Heartbeat: Children’s play area gets a McHelping hand
July 15, 2019
The Trust got a welcome assist from local fast food businesses in May as the staff of five local McDonald’s restaurants teamed up to give their time to Your Trust Charity, to help in the rejuvenation of Lyndon Ground’s outdoor play area at Sandwell General Hospital.
Armed with pots of paint, boxes of tools, armfuls of inflatables and faces full of smiles, the group of McDonald’s staff helped change the outdoor area into four distinct ‘zones’, each catering for the needs of different age groups.
They included a “rec room” for teenagers, which boasts a seating area, table football, and a pool table, and for younger children, themed areas around cars, the jungle and outer space.
Avnash Nanra, Ward Manager for Lyndon Ground, said: “We’re thrilled that so many staff gave up their free time to work with Your Trust Charity to refresh the play area. It looks amazing and means that regardless of their age, there’s always somewhere for the patients on the ward to go outside and have fun – which they’ve already been eagerly doing, especially our youngest. The volunteers have helped to refresh things and create these four areas, even painting murals on the walls for the children. Here our patients can recuperate well whilst having a fun time and relaxing with their friends and family. We’re so grateful to the McDonald’s staff for their efforts.”
Liam Priest, Business Manager at the McDonald’s in All Saints Way in West Bromwich, added: “We wanted to give a little back to the community as we’ve come to know a lot of the staff and patients at Sandwell Hospital, so we decided to get in touch and see if there was anything we could do. The hospital staff suggested the play area needed transforming and so we worked to clear that up, paint it and fill it with some new toys.”
Each of the five McDonald’s stores, which range from West Bromwich through to Sutton Coldfield, provided five volunteers to give their time. The group also gave a donation of £500 to the Trust towards helping with the refurbishment of the outdoor play area.