YOUNG patients at Heartlands Hospital received a festive boost courtesy of a special visit from the North Pole.
Charity group Castle Bromwich Lions brought along Father Christmas and two of his merry elves to deliver presents to poorly children after fundraising efforts received a big boost following the opening of the new B&M store in Minworth.
Steve Else, from Castle Bromwich Lions’ fundraising committee, said that the support from the retail store helped make the delivery of presents possible.
He added: “The store allowed us to have a Santa’s Grotto at the store every weekend leading up to Christmas to raise money.
“The manager arranged a campaign where customers could buy selection boxes and donate them to the children’s ward.
“The manager at B&M was really supportive of what we do and allowed us to have a Santa’s Grotto down at the store every weekend leading up to Christmas to raise money.
“We have received well over 2,000 selection boxes and we are delivering them at Heartlands and at Good Hope Hospital.
“It is lovely to be able to come here and bring a smile to the children’s faces at what can’t be a very nice time for them.” Christine Morrell, health play specialist at Heartlands Hospital, said the team were hugely grateful to the Castle Bromwich Lions for their generous donations.
She added: “It’s not nice for children to be in hospital around Christmas time so having Father Christmas coming in and being given a gift can give them a real boost.
“I would like to thank Castle Bromwich Lions for their generosity – not just coming in today but for giving us lots of presents that can be distributed to the children who may unfortunately be with us over Christmas.”
