Christmas Lunch Raises Thousands for Hospital’s Young Burns Patients

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity hosted its annual Christmas lunch, Sparkle in the City, raising an incredible £35,000 to help the rehabilitation of young patients with burns injuries treated at the hospital.

Held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, the event was sponsored by Selfridges & Co Manchester and hosted by Key 103 breakfast presenter and Patron for the Charity, Mike Toolan who welcomed 250 guests on the day.

Guests were treated to entertainment from Girl on Sax, May Crick and swing and jazz singer Paul Pashley as well as fashion retailer to the stars Selfridges & Co, showcasing their new collection in our festive fashion show.  Guests also had the opportunity to do some present shopping from Selfridges’ boutique Christmas stalls.

There were some amazing prizes up for grabs in the raffle and auction including VIP meet & greet with The Script, a signed Roger Federer shirt and a chauffeur driven Rolls-Royce experience. There were also chances for guests to win a fabulous 9Ct stacker set Rose, White and Yellow Gold Claw Eternity Diamond Ring courtesy of Precious Jewels UK.

All money raised on the day will support the hospital’s Children’s Burns Camp, which is run by the specialist Burns Unit team.  Burns injuries can require years of painful treatments and aftercare and children can face many problems adapting to their scars, rebuilding their self-confidence and reintegrating into a society that isn’t always kind to people who look different.  The aim of the camps is to support rehabilitation and improve self-esteem in burn-injured children.

After the horrific events in May, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital was the lead hospital to treat the children affected by the blast.  One of those children was 15-year-old Eve Senior who suffered multiple shrapnel wounds as well as burns to her legs.  Eve and her mum Natalie were special guests attending the charity lunch. Sharing her emotional story, Natalie thanked the hospital for everything they did for her family and told guests of the difference charitable support will make to poorly patients treated at the hospital.

Natalie Senior commented: “The staff we met at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital were nothing short of amazing; from the first night when Eve was admitted to A&E, straight through to her being assessed and admitted on to the burns unit the day after the attack. Eve underwent several operations at the hospital to remove over 16 pieces of shrapnel from her legs and shoulder and was treated for a nasty burn at the top of one of her legs caused by the blast which needed specialist care.

“We know better than anyone how you can find yourself in need of care at hospital when you very least expect it. I’m proud to be here to share my story and help fundraise for the incredible burns unit at the hospital which we are incredibly grateful for.”

Sarah Naismith, Head of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity, added: “We are incredibly grateful to every single person who attended Sparkle in the City, donated prizes, or helped in any way possible. I’d like to extend a special thank you to Selfridges for partnering with us for this event and supporting our fundraising for such a worthy cause. A fantastic amount was raised on the day which will go towards funding our hospital’s Children’s Burns Camp, helping to make a huge difference in supporting rehabilitation and improving self-esteem in burn-injured children.”