After eight years of hard work, Rosie Mitchell – who set up the charity Friends of PICU – has been surprised by has been achieved.
Mitchell explained:
“I have just always wanted to make life a bit more comfortable for the children and their parents, and we are really seeing the benefits.”
As a member of staff at the unit, she has seen first-hand the improvements the money has made possible. The unit has been ranked second in terms of quality, in a comparison of similar facilities on a national scale. The charity has received acclaim for the work which has contributed towards this outcome.
It is believed that the charity has prospered in part because people have felt confident that the donations made are not wasted on administration. If it continues to go from strength to strength, it may use printing services in Southampton and the Hedge End area during its campaigning.
The money that has been raised so far has been put towards practical purchases, such as an ambulance that is appropriate for transporting children. Special cubicles in the unit could not have been built without the resources collected by the charity. In addition, parents can now stay in accommodation near their ill children, instead of having to make repeated journeys from home.