it meant that the youngsters who were too old to be with toddlers, and too young to be with the older people in the hospital had somewhere.
Listen 00.26.06
Story: Patricia Daniels MBE - Chester Cheshire
The Chester Childbirth Appeal (CCA), established in 1991 by Patricia Daniels, M.B.E., is a charity that fundraises for the Women and Children’s unit at Countess of Chester Hospital. The primary goal of the charity is to support the unit in providing care for mothers and approximately 3,000 newborns each year.
The Chester Childbirth Appeal was set up by experienced midwives hoping to create better maternity services within an NHS hospital. The CCA secures funding through diverse channels such as supermarket collections, concerts, and individual and corporate donations, all towards the goal of ensuring mothers and babies have the best possible midwifery, obstetric care, and general medical support.
In 2000, The Comfort Zone, a cafe for patients, relatives and staff in the Women and Children’s building, that raised funds for the charity, became a staple in ensuring the wellbeing of maternity unit families. Profits exceeding £2 million pounds have been utilised to furnish the Women and Children’s Building with essential medical equipment and facilities. In 2020, the cafe permanently closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The charity also contributed to the formation of a courtyard garden, shop, and children’s play area. The CCA spent over £27,000 on the playground and sensory garden, dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2008, the CCA also built an Adolescent Unit due to a national request from the Royal College of Paediatricians for teenagers to have a specific space to enjoy themselves. They have funded other improvements, including a bereavement accommodation and water birth suite in the maternity unit. Former Liverpool footballer Michael Owen donated £212,000 towards the CCA’s building of this unit, and visited the hospital later that year.
“I am so appreciative of what Mrs Daniels has done for us in paediatrics and neonatal over the years, we would not have a lot of facilities we do now without the childbirth trust donations and the hard work and tenacity of Pat. She is a and will always be a big part of what we do.” – Anne McGlade, Matron for Children’s Services
- Address: 2 Demage Lane South, Upton, Upton by Chester, Chester, CH2 1EQ
- Email: annesleywright@outlook.com
- Telephone: +44 (0)1244380711
- Website: www.chesterchildbirthappeal.org
- Founded: 1991
- Members: 16 employees, 2 trustees
- Chair: Patricia Daniels MBE