No one relishes a stay in hospital but for children it can be an especially ominous and frightening prospect, often leading to high levels of anxiety which can make the hospital experience even more difficult for everyone involved.
In 2023, for the 2nd year running, we are delighted to partner with Micro Scooters to offer support for children, young people and staff across our NHS hospital partners. Every month Micro Scooters will donate 20 Scooters, as well as helmets and scooting accessories, to children receiving ongoing treatment and their siblings at one of our hospitals. They will also provide an additional five scooters to support the dedicated and hard-working NHS staff providing vital care on the wards.
Since the company’s inception almost 20 years ago, Micro Scooters has been donating scooters to hospitals and children’s wards to try and introduce a bit of fun and a few more smiles into mix. Our partnership will help Micro Scooters to target their donations more effectively and increase reach.
Ben Gibson, Managing Director, Micro Scooters said, “Micro are, and have always been, born out of a mission to give children and families a cleaner, greener way to explore their world and want to give every child the chance to enjoy the fun and feel-good of life on wheels, even when in hospital.
It never fails to hit us just how amazingly brave children can be. Suffering from conditions that as parents, we can’t even bear to contemplate, we are thrilled to be able to bring just a little bit of respite for children and their parents. Hospitals who have received a free donation of Micro Scooters in the past have told us it helps to provide fun as well as offering a small respite from the pressures of hospital life. Some are used to help children’s rehabilitation, sometimes our scooters are used in the children’s play area and sometimes adult scooters are used by doctors and nurses to get from one end of the hospital to the other!”
Laura Walter, Spread a Smile Director of Services said: “Physical activity is important for everyone, including children who are in hospital. Some patients can be in hospital for a long time, so it is important that they stay as active as possible during their stay. Scooting is a fantastic way to encourage them to take part in exercise that is fun, when they feel able to.”
The first of the 2023 deliveries have already been delivered into University College London Hospital (UCLH) and Nottingham Children’s Hospital.
Click here to find out more about Micro Scooters, the initiatives they run and the scooters themselves.
A huge thank you to Micro Scooters for all their support.