Auction of promises boosts special care baby unit fund
20 Jun 2005
An auction of promises and raffle organised by Derbyshire award-winning architects WCEC has provided a major boost for Chesterfield’s special care baby unit.
The Sheepbridge-based practice presented a cheque for £2,250 to the unit at Chesterfield Royal Hospital which will be used to buy a special heated crib.
The money was handed over by 10 year-old Thomas Kemp, a pupil at Sheffield’s Ridgeway School, who spent nearly two weeks in the special care baby unit following his premature birth.
His father, James, who works at WCEC, said: “It was a really good feeling to hand over the cheque to this unit who saved my own son’s life.
“The practice has adopted the special care baby unit as its chosen charity and we are very grateful to all the companies who provided promises and raffle prizes.”
A range of promises including a candlelit dinner, pony ride and a room makeover were auctioned at WCEC’s annual charity ball. One of the biggest bids of £150 was received for a signed shirt donated by Sheffield United. A signed Sheffield Wednesday football also raised £100.
Guests at the ball, held at Baldwin’s Omega, Sheffield, also dug deep into their wallets to pocket a host of raffle prizes.
The cheque was handed over to Lynn Elliott, manager of Chesterfield Royal’s special care baby unit. She said: “We really are very grateful to WCEC. It was a huge sum of money to donate and will go to our charitable fund to buy a heated crib to nurse premature babies.”