Royal Lancaster Infirmary staff have it all boxed off

Jane Cassidy, an assistant Practitioner on the Huggett Suite in the Stoke Unit at the RLI, got the team involved 
as her daughter, Catherine Cassidy, was also supporting the shoebox appeal at Morecambe Road School in Morecambe.

Colleagues working on Ward 37 at the RLI have also been putting together shoeboxes for the Romanian children.

Children and staff from Morecambe Road School visited the Huggett Suite to pick up the shoeboxes.

One little boy from Morecambe Road School excitedly said: “The boxes are going to the boys andgirls who don’t get any presents!”

Jane said: “We’ve made up about 300 boxes here on the Huggett Suite and Catherine and the children at Morecambe Road School have kindly filled many more.

“Catherine is going to Romania on December the 8th with the charity Boxes of Hope.

“The school has been supporting this appeal for several years.”

Catherine said: “As our children have special educational needs, this appeal is a concept that they can get on board with because it’s an act of giving.

“The children enjoy doing it.

“They understand the concept of giving to make someone happier. It helps them to learn about children who are less fortunate than themselves.

“It’s a really nice thing for them to support.”

The shoeboxes are filled with items including little toys, pencils, pans, notebooks, toothbrushes and facecloths.

These items help to support the children who have little or no access to schoolingin Romania.

Based in Lancashire and Cumbria, one of the charity’s main aims is to break the cycle of poverty that the children are facing and support them in receiving an education.

Colleagues working on the Huggett Suite are also planning to support a local Food Bank appeal over Christmas.

The Huggett Suite was given its name in recognition of the contribution that consultant Dr Isabel Huggett made to stroke and elderly medicine at the RLI.