The owner of a baby clothes stall in Chester market is helping the Countess of Chester Hospital with its Babygrow appeal to build a new £3m neonatal unit.
Margaret Lockhart, who runs the business with her daughter Janice, meets parents whose premature babies need extra care to get through the early days because she also runs a shop in the hospital.
Mrs Lockhart, from Elton, said: “It touches me every time. I just want to do anything to help. We are here Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and anybody with any loose change can put it in the charity box. Every penny helps. And for anybody who spends over £10, we will donate £1.”
Charlotte Mansell, community and events fundraiser at the Countess, said: “We need to raise £3m over the next three years to build a new neonatal unit at the hospital. One in eight babies is born premature and needs some support from the neonatal unit and last year we helped over 520 babies in the neonatal unit.
“But our unit was built over 40 years ago so it is quite out-dated in terms of facilities for families to stay over, and the decor.
“Because of the size of some of the modern equipment it can’t be accommodated easily in the current building.”
Charlotte was accompanied on the photo opportunity by Abbey Jones, on work experience, whose eldest brother Mitchell was born prematurely and spent time in the neonatal unit.
Details on other ways to donate can be found on the Countess of Chester Hospital website: www.coch.nhs.uk/ fundraising/making-a-donation.aspx.
