Red Arrows make special donation to Andy's hospice in Grimsby

Red Arrows pilots descended on Grimsby's St Andrew's Hospice to make a donation of £5,000 for a special children's bed.

The Top Guns were given a tour of Andy's Children's Hospice, which serves the whole of Lincolnshire, Hull and East Riding.

Poorly children, their families and staff thanked the pilots and fund raisers from The Red Arrows Trust. Their thousands of fans helped raise money for good causes, such as Andy's, by buying merchandise at air displays.

There will be a Red Arrows stall when the team take part in the Armed Forces Weekend at Cleethorpes on June 29. To mark the squadron's 60th anniversary, they will perform a Diamond Nine display, which has not been done for a number of years.

The display at Cleethorpes is the closest air display the team perform at, taking just six minutes to fly from their base at RAF Waddington. Huge crowds are expected in Cleethorpes for their tribute to the Armed Forces.

Ahead of the display, Air Vice-Marshal, Gary Waterfall, of the Trust and Wing Commander Adam Collins, the officer Commanding of The Red Arrows and Squadron leader, Doug Smith, the Chief of Staff met with children in Andy's. They officially unveiled the new bed which was bought with the £5,000 donation.

Wing Commander Collins said: "It is always humbling being at a hospice. Even if it puts a smile on someone's face, it is worth all the work that goes into raising funds."

He said some of the money from stalls at displays and merchandise goes towards the work of the Trust. The ace pilot said he and the team are pleased to be back in Lincolnshire after six weeks of training in Greece, ahead of a series of displays.

Today they will be preparing for fly-pasts at Bournemouth and along the South coast before two fly-pasts in northern France to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

Squadron leader Smith said it is important to remember the veterans, who are now fewer in number and to remember the sacrifices they and their comrades made in order to provide the freedoms everyone enjoys today.

He said visiting the hospice is "incredibly important" and the link between the Red Arrows and Andy's came about thanks to a work associate.

The pilots were proud to see one of the five children's bedrooms decorated in red. Lead nurse, Sally Szollosi told how the specialist bed allows medication-feed lines and it can be elevated and reclined with ease. "The bed needs to be adaptable for a variety of different needs. We look after patients from age zero to 25, so it needs to be adaptable," she said.

The lead nurse added: "There has been so much excitement, not just about the Red Arrows, but the opportunity to show what we do at the hospice for children. There is a stigma about a hospice. But there is so much more to it than the end. We do lots of different therapies and provide respite for families and we are all about making memories. The children here can live for a number of years and we make the most of those years."

Clara Charlton, six, from Grimsby has been a regular patient after a kidney transplant. She said: "I really like it here. I have a lot of friends here." Clara said she was looking forward to making a model Red Arrows jet and using a Red Arrows ruler and pencil for drawing. with her grandmother Tracey Clayden.

Head of fund raising at the hospice, Emily Aitken said: "It is so important for us to show people what goes on here and how it makes a difference to the lives of patients and their families. It is about making memories. It is about supporting them on their journey and ensuring everyone makes the most of their time here."

It costs £6million each year to keep the hospice going, with only 18 per cent in Government support. With an aging population and growing numbers with complex needs, the need for a hospice has never been greater.

The hospice also provides outreach support for families across Lincolnshire and east Yorkshire.

Hospice deputy Chief Executive, Lesley Charlesworth-Brown said: "It is about making the most of the time that we have got with patients. We are delighted with the donation from the Red Arrows Trust and extremely grateful to them. It is wasn't for them, we would have had to save up for a long time to buy a bed.

"It costs £18,000 per day to run the hospice and rely upon the generosity of the community, who can donate through our website and by visiting our shops."

The hospice is aiming to buy similar new beds for the five-bed facility in Grimsby. Merchandise can be bought and donations can be made through the Red Arrows Trust website redarrowstrust.org.uk