Bobby and Yvonne Ball appeal for presents for hospital patients

The couple has become patrons to the Blue Skies Hospitals Fund – the official charity for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust – and have launched their Give a Gift Appeal.

The charity helps to raise money to improve patient care for people in the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre area and it is a cause the pair has supported previously after being associated with Clifton Hospital’s Peace of Mind dementia appeal since 2016.

They organised a concert with celebrity friends such as Stu Frances, Ted Robbins and Sally Lyndsay and together with money raised by staff at Clifton Hospital contributed £30,000 towards a dementia garden now in place at Clifton.

Since then have been regular supporters of the hospital and they are now helping to launch the charity’s Christmas appeals with the main one being a call for people to donate a present for everyone who spends Christmas Day as a patient at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Bobby said: “We are delighted to support the charity’s community work and it would be fantastic to see people give presents for those unfortunate enough to be in hospital on Christmas Day.

“It will be a really hard time for some patients and I’m sure a gift will go a long way to helping them feel better on such a special day.”

Yvonne said: “I was absolutely blown away when they asked me to be a patron as it’s usually only Bobby who’s approached. I am still overwhelmed. We will do whatever we can for Blue Skies.”