Dorset sunflowers raise thousands for special care babies

Maiden Castle Farm has supported Dorset County Hospital for three years

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 5th Mar 2024

More than £15,000 has been raised for Dorset County Hospital's special care baby unit (SCBU), thanks to some local sunflowers.

Donations at the Maiden Castle Farm sunflower trial last summer have been handed over to the unit.

The team there have been supporting the SCBU for the last three years, and have now raised a total of nearly £47,000.

Hazel Hoskin from Maiden Castle Farm has first hand experience of the unit's incredible work, as her eldest son Thomas was treated there as a baby.

SCBU Matron Debora Pascoal Horta said:

“We are so grateful to Hazel and her family for this amazing donation – one of the ideas is to use the money to help refurbish the family rooms on the unit. We want to create an ensuite bathroom so that families staying overnight with their children have access to private facilities – this would make a real difference to them at a very difficult time.”

Simon Pearson, Head of Charity at Dorset County Hospital said:

“This significant donation is the result of months of hard work by Hazel and everyone at Maiden Castle Farm for which we are extremely grateful. We would also like to extend our thanks to everyone who visited the Dorset Sunflower Trail, and to Dorchester Town Council and all the local businesses who also contributed to the success of this event.”

The Sunflower Trail will return for 2024 this summer, and will be in support of the Emergency and Critical Care Appeal at the DCH Charity.

That'll help towards the construction of the new unit on the Dorset County Hospital site.

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