School students working on the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme, visited Louisa Cary ward at Torbay Hospital and handed over 100 packs specially developed to help teenagers that arrive on the ward without the basic supplies for an overnight stay.
The project was developed by a team of 13 students, from different schools in the area, as part of the NCS programme. The students not only came up with the idea, but they also raised £684 to create the packs for the ward.
The suggestion came from NCS student, Maddie Stevens, who came up with the idea after spending time on Louisa Cary ward visiting her sister. “During my visit, I saw a girl come in and she had nothing with her, none of the essentials. As she had no close family to bring it in for her, so my mum ended up shopping for what she needed. The problem really stuck with me.
“So when we had a chance to design our own project, I really wanted to develop packs for teenagers in need staying in hospital. It’s also a great way to thank the ward for their support with my sister. They did an outstanding job at helping her get better and I hope that these kits can be used to help patients feel more comfortable while staying in hospital.”
From this idea, packs were developed for both male and female patients. The female packs include: t-shirt, underwear, socks, roll-on deodorant, pads, face wipes and a puzzle book and the boy’s packs have: t-shirt, pants, socks, puzzle book or a pack of cards and a pack of mints.
Natalie Gilardoni, Play Specialist on Louisa Cary said: “When patients arrive on the ward with no belongings, through emergency admissions or no close family, packs like the ones developed by NCS students are essential. Unfortunately, the ward is unable to provide many of the items young people need, so having kits available for those without an overnight bag is a great idea.”
“We would like to thank the NCS team for developing such a good initiative and for thinking of Louisa Cary when developing the idea. We will certainly use them in the future.”
Marta Wytrych, Social Work Student and NCS Team Leader said: “We are very proud of the work of the students on the NCS programme. The initiative was completely student led and took two weeks from initial idea to completion, which shows what we can do when we pull together to make a difference.“
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