Grotto lights up patients’ faces at Newham University Hospital | Our news

A grotto has been built in Newham University Hospital’s children’s Rainbow Centre, which was opened earlier this year, to help get young patients in the Christmas spirit.

The grotto, decorated with Christmas trees, fairly lights, penguins and reindeers that light up, contained presents to put smiles on faces as patients took a break from their treatment and the hospital environment.

Volunteers from the CME Group, a local organisation, turned the outside play area into a festive grotto for the children to enjoy and were supported by Barts Charity.

Hamera Elahi, Specialist Play Worker at Newham University Hospital said: ‘We’re so grateful to Barts Charity for arranging the grotto and to volunteers from CME for taking time out of their day to build the grotto. It looks fantastic and has been put up just in time for our children’s Christmas Party on Friday. It’s the perfect way to get our young patients in the festive mood and it will definitely take their mind of why they’re in hospital and make the whole experience so much more enjoyable.”

Zosia Czapska, Community Fundraiser at Barts Charity said: “We’d like to say thank you to the team of volunteers at CME who put up a wonderful grotto at Newham Hospital’s Rainbow Centre. Support from local organisations is so important and the fact that the CME team come back each year to show their support to young patients at Christmas is amazing.”