Please help Rockinghorse to support newborn
babies and their families this Christmas
My name is Pip and I am the lead post-natal midwife at the Royal Sussex County
Hospital in Brighton. I run a dedicated team of midwives, maternity care
assistants and nursery nurses who look after mothers and their new babies,
and we have over 3,500 births a year at the hospital.
Our aim is to get newborns home with their families
as soon as possible. We can be looking after up to
22 babies at any one time, helping with feeding,
administering antibiotics, taking blood samples
and completing observations.
EVENTS DIARY
Check out some of our key
events in 2015 and 2016…
Dress as an Elf!
Friday 11 December 2015
Santa Dash Brighton
Saturday 12 December 2016
Hove Lawns
Tenor Un Limited Christmas
Saturday 19 December 2015
All Saints Church, Hove
Brighton Half Marathon
Sunday 28 February 2016
Brighton Marathon
Sunday 17 April 2016
One of the main conditions we look for is jaundice
which, if left untreated, can cause brain damage.
Jaundice is a build-up of bilirubin, a waste product
created by excess red blood cells breaking down in the
body. Physiological jaundice, when a baby’s system
is slow to adapt to life outside of the womb, is very
common and usually resolves itself naturally over
a few days. However, sometimes babies can present
symptoms of serious jaundice within 24 hours of
being born, which can be an indication of a genetic or
intestinal disorder, a serious condition such as cystic
fibrosis, or a blood-type incompatibility. It is vital we
assess a baby as quickly as possible, as early treatment
for many illnesses and conditions can make all the
difference.
London Marathon
Sunday 24 April 2016
Dragon Boat Festival
Sunday 24 April 2016
Brighton Marina
To view our full list of events, visit
rockinghorse.org.uk/events
We currently test for jaundice via a blood sample,
which measures the level of bilirubin to see if it is
within normal range. Whilst the blood sampling is
accurate, it is very invasive and uncomfortable for
newborn babies who are subjected to a series of jabs
as we measure bilirubin levels over a period of time.
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all donations you have made in the past 4 years and all future gifts of money that you make from the date of this
declaration as gift aid donations, please tick this box to join the Gift Aid scheme
Full details on our website rockinghorse.org.uk/donate
Please send your completed form to: Freepost RTKE-URSC-BJJG, Rockinghorse, 13 Prince Albert Street, Brighton, BN1 1HE
We are pleased to present our
range of 2015 Christmas cards,
with three designs to choose
from at just £4 for a pack of 10
(postage costs apply).
Choose from our much-loved
‘A Brighton Christmas’ design,
our ‘Children of the Alex’
card, with artwork from young
hospital patients, and our
brand new addition, ‘Rockin’
Around the Christmas Tree’
(pictured). To order yours, call
us on 01273 330044 or email
louise.bartha@rockinghorse.
org.uk
News from community corner
Our community champions have raised
thousands of pounds this summer
through various fundraising events
across Sussex. A big Rockinghorse
thank you to…
High School teachers who took on the
Southdowns challenge, a teacher from
St Bede’s who tackled the 10k Dartford
Swim, and Arun Childminders who took
part in a 5k walk.
National banger racing stars The Bears
(pictured) who raised over £20,000
at their charity motorsport event at
Arlington Stadium in Eastbourne.
£1,110 was raised during the Artists
Open Houses event in Brighton & Hove
earlier this year, where artists displayed
Rockinghorse collection tins at their
exhibitions. Warden Park Academy
selected us as their Charity of the Year
and raised £3,050 through various
fundraising activities.
We were involved in Brighton & Hove
Food and Drink Festival’s Children’s
Food Festival event, which raised
hundreds this summer and were awarded
£6,000 from the Paddle Round the Pier
festival, having been chosen as an official
charity for 2015.
Making life better for
sick children in Sussex
Rockinghorse
News
All the latest news and events from
the official fundraising arm of the
Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital
Winter 2015
School teachers took part in various
challenge events to raise thousands of
pounds, including; Sir Robert Woodard
teachers who completed the Warrior Run
and Tough Mudder challenges, Patcham
Dress as an Elf!
Our dress down day is
back for its third year
and we’re looking for
businesses, schools,
community groups and
individuals to take part
in the festive fundraiser.
Donate £1 to wear red
and green on Friday
11 December and help
Rockinghorse raise
money for sick children
this Christmas. All funds
raised will go towards
special festive projects
at the Royal Alexandra
Children’s Hospital in Brighton,
including our Toy Box Appeal to provide
poorly babies, children and teenagers
with presents this Christmas.
Get together with friends, family or work
colleagues and dress in red and green for
an elftastic time – we’ll even provide you
The best start
with a charity elf pack full of advice
and ideas. Go on, release your inner elf!
To sign up or find out more,
call us on 01273 330044 or visit
rockinghorse.org.uk/getinvolved
Dress as an Elf is proudly sponsored by Austin Rees.
To make a donation or to find out more about how you can get
involved, please get in touch:
Call 01273 330044
Email enquiries@rockinghorse.org.uk
Take a look at our brand new website rockinghorse.org.uk
With special thanks to: Design: Pixeldot Creative | Print: Synergy
At Rockinghorse Children’s
Charity, our aim has remained
the same for nearly 50 years; to
improve the lives of sick babies
and children throughout Sussex.
Working in partnership with
local hospitals, we strive to make
paediatric services stimulating,
cutting edge and accessible for
the many babies, children and
teenagers who need them.
Our aim is to provide what the NHS
simply cannot afford, which is why
our current appeal is supporting the
maternity ward at the Royal Sussex
County Hospital (RSCH) in Brighton,
where over 3,500 babies are born
every year.
One of the main conditions newborns
are treated for is jaundice which, if left
untreated, can cause brain damage. It is
vital that nursing staff are able to assess
a baby as quickly as possible, as early
diagnosis and treatment of the condition
can make all the difference. This is why
we have launched an appeal to provide
the RSCH with a Drager transcutaneous
bilirubin machine.
This reliable and non-invasive handheld
device can be used by both doctors and
nurses to measure bilirubin levels (which
indicate jaundice) providing an instant
result. Please do take a look overleaf to
find out more about the appeal and help
us to provide this piece of equipment as
soon as possible.
“The quicker we can
test for jaundice and start
treatment, the sooner a baby
can go home with mum
to start their new life.”
Pip Andrews,
RSCH Lead
Post-Natal Midwife
Charity Charleston
raises thousands
Guests were taken back in time for a
1920’s themed fundraising evening at
the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel
in June. The annual Mid Summer Ball
in aid of Rockinghorse and the DM
Thomas Foundation for Young People
raised over £100,000.
Sponsored by Skerritts, the Strictly
Come Dancing style competition
proved a hit with the return of Zoe
Ball as head judge, as well known local
personalities tackled the Charleston
for charity.
Project celebrations
Sussex businesses show their support
A large proportion of funds raised for Rockinghorse come courtesy of the
many fantastic local businesses in Brighton & Hove and across Sussex.
We kicked off the summer corporate
events season with our annual Best of
British charity sporting lunch at The
Grand hotel in Brighton. The event
welcomed nearly 500 guests from 50
local businesses, which saw special guest
speaker and rugby legend Brian Moore
entertain the crowd to raise an amazing
£30,000.
Thanks to your support, we’ve
launched some amazing projects
this summer to help make life
better for sick children in Sussex…
Following the marathon efforts of our
fantastic team of 2015 Rockinghorse
runners, we opened the brand new
Sensory Garden at the Royal Alexandra
Children’s Hospital (the Alex) in Brighton
just in time for summer (pictured above).
Our marathon runners raised the £45,000
needed to fund the garden which is now
being used and enjoyed by many young
patients at the Alex.
We launched our very first Summer of
Sport campaign this year which aimed
to raise £25,000 to provide the Children’s
Emergency Department (CED) at
the Alex with up to six new cardiac
monitors. You’ve been getting involved
in sporting events across the summer
to help us raise the much-needed funds,
from sponsored walks to volleyball
tournaments, tough mudder challenges
to swimathons, you’ve been doing it all!
Thanks to your amazing support, we
have raised the funds to purchase all
the cardiac monitors for the CED.
Following the Sabrina’s Wish campaign
launched last year, we are pleased to
share the news that we’ve been able to
fund four new ventilators for the High
Dependency Unit (HDU) at the Alex.
The campaign highlighted the need
for extra ventilators in HDU and was
A marathon challenge
With race season just around the
corner, we’re looking for runners
to join the Rockinghorse marathon
team in 2016…
The running season kick starts with
the Brighton Half Marathon on Sunday
28 February. This is a popular race for
all abilities, with some using it as a
full marathon warm up. Registration
is £35 and we ask that you raise £250
in sponsorship which will be donated
towards our special marathon project for
2016.
The full Brighton Marathon returns to
the city on Sunday 17 April and proves
a popular alternative to the London
Marathon. Registration is £49 and we
ask runners to raise £450 in sponsorship
which will also be donated towards
our marathon project for 2016. We also
welcome own place runners to the charity
who wish to raise sponsorship for us.
Our amazing team in 2015 raised over
£45,000 to help us fund a brand new
Sensory Garden for the Royal Alexandra
Children’s Hospital in Brighton (full
story and picture in the article above).
To sign up or find out more,
call us on 01273 330044 or visit
rockinghorse.org.uk/events
launched with the help of parents Martin
and Lucinda Blencowe following their
own experience at the Alex.
Staff and young patients at the Alex
welcomed the addition of two brand
new electric cars for the Surgical Ward.
The cars are being used by children to
drive down to theatre for an operation
and have proved a welcome distraction
for youngsters who may be suffering
from pre-operative anxiety. We met with
six year old James who test-drove the
red Mini Cooper, and Lotte, aged three,
who demonstrated the green quad bike.
For the latest project news, and to see
how your donation is making a difference,
please visit rockinghorse.org.uk/about-us
BNI Worthing held a James Bond
inspired Casino Royale event on
Worthing Pier in July which raised
£4,000 for both Rockinghorse and
Worthing-based charity Baby Buddy.
Restaurant Sam’s of Brighton showed
their support and donated £831 from
fundraising activity and Alfresco
restaurant on Brighton seafront
presented us with a cheque for £9,000
(pictured) having added £1 to customer’s
bills since the beginning of the year.
L @rockinghorse67 F facebook.com/rockinghorse.charity
We would like to say a BIG thank you to some
special people and organisations...
Find out how you can support us at rockinghorse.org.uk/get-involved
Abby and Don McPhee
Alfresco restaurant
Artists Open Houses
Baron Estates
BHASVIC
Bikram in the Lanes
BNI Worthing
Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival
Brighton College
Brighton Improvement District
Brighton Sealife Centre
Butlers Wines
Cobb Digital
Core Cleaning
Damien Hodgson and Worth it for Charity
Domestic & General
Doosan Babcock
Dorothy Stringer School
Esther and Gideon Roseman
Gold Arts
Golden Lion Group
Grafton Banks
Hamilton Studios
Hilton Brighton Metropole
Hilton Gatwick
Hopscotch Nursery Nizells
Hotel du Vin, Brighton
James Ross Jewellers
Jeremy’s Restaurant
Lucy Hall
Merlin’s Magic Wand
Michael Burnage and The Bears team
Morgan Sindall
Mo:vel Shoes
MW Solicitors
Nutshell Construction
Paddle Round the Pier
Patcham High School
Posh Totty Designs
Prestige Promotional Products
Q Sales and Lettings
Rialto Theatre
Rivervale Leasing
Rocking Horse bar
Ruth Rance and friends at Hale Farm
Sainsbury’s Hove on Western Road
Sarah and David Tobin
Searches UK
Sir Robert Woodard Academy
Skerritts
Small Planet
Southern Water
St Bede’s School
Street Runners Ltd
Sussex Cricketer pub
Terry and Brenda Burns
The Grand Brighton
The Treatment Rooms
Varndean School
Warden Park Academy
With the support of Rockinghorse, we would like to
purchase a Drager transcutaneous bilirubin machine,
a handheld device which both doctors and nurses can
use to measure bilirubin levels by shining a light on
the baby’s forehead. It is reliable, non-invasive and
gives an instant result.
As physiological jaundice is so common it is
imperative we make the right diagnosis, without
medicalising babies we do not need to. The new
machine would give us the option for early
intervention, and would prevent unnecessary blood
tests and time spent waiting to go home - mothers can
be discharged feeling confident in her baby’s care and
prognosis.
Law firm Crown Office Row organised
their annual charity beach volleyball
tournament at Yellowave on Brighton
seafront to raise £2,550, bringing the
total raised by the firm to £9,900 over
the last three years. Baron Estates
in Brighton continued their support
by donating £5,000 to bring their
fundraising total so far to £10,350. As
part of their charity pledge, the estate
agents offer a 10% donation of the
commission they earn from all property
sales.
Why not help us make life better for sick children throughout Sussex by
setting up a Direct Debit? Your regular gift will make a huge difference
to the care and support we can provide. For more information visit
rockinghorse.org.uk/donate or call the office on 01273 330044.
These tests also lead to anxiety and uncertainty from
parents as we wait for the pathology team to process
the results.
When jaundice does require medication, we
administer phototherapy (light therapy) on the ward
and paediatricians monitor the baby very closely.
The sooner treatment can start, the sooner the baby
can hopefully go home and start family life.
In memory
of Aidan
Parents Lucy and Simon Pond are
bringing extra festive cheer to
young patients and their families
at the Alex this Christmas by
providing hampers for the big day.
In memory of their son Aidan, Lucy and
Simon have set up Aidan’s Christmas
Dinner Project which we are pleased
to support for a second year.
In 2014, over £2,000 was raised to
provide 50 hampers for families
spending Christmas in the Alex and
TMBU. The project has also received
support from Middle Farm in Lewes
who are providing the hampers for the
festive dinner kit at a reduced cost.
Lucy recently organised a charity fashion
show which raised an amazing £2,100
towards this year’s Christmas hampers
fund.
To make a donation to the project,
text HAMP67 £5 to 70070,
or visit justgiving.com/
aidanschristmasdinnerproject
to pledge your support.
We really want to make the post-natal experience
better for the mothers and babies we look after. The
bilirubin monitor would not only make our care more
efficient and safer, but also very reassuring for all the
wonderful new families we welcome onto the ward
every day. So please donate to Rockinghorse this
Christmas and help make our maternity unit the very
best it can be. Thank you and may we wish you a very
happy Christmas.
Pip and the Postnatal Maternity team
at the Royal Sussex County Hospital
A worrying wait…
Our twin boys, Finley and
Jenson, were born on 14
September 2015 and were
admitted to the post-natal
ward at the Royal Sussex
County Hospital (RSCH).
During their new-born check,
the paediatrician noticed
Jenson looked a bit yellow.
Both boys were given a bilirubin blood test and
we had an anxious wait for the results. The sample
came back positive for Jenson and as new parents,
we felt particularly apprehensive.
Jenson was put onto a ‘bili-bed’ for specialist light
therapy, for three days (pictured overleaf). It was
unsettling for him to be separated from his brother
and he was very uncomfortable from the regular
blood tests. It was a difficult time and a week later,
we were relieved to finally take the twins home.
Overall the staff were fantastic, however we would
have been discharged sooner if the bilirubin
monitor was available on the ward. Jenson’s
results would have been instant and he would have
started treatment sooner, whereas the delays we
experienced meant we lost precious time.
We would love for future families to have a much
less invasive, less stressful experience. Please donate
to this appeal as it really will make a difference to
post-natal care at the RSCH. Thank you.
Katy, Craig, Finley and Jenson
If you would like to make a regular donation to Rockinghorse by Direct Debit please fill out
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