Online auction launches to support Tiny Lives Appeal

York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity has launched an online auction to help raise funds for the Tiny Lives Appeal, supporting the Neonatal Unit at York Hospital.

Local businesses and supporters have shown incredible generosity by supporting the appeal which launched earlier this month to support premature babies and their families.

This year, the charity hopes to raise money to help improve facilities on the unit for the hospital’s tiniest patients and their families – newborn babies who need specialist support in their first days and weeks of life.

To support the latest appeal, businesses and supporters have donated fabulous prizes for the online auction including a luxury stay for six in Mallorca, and a relaxing break at the Feversham Arms Hotel and Verbena Spa, Helmsley.  Other top prizes include afternoon teas, dining experiences, and family activities to suit all budgets. Previous auctions have raised over £17,000 in total.

The Neonatal Unit, previously known as the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), provides care for families across York and Scarborough and the surrounding area.

Every year, around 375 babies begin their lives in the Neonatal Unit, these are babies born prematurely or with health complications. The unit not only provides a crucial service for babies in need of specialist care, but also their families, who require comfort, reassurance, and support during one of the most challenging times of their lives.

A £2 million refurbishment is currently underway and will create a state-of-the-art environment for babies to become stronger and healthier, whilst also offering improved facilities to support parents during the often-difficult time they spend in hospital with their young ones.

The Tiny Lives Appeal aims to raise £100,000 to enhance the experience for babies and their families in the new unit.

With generous support from the public, York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity will be able to fund additional equipment and furnishings to help transform the area into a calm, tranquil and comforting family-friendly space.

Fundraising Manager Emma Sargent said: “A well-designed, comfortable environment can make a world of difference to families facing the stress and uncertainty of neonatal care. Enhancing the Neonatal Unit helps create a more supportive space for both babies and their families.

“We’d like to thank all the local businesses and supporters who have generously donated a wonderful array of prizes to the online auction. Bidders will have the chance to win the perfect treat for themselves or their loved ones this Christmas, knowing it’s all in support of a very worthy cause.”

 

The auction will run from 8am on Monday 17 November to 8pm on Sunday 30 November.

Supporters can bid online at www.yshospitalscharity.org/auction.