Children’s Delight At Present For ‘Being Good’ For Their NHS Parents

Excited children were able to take home a special present from nursery, thanks to a kind donation from Fairy Bricks.

The organisation gifted Duplo and Lego sets to Manchester Foundation Trust Charity to give out to the children of NHS staff who are working during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Almost 1,500 sets were given out at nurseries and to staff across Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust sites, including Oxford Road, Trafford General Hospital and Wythenshawe Hospital sites, as a thank you to the children for being so good while their mums, dads and carers work to keep the population safe and well.

Graham Mason, a consultant in paediatric critical care at the Trust’s Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, said his son Jack was delighted to bring some Duplo home.

Graham said: “When I went to pick him up that day he ran out holding the Duplo and said ‘look what I’ve got, I got a present today’. It was the first thing he wanted to do when he got home.

“It’s been played with a lot since – it was such a nice idea.”

Fellow nursery pupil Zachary Khan was equally excited to get home and play with his new present.

His father Anis Khan, who works for the Trust’s Estates and Facilities Team, said: “Zachary was so excited when he came out of nursery holding the Duplo. He said ‘look at my bricks. Do I have to bring them back tomorrow?’. It was very sweet. He was so excited, especially when he realised he got to keep them.

“We always FaceTime grandma and grandad so he was showing the present off to them that evening too. He hasn’t stopped playing with them.”

Dr Leonard Ebah, deputy medical director and a consultant nephrologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary, said his daughter Zara was delighted with her Duplo. He said: “Her seven-year-old brother loves Lego so she couldn’t wait to show him that she had her own set to play with. They opened it together and built it together so that was something nice for them to share. She really loved it.”

Fairy Bricks is a national organisation which donates Lego and Duplo sets to children’s hospitals and hospices. They have previously made donations to young patients at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity at Christmas time.

Kevin Gascoigne, Chief Fairy at Fairy Bricks, said: “We are delighted to see the impact the sets are having. We have been visiting Royal Manchester Children's Hospital since 2014 so when we were planning our donations to the children of NHS staff it was a natural choice to donate to Manchester Foundation Trust Charity. This is proving to be an incredibly difficult time for everyone and we are thrilled that we have been able to offer some help to families willing to sacrifice so much both professionally and personally."

Manchester Foundation Trust Charity has had more than £1.5million-worth of items donated for staff and patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Charity team have set up a well-being fund, so that individuals who want to help can make a contribution too. The Charity fundraises throughout the year to support the treatment, research and care of patients treated at the family of hospitals in the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

Sarah Naismith, Director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, said: “We have had some incredible support from corporate supporters and charitable organisations too.

“It was very heart-warming to hear that Fairy Bricks wanted to do something for the children of our wonderful NHS staff and it sounds like they really enjoyed their presents.

“I’d like to thank Fairy Bricks and everyone who has supported their NHS workers in Manchester and Trafford. I’d encourage those who want to find out more about what we do to visit our website.”

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