Crosshouse Children’s Fund
Colour for Crosshouse Appeal
Catherine Lawson
There are few experiences in life that bring families and communities together more powerfully than supporting a child through ill health. The impact is felt far beyond the child themselves, affecting parents, siblings and the wider community, and making the support of those around them more important than ever.
Providing that vital support for children and families across Ayrshire is at the heart of the Crosshouse Children’s Fund. Founded in 2019 as a sister branch of the national Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, the fund supports children and families from the tiniest babies in the neonatal unit at Ayrshire Maternity to young people receiving care in the children’s wards at Crosshouse, helping to make their time in hospital a little easier.
With all paediatric wards in Ayrshire and Arran now being based at University Hospital Crosshouse in Kilmarnock, the fund can focus on projects which directly support local families when and where they need it most and the scope of those projects is vast. Recent initiatives have included the purchase of a £5,000 community vein finder, funded by families and the local church to make the experience of giving blood less traumatic for children. In addition, the fund supports services like play in healthcare, providing materials and toys for the ward’s Play Specialist, Michelle. The power of play can provide welcomed distractions and comfort for children in hospital, making the environment and experience feel less anxious.
Funding research into the numerous factors that can influence a child’s experience is central to the ongoing work of the fund, and recent research into the positive impact a welcoming hospital environment can have has prompted their most recent appeal – Colour for Crosshouse. The aim is to raise the funds needed to create colourful, comfortable and engaging environments that reduce the stress and improve the hospital experience for children, families and the NHS staff who care for them. Transforming spaces, as the research shows, can have a lasting impact.
From a psychological and emotional perspective bright, vibrant spaces help normalise the environment making it feel much less clinical and frightening. Artwork and wall murals become talking points that can help distract children and nurture better connections and communications with medical staff. The reduction in stress and increased sense of safety associated with child-centred environments can significantly improve the experience not just for children but for everyone involved.
The Colour for Crosshouse project is one of the most significant and far-reaching initiatives being driven by the fund. Phase one is now complete, enhancing the entrance and lift areas on the children’s ward. So, when children first arrive, or come out of theatre, they are surrounded by colours and images which help them feel calm and safe. Phase two is currently underway and will focus on the transformation of the corridors within the children’s wards. Phase three will look at wards and cubicles, and phase four will focus on the waiting areas, including paediatric A and E. Far from being simply a painting endeavour, the project requires robust health and safety protocols to be in place to ensure a safe and sustainable transformation.
Each phase will be meticulously managed and led by specialists who advise on everything from colour schemes to infection control. And working closely with those specialists will be the children, families and staff themselves all of whom will have a say in how the spaces around them will be transformed, ensuring they truly reflect the needs of those who use them every day. It really is a community initiative.
To help turn this inspiring vision into reality, Crosshouse Children’s Fund is now looking to the local community to help raise the funds needed to make these changes possible. There are lots of ways to get involved whether you’re an individual, a community group or a business looking to make a difference.
Many donations to date have come from families with first-hand experience of having a child in hospital, who have turned that experience into a desire to make things easier for others. For some, that means running a marathon or taking part in the Kiltwalk, raising much-needed funds through sponsorship. For others, it’s turning up to support events such as the Christmas Fayre at Ayrshire Athletics Arena in Kilmarnock on Sunday 6th December. On a wider scale, local businesses can also play a key role by making a corporate donation or by reaching out to start the conversation about how they might back the appeal.
To date, Crosshouse Children’s Fund has raised almost £500,000 to support Ayrshire’s children in hospital by funding research, medical equipment, support services and play programmes. There is still much to do, however, and the fund’s experience since 2019 has shown that providing the support and resources needed to improve the experience for children and families across Ayrshire can only be achieved through the collective efforts of the whole community. Whether you’re running a race or baking festive cupcakes to sell at the fayre, every contribution goes a long way to bringing hope and moments of joy to the children and families who need it most.
To find out more about the incredible work of Crosshouse Children’s Fund, and to read about the different ways you can support them, visit
www.crosshousechildrensfund.org
