At Milton Keynes Hospital Charity we feel very fortunate to have so many wonderful supporters. These kind individuals, companies, and groups generously share their time to spread Christmas cheer to patients at Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) and the dedicated staff caring for them.
Here’s our recap of another magical festive season full of kindness, joy, and true community spirit 🎅🎄🌟
Christmas Gift Appeal 2024: Pledge a Present
Spending time in hospital at Christmas can be a daunting and lonely experience, but thanks to your incredible support, we were able to bring joy and laughter to patients and staff through our ‘Pledge a Present’ Christmas Gift Appeal.
Together we raised over £2,200 to fund special toys and gifts, hand delivered to wards by our fantastic #TeamMKUH colleagues. These gifts included luxury chocolates and biscuits, self-care products like hand creams and lip balms, as well as specialist sensory items, arts and crafts kits, and interactive play sets.
You helped us create positive memories for patients and their families. You made NHS staff feel valued and appreciated. For that, we’re incredibly grateful. Thank you.
Sporting heroes return
Once again, we had the pleasure of welcoming players from MK Dons Football Club (Men’s and Women’s teams), Milton Keynes (MK) Lightning, and Badminton England to MKUH in December. They’ve been bringing Christmas cheer to the children’s wards and children’s emergency department (ED) for many years now, with patients and their families enjoying having their photos taken with their favourite sporting stars, and receiving a special gift.
Incredible support from local companies
- GXO Logistics supported Milton Keynes Hospital Charity with a whole raft of festive fundraising and activities including donating baubles to decorate wards and departments, sponsoring our Christmas Tree at Midsummer Place, holding bingo fundraisers, and launching a #UnitedinGiving campaign to fill shoeboxes with goodies for young patients staying on the children’s wards
- Plumbing & Gas Solutions+ (PGS) and sister company Facilities Management Solutions (FMS) created a thoughtful Amazon Wishlist, shared it with friends, families, and clients, and delivered over 160 presents—many of which are particularly helpful for patients living with dementia, such as activity fidget muffs
- Naturally Tiwa Skincare presented our children’s wards with a selection of Clean & Soft skincare sets to spread ‘#PupJoy’
- Addition+ visited with a special delivery of gifts for all (it’s their annual giving back Christmas tradition!)
- Niftylift gifted boxes of delicious chocolate Santas
- AES Control dropped off selection boxes for patients and staff to enjoy
- Customers and staff at the The Betsey Wynne donated a huge bundle of toys and gifts to the children’s emergency department (ED) at MKUH
- The Tawny Owl pub’s staff and customers raised £160 and also donated gifts for young patients
- Co-op Newport Pagnell donated gifts for young patients
- Asian Community Radio shopped and delivered a variety of gifts for patients of all ages
- Stratos supported our ‘Pledge a Present’ Christmas Gift Appeal at their Christmas celebration event at Out of Office Coffee, as well as launching a dedicated Christmas Jumper campaign and a festive augmented reality game
- Cisco connected children to Santa with a live virtual call all the way from the North Pole while a trusted team of elves handed out gifts in person!
- Gulliver’s Land Theme Park Resort gave Milton Keynes Hospital Charity supporters access to an exclusive offer for their magical Land of Lights Lantern festival with £2 from every ticket purchase directly supporting patients, families, and staff at MKUH
- Staff and customers of Tesco Leighton Buzzard and Wolverton donated a delightful selection of gifts for patients on the children’s wards
- Staff and customers of Three Locks Stoke Hammond donated toys and gifts to the children’s wards
- Teresa from Homebase donated Christmas decorations to make the hospital wonderfully festive
- MKUH’s on-site contractors Morgan Sindall delivered bundles of Smyths toys and gifts to the children’s wards
- Amscan UK donated foil balloons and festive costumes to support both MKUH’s Paediatric Super Surgery Days and our charity team’s Christmas activities
- Costa Coffee stores across Milton Keynes donated mince pies to be enjoyed by all (thank you for organising Helda!)
- Racing Line Events stopped by with selection boxes for patients
Schools, community groups & charity partners show love for MKUH
- Dawn and the Henry Allen Trust team brought stockings and selection boxes, marking 10 years of supporting MKUH on Christmas Day
- UCKG HelpCentre gave many gifts for patients and staff
- Emily’s Star donated Christmas Eve boxes for families on the Neonatal Unit, each containing sweet treats, cuddly toys, sensory items, and more
- Children’s Hospital Pyjamas donated 92 pairs of pyjamas for those staying in MKUH
- Student Leaders and Student Council members from St Paul’s Catholic School presented an enormous collection of gifts for both young and elderly patients
#TeamMKUH charity advocates
Our super #TeamMKUH colleagues supported our Christmas Gift Appeal by:
- Sharing our social media posts to create awareness
- Helping facilitate present drop-offs
- Creating ‘thank you’ videos
- Making donations
- Hand-delivering gifts to patients
Dedicated volunteers & individuals
MKUH volunteer Amee Tomkins and her Medical Therapy Dog Belle created a special 2025 calendar and made special visits to wards on Christmas Day, handing out donated gifts.
Amee said:
The staff and patients were so happy to have received the gifts we collected from Belle’s fans and followers. The visits on Christmas Day were so lovely and I have been told that Belle received a special mention from one of the families we visited who sadly lost their family member. I am so proud that Belle could give them a little comfort on such a difficult day. Thank you for the opportunity.
We’d also like to thank our charity volunteers Christabel, Ivy, and Judith for their continual support, particularly during December which is the charity’s busiest month of the year!
Please note: Every effort has been made to acknowledge and include all supporters of Milton Keynes Hospital Charity and MKUH during Christmas. If we have unintentionally missed anyone, we sincerely apologise! Please don’t hesitate to email us and we’ll make sure you are added promptly! 😊
