Young bookworms can now curl up in two new book nooks and read their favourite stories during their stay at Medway Maritime Hospital thanks to a donation of eighty books.
Child-Friendly Medway donated the books and installed the book nooks in the Magpies Centre and the children’s day surgery ward on Sunderland Day Case Unit.
Amy St Louis, Child-Friendly Medway Lead, came up with the idea after she saw an appeal by the hospital’s Play Specialist Ann McKinnon for new books and toys.
She said: “It became clear our book nooks would be the perfect addition to provide entertainment for children and young people visiting the hospital, giving them the opportunity to read with their parent or carer while waiting for or recovering from treatment.”
The book nooks are part of Child-Friendly Medway’s ‘For the Love of Reading’ initiative, which aims to inspire children and young people to develop a passion for books and reading.
Ann, said: “Reading can improve children’s cognitive development, language skills, concentration, imagination, and creativity. So, this generous donation has received a warm welcome from staff working on our wards, who have said our young patients will hugely benefit from this new addition.”
Donna Law, Manager of The Medway Hospital Charity, said: “We would like thank the Child-Friendly Medway Team for thinking of our young patients here at the hospital.
“We know being in hospital can be a worrying time for children, so being able to pick up a book and be transported into a story will be a huge help during this time and ease any concerns for both patients and parents.
”We are very grateful for all the donations we receive which go towards benefitting patients and staff.”