We are always very pleased to hear from people and groups who have benefited from a donation as to how the money has helped them. Here are a few testimonials which we would like to share with you.
City Hospital, Birmingham Accident & Emergency Department.
Karen Mitchell, Senior Nurse Manager
The scanner has made a vast difference in the treatment of patients brought into A&E with abdominal and chest trauma. Severe injuries to the abdomen and /or chest can be life threatening and as such time and a precise information regarding the patients injuries are vital.
Before having the portable ultra machine patients who were stable enough would have been taken to another department to have a scan. Depending on the time of day this could take anything up to an hour. Patients too critical to be moved would have had no option but be taken to theatre for an exploratory operation.
With the new machine patients are treated at their bedside in the A&E department. Within 5 minutes the machine will detect and locate the source of internal bleeding, this cannot be detected through normal external examinations.
With critically ill patients delays of 30 to 40 minutes can be fatal. In these cases in particular the machine has been an invaluable piece of equipment.
The machine has also been of tremendous use in other types of patients, as it makes it very easy to quickly detect pregnancies, check for fluid in the abdomen and detect clots and abnormalities in blood vessels. This provides us with invaluable assistance in determining patient diagnosis at point of arrival, enabling us to deliver appropriate management in a timely manner.
St. Johns Baby & Toddler Group, Walsall Wood.
Three Years ago the group was in a difficult position. We shared toys belonging to another group, who changed premises leaving us with only the toys we could beg, borrow or bring from home. The Church congregation came to the rescue by donating second hand toys no longer needed, but this left lots of areas of toys. With the encouragement of another local Toddler Group leader, I applied to Rosie’s Helping Hands for four projects: Musical instruments, Baby toys, Creative play and boys toys. We were absolutely delighted when the grant bid was accepted. The children loved the new dressing up clothes, rocking horse and electronic workshop in particular. We have also been able to set up a baby corner to meet the needs of our new arrivals. It turned our group around and since then, we have gone from strength to strength.
The initial bid also meant we had to set up a committee, bank account and constitution. We have moved forwards thanks to the hard work, vision and commitment of not just one person, but a very dedicated committee. The success of this bid encouraged me to apply for other grants, which have bought new equipment for outdoor play and a storage shed, all of which we could never afford to buy from our 75p contribution for coffee money. We have seen numbers increase from the original three to over forty on our list and as a result, we now offer a Monday morning session in addition to our Wednesday afternoon session. We now have a formal list of the children’s address and birth date. This has helped to bring back parents who have not attended for a while, as we send out regular newsletters. All children receive a birthday card, and have a cake with candles to blow out.
We have a newborn baby in the group who has Downs Syndrome, and we are looking at ways in which we can serve the needs of other local Special Needs children and carers. In addition to the annual Christmas Party, we are looking at organising a coach trip this summer to a farm or Telford Park. Monthly activities include our wonderful story-teller, Louise, who is funded by Rosie’s Helping Hands. Louise and her daughter Molly have become an integral part of our group, with her stories and singing being enjoyed by babies right up to our oldest children. Her moms knitted toys have become legendary! She has given us the inspiration and enthusiasm to include our own stories and singing at biscuit time on the weeks she does not attend.
For further information on our sessions, please contact : Lisa Wilson 01543 370834
Sarah Millington
I found out about Rosie's Helping Hands charity through school and attended Rosie's Walk fund raising event.
I received a grant to fund bass guitar tuition for twelve months. From these lessons I gained further knowledge of music theory, studied a range of styles including jazz, blues, progressive rock and reggae. I also developed abilities in interpretation and improvisation. Thanks to these lessons I feel more confident as a player and a performer.
My band were one of four selected to perform at Symphony Hall's National Rock and Pop Concert in 2005. I have also performed at Rosie's Christmas party 2004 and the walk in 2005.
Following my GCSE's I am going to take a B-TEC in Music Practice at South Birmingham College and I know that the knowledge I have gained will see me in good stead, giving me an advantage from the start.
I'd like to thank the trustees of Rosie's Helping Hands
for their help in progressing my abilities in music.
St Matthew’s Carer and Toddler Group - Walsall
We found out about Rosie’s Helping Hands through Lizzy Jones at Tynings Lane Church at the Toddlers Network meeting.
The baby safe area has helped our group by giving us a safe and secure area for pre walking children, allowing them to enjoy play without being harmed by toddlers knocking them over, it also gives peace of mind to the parents and staff.
The climbing frame safety mats provides safe use of the climbing frame especially in the unlikely event of a child falling over. It also gives us peace of mind knowing that through your help we have done what we can to provide a safe environment. Our children now enjoy the experience of the equipment we have and our group has grown from a start of 5 children in January 2004, to 36 children at present with a waiting list in place.
The children are now able to explore and share, having interaction with peers, parents and staff. We were also given the gift of Louise (the story teller) once a month, who the children, parents and staff fully enjoy coming. Louise, really brings the books to life for us and she is so bubbly, everyone loves her and it is a real pleasure to see the children’s faces. The children benefit through learning to listen and partake in story time. We hope she can continue as long as possible.
I have found Rosie’s Helping Hands to be very caring and helpful. Nothing seems too much trouble for them. Only recently, we had a problem with the group’s printer so we approached Rosie’s for advice, and within a very short time they not only gave us a replacement printer, but also delivered it to us.
We have nothing but praise and admiration for Rosie’s Helping Hands and are extremely grateful to them for enriching the life of our group.
Joan Cartridge
Leader
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