Derbyshire Children’s Hospital: Holly, flowers and drivers were first gifts

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AT 7.30pm on Wedesday, October 17, 1956, the inaugural meeting of the League of Friends of Derbyshire Children’s Hospital took place, chaired by Mr Booth, chairman of the hospital’s House Committee.

It was attended by four members of the Hospital Management Committee, the matron, hospital secretary and 17 members of the public. It was unanimously agreed to set up the League and its officers were elected.

The first requests for help from the League came from the matron. By today’s standards, they were reasonably modest. She wanted radio sets, a gramophone, holly for Christmas, flowers for the wards and car drivers to take parents to Bretby to visit their children transferred there for orthopaedic treatment.

Apart from the provision of a gramophone, the minutes confirm that all the requests were met.

To this day, the League still supplies many small items, including distraction toys, especially for the blood room and emergency department; tubs of bubbles to help children with breathing difficulties; and small packets of Maltesers to replace the marbles that are supposed to be used in certain tests for special needs children.

Originally, fundraising was mainly through coffee mornings and donations from local firms and dignitaries. Later came bazaars and jumble sales. The bazaar turned into an annual garden fete which has only recently been suspended. The jumble sales, prolific fundraisers during the 1990s at the North Street site but less popular at the current abode, have been superceded by table-top sales held during the daytime at regular intervals.

The first large item to be funded by the League was a day room, officially opened by Lady Isobel Barnett and handed over to the hospital on November 8, 1958. The total cost was £623 17s 6d, slightly more than it now costs the League for a year of visits by entertainers.

The latest, costlier items purchased include equipment for theatres, a special exercise bike for physio and computerised machinery for the occupational therapy unit, totalling in excess of £30,000.

In October 1959, matron drew the League’s attention to the need for a tea bar to serve light refreshments for parents and others who had long waits when attending clinics or waiting for their children to be admitted.

A week later, two members of the League started the service, making approximately £1 a week profit, selling drinks and biscuits. Matron, who supervised the operation, offered to work herself if no volunteers were available and, before long, had allocated a nurse cadet to help out.

The tea bar has expanded beyond recognition over the years and now sells snack food, chocolates, fruit, sandwiches, toys and games – and, despite charging less than commercial coffee bars, last year made a profit of more than £18,000. Staffing has also risen from the original two to about 50 volunteers, who work shifts in order to keep the bar open at least 34½ hours a week.

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