Basketball Stars Visit Children’s Hospital Thanks to New Charity Partnership

TWO of Scotland’s top basketball stars have visited the Royal Hospital for Sick Children thanks to a new charity partnership.

Current internationals and Caledonia Pride stars Robyn Lewis and Hannah Peacock met with children at the hospital thanks to a new link up between the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), Basketball Scotland and the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The players handed out a range of gifts for the children which were donated by the NBA as part of their launch of the new Jr NBA Basketball Scotland League.

The pair also gave out match tickets so that the children can go along and watch Robyn, Hannah and the rest of the team strut their stuff on the basketball court for Scotland’s only female professional basketball team.

It is hoped that the visit will mark the start of a mutually beneficial partnership that will help raise awareness of the charity’s work with regular visits from players to boost spirits.

Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager for ECHC, said: “It was fantastic to have Robyn and Hannah come in and visit the children on our long-term wards.

“It was brilliant for the children to see two inspirational sportswomen and get to find out about what they do and how they made it to the top of their sports.

“The gifts provided by Basketball Scotland were great and you could tell from the smiles on the children’s faces how much it meant to them.

“It’s a brilliant way to start the partnership and I’m really excited about the opportunities it presents us going forward.”

Robyn and Hannah have represented Great Britain at Under 20s as well as playing for the Scotland Women’s senior team.

It’s hoped that the player’s visit will transform the experience of children in the hospital so that they can be a child first and a patient second.

As Captain of Caledonia Pride, Robyn said: “It’s a really exciting new partnership and it was a brilliant way to start it, with so many smiles on all the children’s faces.

“We would like to thank the NBA for their generous donation of gifts and tickets which we gave out.

“It was brilliant to promote grassroots basketball in Scotland and we are delighted that the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity could be a part of it with us.”