For the last ten years families staying in hospital over Christmas have been able to enjoy some festive treats thanks to a wonderful project set up by Lucy Pond and her family.
Parents Lucy and Simon Pond set up the project ten years ago in memory of their little boy Aidan. In partnership with Rockinghorse, they raise funds every year to gift families spending the festive season in hospital across Sussex with hampers.
In the run up to Christmas, Lucy fundraises and plans the contents of the hampers and the menu for the Christmas Day meal served at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.
Then, in the run up to the big day, Lucy and a band of loyal volunteers spend time filling, wrapping and packing the gifts into the hampers ready to be delivered to families at The Alex, Trevor Mann Baby Unit, Special Care Baby Unit in Haywards Heath, Chalkhill and Worthing Hospitals.
Then, on Christmas Day itself, another group of volunteers assemble in the Royal Alex to serve a delicious festive meal to families and staff in the hospital to make sure no-one misses out on some delicious food despite not being at home.
Since this project began in 2014, Lucy and her team have raised £60,000 which has meant they have delivered 767 hampers and served 245 meals to hundreds of parents and families.
The project stemmed from Lucy being in hospital with Aidan. She said, “Having spent Christmas in hospital with a sick child, I know that the hampers lift the spirits of tired and worried parents at a really difficult time.
“Year after year families contact me to say we had a hamper in 2016/2019 etc and we have never forgotten what it meant to receive a hamper at a really difficult time.
“I will never forget Aidan’s last Christmas in hospital and the feeling of despair when we were told we could not go home for Christmas day, and then having the added stress of trying to find food to make some sort of meal in the hospital.
“I never wanted another family to face that, so to know that for 10 years I have provided food and a practical hamper of goodies for all those families who don’t make it home is a huge achievement and success.”
The impact on all these families has been enormous. At their darkest moments they have been comforted by another family who understands more than most what it’s like to be in hospital over Christmas.
Donna Holland, Rockinghorse CEO, said, “The dedication and passion that Lucy has shown over the last ten years has been extraordinary. She has used her own difficult experience of being in hospital over Christmas to help so many other children and families.
“What she has achieved has had an enormous impact within the local community and we simply can’t thank her and her family enough for everything they have done since 2014.”
But after this year’s deliveries, Lucy has made the difficult decision to step back from the project saying, “It’s been a wonderful experience running the project for the last 10 years. To have been able to make so many families Christmas Day in hospital a little more bearable feels very special.
“And to have done it all in Aidan’s name is even more special. To think that 750 families were given a hamper in his memory is quite remarkable as well as comforting.”
We will be continuing to fundraise and provide the hampers and meals in Aidan’s memory for families in the years to come so if you would like to donate to help make sure this happens, just head over to the Aidan’s Christmas Dinner Project Just Giving page here.
“I’ve received two of your hampers. Words cannot express the warmth that they come with. It’s not just about the contents inside the hamper. It’s that little light of normality glowing in the distance.” Parent
