Manchester charity MedEquip4Kids supports young people through the pandemic
Founded in 1985, children’s health charity MedEquip4Kids provides hospitals in the North West with medical equipment and facilities not available from limited NHS resources. We also deliver the Hummingbird Project, our volunteer-led six-week course for schools to improve young people’s mental health. Last year our work had a positive impact on the health of 93,600 babies, children and young people.
We are so grateful to everyone at Bowdon Business Club for their enthusiastic support of our charity. The club has donated £4,350 from its group funds and individual involvement in many of our events. Pictured is Evelyn Glarvey, business club member and project co-ordinator at MedEquip4Kids, who made this beautiful rainbow rug while completing a sponsored sit-a-thon on her drive during the first lockdown.
At the end of March 2020 we launched a special appeal for extra equipment and resources to support young patients through the COVID-19 pandemic. This included respiratory equipment such as optiflow units, C-PAP machines and ventilators, which are always in high demand, but are needed now more than ever.
Thanks to supporters like Bowdon Business Club, we were able to provide two optiflow units for Royal Bolton Hospital, as well as new saturation monitors to check patients’ oxygen levels. Ward manager Jayne Simpson says: “During winter months our admissions of children with respiratory conditions increase, so these monitors are vital to us being able to safely monitor children.”
We are also funding resources for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Since the pandemic began, over 80% of young people with mental health conditions have experienced worsening of their symptoms due to the loss of their usual social support networks. We are providing a tailored package of resources for every mental health team in the UK that needs them. These include emotion cards, stress balls and fidget toys, pens and paper, workbooks and puzzles.
Dr Paula Hull, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Healthy Young Minds in Stalybridge, says: "Thank you so much for all of this. I can't tell you how much we appreciate it. It's such an uplift in the midst of all this Covid gloom. We seek to be creative in our therapeutic work with children and families and so art materials, which get used up and need replacing are key to this. We use Playdoh for fun and mindfulness exercises."
We will continue to support hospitals affected by COVID-19 during 2021, as well as ensuring children receive the best possible care for other illnesses or health issues to support their recovery and help them to live healthy and happy lives.
For more information about the charity or to donate, please visit our website: www.medequip4kids.org.uk
MedEquip4Kids
The Appeals Office,
5th Floor, 90 Deansgate,
Manchester
M3 2GP
United Kingdom
Contact: Evelyn Glarvey
Projects Co-ordinator
The children’s health charity.
