£1.5k donation to Stoke Mandeville Paediatric Ward will fund new equipment and items to keep children entertained

The Paediatric Ward at Aylesbury’s Stoke Mandeville Hospital has welcomed a £1,500 funding boost from Barratt David Wilson Homes, the builders behind the town’s new Kingsbrook development.

The donation will help fund large equipment that’s needed as well as items for the children from the ward’s Wish List.

Stoke Mandeville’s 26-bed Paediatric Ward allows patients to be near other children in their age range. The ward includes a lounge for older children and a safe outdoor play area as well as quiet space for parents and family members.

Ward 3 does not receive any budget for supplementary equipment or toys, so the donation has enabled the team to update their collection of items for the children to use when undergoing treatment.

The donation was made possible thanks to the housebuilder’s Community Fund, supported by the Barratt Foundation.

Hayley Robins, play leader at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, said: “We do not get a budget and rely solely on donations and our Amazon Wish List to provide distraction materials and resources to keep our patients occupied during their stay.

"It is so important to us that our patients have a positive experience of being in hospital. If they have to come multiple times, as many do, then they almost look forward to coming to see me as they know they will get lots of fun things to make and do during their stay, so we are immensely grateful for this donation.”

Marc Woolfe, head of sales at Barratt David Wilson North Thames, said: “We are really pleased to hear this donation will help provide new play equipment for children, which will hopefully reduce their anxiety and stress whilst in Ward 3, both for young patients and their families.

"The work Stoke Mandeville Hospital carries out is vital to the local community so any help we can give to help aid their services is very important to us and we look forward to seeing the equipment in action soon.”

This year, Barratt David Wilson North Thames is expanding its range of new homes available at Kingsbrook, starting with a range of two, three and four-bedroom family homes starting from £247,500.