A BIRTHDAY tea party to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS has raised vital funds for a major development at a Northwich hospital.
The Victoria Infirmary has been brought £4,000 closer to its £100,000 target to create a new waiting room for children.
Across the country, NHS 'Big Tea' parties were held this month to mark the milestone and raise funds for hospital charities.
More than 40 'Big Tea' parties were held across the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation trust, with staff, communities and businesses all taking part.
Emma Robertson, Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity manager, said: "We’re delighted that so many of our colleagues and members of our local communities joined us in celebrating NHS Big Tea Day.
"We’ve had such lovely comments from people who said they had a great time holding tea parties, raffles, and other activities to raise funds for our appeal.
"The amount raised will get us that much closer to being able to start work to improve the environment at Victoria Infirmary for our young patients."
The NHS turned 75 on July 5, having been created on that day in 1948 as the first universal health system available to all, free at the point of delivery.
To mark the occasion Mid Cheshire Hospital Charity joined NHS charities across the country by taking party in the NHS Big Tea, while encouraging supporters to host their own parties.
All in all, the parties, along with the charity’s Big Tea Raffle, raised nearly £4,000.
The money will go towards a new state-of-the-art children’s waiting room at the VIN.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity unveiled the plans last year, with aims of raising £100,000 to deliver the project.
The waiting room will feature a high-tech interactive floor projector and sensory play wall fixed activity units, providing a safe, calming environment to help children and those accompanying them to relax when visiting the hospital.
Last year the charity funded projectors and sensory equipment for the new Emergency Care Children’s Department at Leighton Hospital.
More information about the charity’s VIN appeal, including details of how to support it, can be found at mchcharity.org/appeals/vin-appeal/.
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