Charity Golf Day in aid of Norwich Cots for Tots

Barry Milligan has organised a Charity Golf Day at Costessey Park in aid of the Norwich Cots for Tots Appeal after his daughter Darci-May was in NICU at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital from October to December 2010,

24 teams for four people will be taking part in this charity event on Good Friday, 22nd April 2011 which is hoped will raise £1000 for the appeal and is being sponsored by Taylor and Taylor Associates.

Barry Milligan from Middleton Court, Hellesdon has organised this day as a way of both saying thank you to the unit for the care his daughter received and also to raise funds for the appeal. Barry Milligan and his wife Gina said “We cannot thank the staff enough for their care and know just how lucky we were to have had access to such a wonderful unit in Norwich“.

NICU nurse manager Amanda Williamson said: “We are keenly aware how difficult it can be for families who sometimes have to travel long distances to enable their baby to receive care because all our high dependency and intensive care cots are in use. The expansion of cots will mean that more families are able to stay locally while their baby receives the care they need. We are very excited about allowing this improvement to care that families receive.”

The Norwich Cots for Tots appeal is raising money to pay for an additional 4 cots in this Neonatal Intensive Care Unit  (NICU), which will increase the number of cots from 28 to 32. This means more babies can be cared for locally. The NICU is one of only three specialist neonatal units in the East of England. When the unit is at capacity babies have to be sent to the nearest unit in either Cambridge or Luton. The demand for specialist care is rising; NICU currently cares for over 850 premature and critically ill babies in a year. Supporting our appeal means local babies can be cared for locally.

The aim is to raise £500,000 to fund the building work and equip the four new cots. The hospital aim’s to get the four new cots up and running by autumn 2011. To support the Cots for Tots appeal you can donate:

1. Online at www.justgiving.com/norwichnicu

2. Send a cheque payable to the NNUH NHS Foundation Trust with “NICU Cot Expansion Fund F300” written on the back of the cheque and send to Communications, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UY.

Photo opportunity

Barry Milligan will make a cheque presentation at 2.00pm on 22nd April 2011 at Costessey Park.