03 October 2017
Celebrating 30 years of friendship and support for families of sick children
For the past three decades, families of patients at Bristol
Royal Hospital for Children have been able to rely on the listening
ear and practical support of the Friends for Parents
volunteers.
Set up by the hospital's chaplaincy team in 1987, in conjunction
with the Mothers' Union, they are known for their distinctive
yellow polo shirts and pastoral care.
Their aim is to make things easier for families during their
time at the hospital. They do this by listening and talking with
them on the ward, informing them of local facilities, running
errands for those who do not want to leave their child's bedside,
and making sure the parents' rooms on each floor are fully stocked
with tea and coffee supplies.
On Tuesday 3 October, past members of the team and those who
have supported Friends for Parents over the years, including
hospital staff and members of the Mothers' Union, were invited to
attend an event to celebrate the memories and the bonds which have
been created throughout the years.
Taking place in the Bristol Royal Infirmary's Sanctuary space,
the event included music, memory and thanks-giving boards, as well
as a variety of speakers who shared their stories.
Gill Wilding, volunteer co-ordinator for the Friends for
Parents, said:
"We feel there is no better way to celebrate our 30th
birthday than to have with us those friends who have supported and
helped us over the last 30 years, to bring to mind the many
families we have met in the hospital and to dedicate ourselves to
the future."
Stephen Oram, chaplain at University Hospitals Bristol NHS
Foundation Trust, said:
"Friends for Parents have made an invaluable contribution to the
families of children staying at the children's hospital over the
past 30 years.
"Their listening ear, as well as very practical support, has
helped to make a stay in hospital a little more comfortable."
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