Wigan Infirmary staff trek more than 20 miles to raise cash for children's ward improvements

Leanne Stankus was joined by 23 colleagues from the hospital’s Rainbow Ward to walk from Southport Pier to Wigan Pier on June 10 to raise money for the parents’ room on the ward.

They felt it was important to do something that would benefit the families of newborns, who can often spend a lot of time at the hospital which can be a stressful environment.

By providing them with a space they can go to for a tea or coffee that is nearby, rather than leaving the ward and their newborn, it can help ease the tension that parents and family feel.

Their initial target was £1,000 but the total is already more than four times that amount.

Leanne said: “The facilities needed upgrading, there’s a TV and they can make a couple of phone calls if needed. We wanted to make it cosier for them and almost give it a home-from-home feel.

"Having somewhere to go to as opposed to leaving the ward altogether is great because they feel as if they’re still there to be close to their child.”

The group completed the 20-mile walk in around 11 hours on what was a hot day, which only added to the difficulty of the challenge.

While this was not the first time the ward staff have raised funds, it has been five or so years since they did Wigan Pier to Southport Pier. And there were several new employees who were keen to get involved for the good cause.

Leanne said: “It can be heartbreaking for the families, especially those who are on the ward for weeks or even months. We always say that we have two patients at all time: the child and their mum or dad who tends to always stay with them.

"We also have their extended family who come in to visit, especially if the child is poorly and you can see the heartbreak. If we can just put a little smile on their faces, we want to enable that.”

The page to donate is still live at justgiving