The charity needs to raise much-needed funds for a range of life-saving equipment, specialist support staff roles and pioneering research to transform care for sick children at Addenbrooke’s.
This year your donations have raised £1million for children’s services and because of this, ACT have been able to continue to fund: the Music therapy programme allowing the most vulnerable and isolated children the opportunity to express their feelings and build confidence and self esteem during treatment and recovery; a Cancer Care Co-ordinator post to provide a continuous point of contact for families, ensuring that they have a smoother, quicker and less stressful experience while freeing up the time of specialist nurses; and also made transformational improvements happen in the Paediatric Day Unit to make children and families more comfortable, ease congestion and reduce the risk of cross-infection.
However, the hospital will always need additional funding to enhance care for patients and there is still more that can be done. One of the projects ACT is raising funds for is an additional Children’s Nursery Nurse Play Specialist post to help ensure that all children who need it have access to therapeutic play; interactive digital wall bubbles to help distract children and their siblings during consultations, injecting a sense of fun, calm and normality into hospital visits; and further mobile sensory units to promote interactive and calming play in the hospital setting, particularly for younger and more frightened children.
If you are planning on visiting the Grand Arcade on Saturday 20 October, look out for ACT’s pop-up stand where there will be the opportunity to purchase specially designed children’s t-shirts with all proceeds supporting the Children’s Appeal.
On Wednesday 24 October the Paediatric Day Unit will be officially opened thanks to transformative improvement works, £250,000 of which was supported by the community and ACT. Children can now be seen quicker in a more inspiring and welcoming environment. With the help of a local artist, artwork specially created for the unit and interactive wall-mounted play systems have been installed to distract and occupy children who are waiting in clinics.
To find out more about ACT and to give money to its children’s campaign, please visit: www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk/children or call 01223 217757.
Image- L to R: Amanda Cahn, Associate Director of Operations for Women’s and Children’s Services; Rob Heuschkel, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Divisional Director of Women & Children's Services; Alex Cavanagh, ACT’s Head of Hospital Engagement and Gemma Downham, ACT’s Director of Fundraising outside the newly refurbished PDU at Addenbrooke’s.)