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Sou’Westers Scout Fellowship
Sou’westers work in the paediatric wards each Thursday evening, are now in their 30th year of providing a service at the QMC.
We are a small group of volunteers (from an ex scouting background) 10 in number, are self - financing and provide a “party” for patients and siblings alike. We take children in beds, in wheel chairs, on drips, and subject to medical direction from the Ward Manager; no child is barred from joining us.
Our parties take on differing formats, are largely dependent on the number and age groups of patients that are available, so a rigid structure is neither possible nor desirable, as we do not want, particularly for long-term patients, to be too predictable.
We hold themed evenings such as: – Easter, Christmas, Bonfire, Children in Need, Halloween, to name but a few. Our objective is for the patient to be able to join us away from their bed space, have fun, let off steam, and hopefully quickly fall to sleep afterwards.
We welcome and encourage family members to join us, so for an hour, they also get respite from the hospital environment by entering into the party spirit with their children.
On those evenings when numbers are low, we have different games that all involved can join in with.
At the end of our parties, each child takes away a bag of sweets and chocolate (where permitted) a balloon, and on a birthday or another special occasion, a small present and card as a reminder of their time with us.
As a body, we aim to provide a therapeutic opportunity to all age groups who find themselves receiving medical attention in the QMC, and hopefully our small input is of benefit in a speedy aid to recovery.
If you are interested in being involved with this project, please contact the DC