NNUH Christmas appeal continues this year with Covid-19 measures
It's the fifth year 'Send a Smile with Santa' has aimed to give every hospital patient a gift for Christmas.
While many things have been put on hold or cancelled this year due to the pandemic, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals' (NNUH) appeal to give patients a gift for Christmas will still take place.
As social distancing measures are in place this year, the Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals Charity is asking people to make a small donation instead which they can then use to buy a present.
Those wishing to treat a child can still do so though, but they will need to drop the gift off unwrapped on specific days in early December so it can be quarantined.
Louise Cook, Head of Fundraising, said: "Send a Smile is now in its fifth year and each year we are so grateful for the wonderful gifts given to us which we know make a huge difference to our patients.
"It’s fantastic that people go out and purchase a present, but this year as we look to minimise footfall to the hospital, we hope that people will consider making a donation which we will use to purchase a present. For example, £5 could help us to buy a toiletries’ gift set which will be wrapped up and given out on Christmas morning.
"We know that people do enjoy choosing and purchasing gifts for our children so we are accepting presents in early December for our youngest patients to give us time to quarantine the items and then wrap them up for each individual child."
The presents for children can only be dropped off at the NNUH's West Inpatient Reception, which is open 24 hours, between 1st and 7th December.
All gifts should be new and unwrapped so the hospital can make sure they are suitable for each child.
Each year the N&N Hospitals Charity's 'Send a Smile with Santa' appeal collects more than 1,000 presents from the public which are then distributed to patients of all ages.