The Drop In Centre at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children has officially reached a new milestone and celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special birthday party.
Since opening 10 years ago, The Drop In Centre, which is fully funded by The Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF), has had almost 39,000 visitors through its doors and has enabled families to receive the help and care they need without the added stress of booking an appointment.
On Friday 20th May, The Drop In Centre welcomed colleagues, patients and families to its official 10th birthday party where they celebrated with cake, ice-cream and an entertaining performance from the hospital’s mystical magician.
Established in 2006, it offers practical and emotional support to children, young patients and families in a non-clinical, relaxing and homely environment whilst receiving necessary treatments.
Thanks to The Sick Kids Friends Foundation, The Drop In Centre is able to offer various facilities including arts and crafts, complementary therapy sessions, refreshments and much more to help create a distraction during what could be a difficult time.
Two colleagues, Drop In Centre Manager, Helen Taylor and Therapist Susan McLean have both been at The Drop In Centre since the day it opened and believe the highlight of working there is being able to help make a difference to the lives of children and their families every day.
Helen Taylor, Manager at The Drop In Centre said: “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since The Drop In Centre opened. It’s amazing how many people we have been able to help over the years and although no day is ever the same, they are all equally special.
“Providing a drop in provision for families gives them reassurance that there is always help on hand whenever they need it. Many of our patients are repeat visitors who need continuous support due the demands of their illness, so it’s great to be able to offer facilities that will ensure the patient and their family are supported and comfortable throughout their treatment.”
The Sick Kids Friends Foundation supports and complements the work of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children as well as other children’s healthcare settings across the southeast of Scotland and beyond.
Roslyn Neely, CEO of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, said: “The work that the team at The Drop In Centre has done over the past 10 years has been absolutely fantastic and they have received hugely positive feedback from patients, families and staff alike, so we are delighted to be able to provide the funding for such a great cause.
“As a result of the grants provided by the SKFF, children and young people’s lives are less interrupted by illness; they are less scared of hospital and have a positive experience. This is just one of the ways in which we achieve this.”
