On Thursday 24th October a local fundraising committee presented a 'donation with a difference' to the palliative care team at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Instead of handing over a cheque to the hospital charity, the fundraising committee, who held a charity ball earlier this year, took time to source much needed books for the department which staff generally find difficult to buy. The books are designed to help children on the unit come to terms with their feelings about being terminally ill which in turn helps staff and families in dealing with these difficult times.

A cheque was also presented for an amount to cover a replenishment of the stock of books for the department in the future.

The fundraising committee were then given a tour of some of the units which would be able to use the new books. These included the palliative care ward, CT and MRI scanning units and the chapel in the basement of the hospital.

Fundraising committee member Emma Harris said: "All I can say is wow! The ball in February really was worth it for all the thanks we got today at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Such an eye opener and the money raised really has been put towards an excellent resource."

For more information about the team's next charity ball email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..