Pupils, staff and parents at a Harrogate prep school have launched a major fundraising campaign to help improve the lives of children in hospital.
Belmont Grosvenor is working with Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity to raise money for Woodlands Ward during the year – with the aim of transforming the current children’s play room.
Each year, ‘outstanding’ Belmont Grosvenor School, based at Birstwith, just outside Harrogate, chooses a local charity to support.
Over the years, thousands of pounds have been handed over to a wide range of good causes, including Harrogate Homeless Project, Carer’s Resource in Harrogate and the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund in Leeds.
Youngsters from Belmont Grosvenor’s School Council dropped into Harrogate District Hospital to visit Woodlands Ward and come up with ideas to improve the play area.
Pupils handed out questionnaires to patients asking what sort of play equipment they would like to see on their ward – and spoke to nurses and doctors about their redesign plans.
Children from Reception to Year 6 at the Harrogate prep school have been asked to come up with ideas to improve the play area – with fund-raising events planned throughout the year aimed at putting the proposals into practice.
Jane Merriman, Headteacher at Belmont Grosvenor School, said everyone was delighted to be supporting Woodlands Ward throughout 2017.
Jane said:As a school we have a strong sense of community and all our pupils, staff and parents enjoy raising money throughout the year for local good causes.
Jayne Johnson, chairman of the school’s Parent Teacher Association, said: It is wonderful to support a local charity that children at Belmont Grosvenor School can all relate to.
Many of them have either been patients, or know someone who has stayed in Woodlands Ward at some point in their lives. They know that having things to entertain them and distract them is really important, especially for those children who have longer stays in hospital.
David Fisher, Community and Events Fundraiser at Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity, said he was delighted with the Belmont Grosvenor School children’s enthusiasm: It is wonderful to see the children from the school getting so engaged in the project, coming up with their own ideas for how they can help the children who have to stay in the hospital.
We are really looking forward to supporting Belmont Grosvenor School during the year to raise as much as possible for Woodlands Ward and would like to thank the staff, children and parents for their amazing support of Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity.
