Wrexham NHS staff join together to provide pyjamas for homeless children

Kind hearted NHS staff have joined together to support some of the most disadvantaged children in north east Wales in the run up to Christmas.

Staff from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have collected almost 100 sets of new pyjamas, worth an estimated £600, which will be donated to children and young people who are homeless or in need through the ‘Pyjama Party’ charity.

The initiative was founded in 2013 to supply brand new, warm pyjamas which would provide some comfort to homeless or vulnerably house children and young people in the run up to Christmas.

In November Wrexham.com reported that similar initiatives had been set up locally to “deliver a little magic” to children in need across Wrexham and north east Wales this Christmas

Housing charity Shelter estimate that 183 children across Britain lose their homes every day and at least 135,000 are set to be homeless and living in temporary accommodation on Christmas Day, up from 80,000 in 2013.

In Wales, Shelter estimated that one in 412 children are homeless, up 28% since 2015.

The appeal was organised by Natasha Harvey, an Administrator with BCUHB’s Community Mental Health Rehabilitation Team based on Grove Road in Wrexham.

She said: “A lot of us are Mums and it made us very sad to think that many local children find themselves in this situation at Christmas.

“These pyjamas will be delivered in time for Christmas Eve, ensuring local children in need benefit from some comfort and kindness as they look forward to Christmas Day.

“We set up a number of drop off points in various places across Wrexham and we’ve been really touched by the response to the appeal. We really didn’t expect to receive so many donations.

“We’ve had wonderful support from members of the public, local businesses and of course the very generous Health Board staff.”