Published on: 16 December 2019
Trust service user Emily is running a Reverse Advent appeal to collect items for service users in the Radbourne Unit in Derby to receive at Christmas.
Emily, a former service user at the unit, knows that despite the high standard of care offered, some of the inpatients don’t have any friends or family to provide comforts, and may receive few gifts at Christmas.
So each day in December, instead of enjoying the chocolate from a traditional Advent calendar, Emily and her family and friends have been buying items that could be of use by patients in the unit – and she is appealing for support.
The items to donate could range from nice shower gel or shampoo to jigsaws, games and sensory items to entertain and keep their minds positively occupied, such as Play-Doh, puzzle books, or even packs of cards.
Emily is pictured with Chief Executive Ifti Majid and Chief Operating Officer Mark Powell and just some of the hampers of gifts put together last year.
The appeal would like donations of:
• Toiletries such as shampoo bubble bath, body wash, including sample products such as mini tubes of toothpaste or sample perfumes
• Craft items
• Games, books and jigsaws, including board games (which can be used as long as they are complete)
• Writing or colouring materials
• Word search or puzzle books.
In order to maintain patient safety on the ward, breakables such as glass and ceramics, also aerosols, scissors, razors or tweezers, are not acceptable.
Items can be donated in the foyer of the Ashbourne Centre at Kingsway Hospital (look for the blue box) or handed in at the Radbourne Unit reception.
Colleagues at the Hartington Unit in Chesterfield are also collecting items for service users, so please take any items there if you are in the Chesterfield area.
