Skiddle visits Great Ormond Street Hospital

Early in September, we took a visit to Great Ormond Street Hospital, Skiddle’s latest charity partner, to experience what they provide for children and the plans they have for the future of the hospital. 

When walking up to the reception, we were greeted by a bronze statue of Peter Pan, which is a tribute to the novelist JM Barrie, who donated the copyright of Peter Pan to the hospital in 1929 as part of his continual support of GOSH. It means that the hospital gets perpetual support from the rights to help seriously ill children.

Stepping inside, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary hospital, it has a completely unique feeling of comfort. There’s no sterile atmosphere, the walls are splashed with colour and we are taken through some of the most unique features, including the Morgan Stanley Garden where patients, families and staff alike can come to relax. 

One of the most scenic areas of the site is the Disney Reef. An outside oasis, it is reminiscent of The Little Mermaid and it also features other recognisable characters such as Mickey Mouse and Goofy. There’s also an interactive Finding Nemo game and the reef is one of the most popular spots in the hospital. It was donated back in 2018 and it is the biggest Disney installation in Europe outside of Disneyland Paris.

With some stays being longer than others at GOSH, there are measures in place to ensure that the children can enjoy as normal a life as possible. This means that they have school services available to ensure that they can keep up with their studies and even sit their exams. 

During our tour, we were taken to St Christopher’s Chapel, an incredibly historic building that is truly one-of-a-kind. It is not only used for worship but ceremonies too, with weddings even taking place there. With beautiful brickwork and stained glass windows, it has the unique story of being the only listed building to be moved from its original location.

Now, it serves the needs of those in the hospital and it is found right in the middle of the premises. There’s over 140 years of history inside it and it still looks absolutely pristine. GOSH provides places of worship for all faiths, to ensure that everyone has a place of prayer. 

Earlier this year, GOSH Charity launched its biggest ever fundraising appeal to help build a world-leading new Children’s Cancer Centre at GOSH, to help drive transformation in children’s cancer care and save more lives. It will be built over the next few years and will feature various upgrades on the existing facilities including a Cytotoxic Pharmacy, a daycare unit with increased capacity, holistic care to improve patients' wellbeing and livelihoods and there will also be greater capacity for clinical trials. 

The Charity exists to support the hospital’s most urgent needs over and above what the NHS can afford, which means fundraising is crucial.

Since August 1st, Skiddle’s donation option at checkout has split £1 between both GOSH Charity and Alder Hey, which will provide funding for exciting new projects at both premises.

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Header: Great Ormond Street Hospital and Children's Charity / Facebook.com