Penguins move into children's hospital

Thursday 24 March 2011

Rockinghorse has found a new home for a family of penguins in the entrance of The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

The wooden birds were meticulously designed and hand-painted by the Brighton Refugee and Asylum Seekers Project (Rasp) and were then donated to the children’s charity.

Rasp, which is a mentoring and befriending project for young refugee and asylum seekers living in Brighton and Hove, encouraged the young people to use their regular drop-in sessions to design the penguins, which helped build self-confidence and a sense of community for those new to the city.

The penguins that were created include a doctor – complete with stethoscope and white coat – and a patient holding a teddy bear. It is hoped that they will help make hospital a less frightening place for children to visit.

Helen Richards and Nadine Beal, Project Co-ordinators at Rasp, said: “Rasp promotes community youth volunteering and integration. Working with the children’s hospital enabled the group to directly benefit younger children in their new community and gave them an immense sense of achievement by helping others.”

Rockinghorse has been working with children’s hospitals and respite centres for over 40 years to help improve the lives of sick and disabled children in Sussex and beyond.

Analiese Doctrove, Rockinghorse Community Fundraiser, said: “The penguins look fantastic! We’re so grateful to Rasp for donating their time and putting their creativity to good use. We think the penguins make a great addition to the hospital and hopefully make it a more fun place for children.”

If you would like to get involved in Rasp’s fortnightly drop-ins and you are aged 16-25 and a refugee and asylum or a UK volunteer please contact the team at Brightonrasp@yahoo.co.uk or on 07500 271887. RASP is part of Youth Action Sussex.