Local Charity receives funding boost from Kent school

The beautiful grounds of Dover College in Kent provided a scenic backdrop for a cheque presentation on Monday 17 October. The school has raised £9,400 for Ronald McDonald House Camberwell, which provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families of children being treated at King’s College Hospital.

Dover College is a co-educational school for pupils aged three to 18. The Personal Assistant to the Headmaster, Kay Wooding, nominated Ronald McDonald House Camberwell to be the school’s Charity of the Year last December 2015, after her son was able to stay there on nine separate occasions while her grandson Hugo Wooding was in hospital.

Hugo was born in September 2014 and at nine weeks old he was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, a blocked bile duct in his liver. Despite undergoing a successful Kasai operation, Hugo’s liver was already too badly damaged and it was quickly decided he would need a liver transplant. Thanks to Kay’s son, Ross, who was a living donor in June 2015, Hugo underwent transplant surgery at King’s College Hospital.

Kay says: “I nominated Ronald McDonald House Camberwell to be Dover College’s Charity of the Year because without the help and support of the staff at the Camberwell House and the amazing accommodation they provide for families of sick children, my son and his wife would have had a far more traumatic time. As a family we appreciate everything they have done for us.”

Melissa Kirk, House Manager at Ronald McDonald House Camberwell, says: “We are so thankful to the staff, students and parents at Dover College who tirelessly fundraised for Ronald McDonald House Camberwell by organising a Christmas fair, mufti-days, sponsored walks and cake sales.

“The amazing support of our fundraisers enables us to provide families with a comfortable place to stay, so that they have more time and energy to focus on being together.”

To find out more about Ronald McDonald House Charities and how to support them, visit: www.rmhc.org.uk

-ENDS-

For more pictures or further information please contact:
Lucy Yelland T. 020 7922 7720 M. 0751 549 9662 E. lucy@thirdsectorpr.co.uk

Notes to Editors:
1. To speak to someone from Ronald McDonald House Charities, please contact the numbers above.

2. Ronald McDonald House Camberwell is run by Ronald McDonald House Charities – an independent charity that provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation at hospitals across the UK. It enables seriously ill children to have their families close by when they are undergoing treatment and allows them to maintain a degree of normal family life.

3. Ronald McDonald House Camberwell has provided free accommodation to the families of children staying at King’s College Hospital since April 2000. The House is equipped with 24 bedrooms, communal areas and a children’s play area.

4. There are 14 Ronald McDonald Houses in the UK and in 2015 they helped support over 7,000 families with children in hospital.