The profile of Rockinghorse in Brighton and much of Sussex has risen dramatically over the last few years, which is a testament to the hard work of the surprisingly small team. The result is that the charity can make a real impact in their determination to improve the lives of sick children, but there is so much more that needs to be done.
PBM asked PR and Communications Manager, Cheryl Piper, why the support of local businesses continues to be so important.
Why is Rockinghorse so important? Isn’t the funding of the Royal Alex the responsibility of the NHS?
It is Rockinghorse’s role to provide the services, facilities and equipment that are deemed too costly or not necessary by the NHS. Only the core services, facilities and equipment are provided by the NHS, so the charity is here to fund anything over and above what they can provide.
For example, the High Dependency Unit at the Alex may be furnished with a ventilator, but due to patient demand, it might be that four ventilators are required on the unit – this, of course, can be life-saving – and this is where we come in.
As well as providing life-saving and cutting-edge medical equipment, our funding ensures that children are treated in an environment better suited to their needs; we believe that no matter where they are, children should always be allowed to be children. With this in mind, we also provide funding for furnishings and toys as well as much-needed counselling and therapy sessions for both patients and parents.
