IT WAS a chance to celebrate nurses and raise money for a state-of-the-art facility.

Patients, staff and members of the public celebrated the achievements of nurses at Southampton Children’s Hospital with a series of awareness activities.

For a week nurses from a range of specialties have been on hand to discuss their work, as well as getting involved in simulations and demonstrations.

It was part of the children’s nursing week, an initiative set up by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust to recognise the work, skills and expertise of more than 400 nurses across Southampton Children’s Hospital.

Visitors also had the chance to find out more about the children’s emergency and trauma department fundraising appeal and show their support through various competitions, cake sales and cream teas.

Half the proceeds from the week’s fundraising events will go towards Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity – part of Southampton Hospital Charity – and The Murray Parish Trust’s children’s emergency and trauma department appeal, with the other half set aside for a local education fund for nurses’ professional development.

Richard Corden, director of Southampton Hospital Charity, said: “We can’t thank hospital staff enough for their fundraising efforts and what better way to engage people in the cause than to have our fantastic nursing workforce championing the project. “The new children’s emergency department will ensure the facilities in this area are transformed so they are in keeping with the exceptionally high standards of clinical care delivered by staff every day.”

The £4.8 million project will see the development of a state-of-the-art facility which is expected to treat more than 30,000 youngsters every year from across Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, Devon, Wiltshire, Berkshire, West Sussex, Channel Islands and Oxfordshire.