Building society supports Cwtsh Clos campaign's running total
Principality Building Society is supporting Swansea Health Charity’s Cwtsh Clos campaign by donating 30 fundraising spaces in this year’s ‘Principality Cardiff Half Marathon’.
Money raised by the 30 runners will go towards the £160,000 target to refurbish the five houses – Cwtsh Clos – where parents of premature or very sick babies can stay on the Singleton Hospital site to be close to them.
Pictured from left to right: NICU staff nurses Vyshnavi Konduru, Siobhan Williams, Rhianne Perriam and Kaleigh Thomas, outside the home with Principality Building Society Swansea Branch Manager Simon Hole, and staff member Stephanie Ginn.
Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Singleton Hospital cares for nearly 500 babies a year. Families come here from all over South Wales, not just Swansea Bay, with many living hours away by car and even longer by public transport.
To help ease the burden the two-bedroomed Cwtsh Clos houses offer families a free alternative to facing long and stressful journeys back and forth or worry about the expensive of hotel accommodation.
Well-used over the years, all five houses are now in real need of a facelift - particularly their interiors - to ensure they can continue to offer a warm and welcoming home-from-home for parents during this stressful time.
As a result we have recently launched our new Cwtsh Clos campaign - championed by musician and broadcaster Mal Pope - aimed at raising £160,000 to refurbish and re-equip the homes.
The 30 marathon places have already been snapped up by volunteers willing to brave the 13.1 mile event, which takes place in the Welsh capital on Sunday, 6th October, in order to raise money for the cause.
Simon Hole, manager at Principality’s Swansea branch, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support the refurbishments of Cwtsh Clos through these Marathon spaces.
“We hope they will help to raise over £10,000 for the project, which will see the houses become a home from home for the families at such a difficult time.
“As a building society, we work hard to make sure that everyone has a place to call home, and although these are temporary, they are providing a vital place for people when they need them most.
“We’re proud to be able to give a helping hand in making them homely.”
The Principality Building Society also sponsors the health board’s internal staff awards, called the Living Our Values, or LOV awards.
Lewis Bradley, support manager for Swansea Bay Health Charity, said: “After first meeting Principality Building Society at LOV awards we really wanted to collaborate on a campaign that truly meant a lot in South Wales - Cwtsh Clos was the perfect opportunity.
“We cannot thank them enough for gifting us 30 spaces for the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon to encourage our staff and the community to raise vital funds for the refurbishment of the accommodation for parents of babies in the NICU at Singleton Hospital.
“Over 460 families have used the accommodation since opening, and this opportunity allows us to modernise Cwtsh Clos and really gives the best possible accommodation to families going through uncertainty.”
NICU staff nurse, Kaleigh Thomas, welcomed the fundraising support.
She said: “It’s very generous of the Principality Building Society to support our campaign.
“The houses are getting a bit tired now and they need to be made a bit more homely.
“The money raised will make a tremendous difference to the families who make use of the Cwtsh Clos accommodation.
“A lot of our families are from quite far away and being able to stay here obviously means that they can be with their babies.”
If you would like to give an online donation to Cwtsh Clos, you can do that by clicking here.
To make a donation using your phone, please text 'Donate Swanseabayhealth homes' to 88802.
If you would like to fundraise for us yourself, or hold a fundraising event, please visit our JustGiving page for Cwtsh Clos here, where you will find more information.
You can also visit our Cwtsh Clos webpage for more information about the NICU centre and the fundraising appeal.
Thank you for your support!
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