe Nero outlets in the city centre; the Spar on Chesterton Road; Daisy Chain gifts in Histon; and Chippy’s in Haverhill.

Budding entrepreneurs have also been involved. Six students at Anglia Ruskin University chose the Rosie to benefit from a family fun day they organised for their BA in Enterprise and Entrepreneurial Management. ‘Rosie in the Park’ took place on 21 April in Cambridge with support from local retailers who donated raffle prizes and services.

Trudy Harper, Community Fundraising Manager at ACT, said: “We are delighted that so many local organisations are backing the Big Push and hope more will get involved this year. It’s a great way for businesses to show their caring side and have a bit of fun with colleagues and customers. The Rosie touches so many lives locally and every extra penny invested now will make a difference to tiny newborns and their families in our community for years to come.”

There are plenty of easy ways for businesses to back the Big Push:

·       Stock and sell Rosie wristbands for a suggested £2 donation each

·       Nominate the Rosie Campaign as your Charity of the Year

·       Get pulses racing with a fun run for the Rosie or sponsored sporting activity

·       Host a special customer event to promote your business while supporting the Big Push

·       Organise a quiz, raffle or auction of promises among colleagues and / or customers

·       Bring a favourite baby picture into work and pay to play ‘guess who’ with your colleagues

·       Hold a dress-up / dress-down / fancy dress day with a small donation per colleague

·       Cook up some tasty treats for a cake sale at work.

To find out more about the Big Push for the Rosie Campaign, request wristbands, car stickers, posters, download a fundraising pack or discuss what you would like to do to help, please call Trudy Harper on 01223 217757 or go to: www.therosiecampaign.org.uk





The Rosie is recognised as one of the finest maternity hospitals in the country. Supported by charitable funding, the original Rosie Hospital opened in 1983, since when much has changed. It was designed for approximately 4,000 births a year. In 2010-11 almost 5,800 babies were born at the Rosie and by 2020 that number is expected to increase to 7,500.

The new three-storey extension and modernisation programme will almost double the size of the existing maternity unit and mean the Rosie can continue to offer pregnant women, their partners and new babies the very best standards of care. Facilities will include:

·       A brand new midwife-led birth centre with ten new en-suite rooms for women with a low-risk pregnancy

·       An expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with 58 cots for babies who are born early or in need of specialist attention

·       A new residential centre with eight en-suite bedrooms, a rest area and kitchen. This will be available for parents that have babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

·       A new Fetal Medicine and Day Assessment Unit for monitoring pregnant women and fetal development

·       A dedicated counselling suite offering professional support when outcomes are not as planned.

For patients and staff these new world-class resources will make an enormous day-to-day difference. With extra space available, staff will be able to help more women give birth in the comfort of their local hospital. The transformed Rosie will be a regional centre of clinical excellence for training maternity, neonatal and gynaecological staff. Longer term it will also set new standards of care by advancing antenatal and neonatal development through research programmes.

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