Abby’s Heroes charity was established to support children and their families, including bereaved families, who are under the care of the Piam Brown and Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) wards at Southampton General Hospital. The charity provides financial and practical assistance as well as the opportunity to create lasting memories for the children and their families.
The charity approached the Order of the Red Cross of Constantine in Hampshire and Isle of Wight to request a grant from the Grand Sovereign’s Care for Children Fund towards the purchase of Welfare Packs for newly diagnosed children’s parents. These packs provide urgent relief during the early weeks of hospital stays.
The Welfare Packs include gift cards for M&S and Costa outlets located at the hospital and a 14-day car park ticket for the hospital car park.
Although modest in the context of a childhood cancer diagnosis, these packs serve as a gesture of compassion, flexibility and humanity, offering comfort, choice and care precisely where and when it is most needed.
Parents often spend extended periods on the ward, sometimes unexpectedly. Gift cards and hospital parking alleviate a small financial and mental burden at a time when energy, focus and resilience are already strained.
The Grand Sovereign’s Care for Children Fund committee reviewed the application and approved a donation of £2000.
The Intendant General R.Ill.Kt. Steven Groeger and the Deputy Intendant General Ill. Kt. Mark Denton visited Park Gate, Southampton today to present the cheque to David Fawcett, the charity’s Community Fundraiser. David provided further information stating that this generous donation will assist the charity in purchasing approximately 20 Welfare Packs.
