Group brings sunshine to sick kids

Children's Ward Amenities Fund members Brenda Ryan, Dr Bob McGregor and charge nurse Steph Shannon donated more than $40,000 to Ipswich Hospital Foundation executive officer Tom Yates.

Sarah Harvey

A SMALL fundraising group has written a big cheque.

The now disbanded Ipswich Hospital Children's Ward Amenities Fund, set up in 1972, gave a parting gift of $41,694 to the Ipswich Hospital Foundation (IHF) Sunshine Circle last week.

Brenda Ryan has been treasurer for 28 years and says the group has not been actively fundraising since about 2005.

With no more than 20 active members at a time, the fund organised social outings in its heyday.

“The first one I organised was for Evita in 1983,” Ms Ryan said.

Former children's ward charge nurse Steph Shannon said the group, though small, was energetic.

“The fund remained loyal to the children,” she said.

“I recall vividly one of the ‘big' purchases initially was $700 to provide brightly patterned PJs for all the children. Up until then the hospital PJs were uniformly flannel-striped and gave a very institutionalised appearance.

“Then they provided funds for brightly coloured aprons for the paediatric nurses to buffer the sterile, hospital look of the uniforms of the day.”

At its last meeting in March, the group approved the purchase of two reclining wheelchairs for children in body plasters.

IHF executive officer Tom Yates said the fund had provided much-needed medical equipment for the Sunshine Ward.

“This fantastic donation will enable the Sunshine Circle to consider research projects in children's health and to start an endowment fund to carry this research into the future,” he said.