Thanks to the kindness of local people like you, for 28 years we have been supporting NHS patients in ways the NHS core funding doesn’t cover.

These include vulnerable patients like children with learning difficulties and autism, for whom a hospital visit can be very frightening. To help them cope with unfamilar surroundings, unusual sounds and unknown strangers, our nurses have been giving them specially assembled soft cotton ‘care bags’.

They each contain ear defenders to shut out scary hospital noises. There’s a stress ball to squeeze out mental tension, toys for physical distraction, and a mindfulness colouring set, to divert young eyes from the drama surrounding them.