Local children attending hospital benefit from LEGO®

It was a first for Scottish Islands as national charity ‘Fairy Bricks’ donated £2000 worth of LEGO® sets to Western Isles Hospital, Uists & Barra Hospital and St. Brendan’s Hospital, for children attending hospital. The generous donations will help children find moments of playful joy with their families when they attend hospital appointments or are having to stay in hospital as Inpatients.

Fairy Bricks, a charity which donates LEGO® sets to children’s hospitals and hospices and hospitals, is a long-standing partner of the LEGO Group who, alongside other donors, provides the charity with sets to brighten the lives of sick children. Each year Fairy Bricks donates more than 40,000 LEGO sets to hospitals in the UK and internationally. 

Kevin Gascoigne, CEO of Fairy Bricks, commented “We are truly grateful for everything our NHS is doing to keep us safe, particularly during this difficult time.  Play is a vital part of the recovery process when children are in hospital. It provides comfort, distraction and is even used as an educational tool by play specialists to assist children with procedures they have to endure.  We hope our donation will bring some smiles to families during tough times when they attend hospital with their children.” 

Lachlan Mc Pherson, NHS Western Isles Hospitals Manager, said “On behalf of the families who will benefit from this kind donation, and the staff at each of our island hospitals, we are so very thankful to have received this.  It cannot be underestimated how the simple pleasures of play can help and relax a child in a hospital setting, which can understandably be stressful for both the child and their family. 

“In fact, children who have been admitted to hospital recently have already begun playing with the LEGO® sets and were delighted with the variety that was available.”