Medals will bring a smile to poorly kids

Children putting on a brave face at Blackpool A&E will be rewarded with shiny medals.
West Lancs Freemasons have donated medals to children in A&E at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.  Back row L-R are Duncan Smith, Harry Cox, Dr Jomel George, Hugh Mett and Peter Gunn.  Front row L-R Lauren Codling from Blue Skies, staff nurse Jacqui Smith, family liason Joanne Gunn and staff nurse Angela Mason.West Lancs Freemasons have donated medals to children in A&E at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.  Back row L-R are Duncan Smith, Harry Cox, Dr Jomel George, Hugh Mett and Peter Gunn.  Front row L-R Lauren Codling from Blue Skies, staff nurse Jacqui Smith, family liason Joanne Gunn and staff nurse Angela Mason.
West Lancs Freemasons have donated medals to children in A&E at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Back row L-R are Duncan Smith, Harry Cox, Dr Jomel George, Hugh Mett and Peter Gunn. Front row L-R Lauren Codling from Blue Skies, staff nurse Jacqui Smith, family liason Joanne Gunn and staff nurse Angela Mason.

Peter and Joanne Gunn, of the West Lancashire Freemasons, gave 300 children’s medals to Blackpool Victoria Hospital as part of the group’s Caring in the Community initiative with the help of the Blue Skies Hospital Fund.

The medals, designed by Peter with the help of Blackpool Victoria Hospital A&E staff, contain the words ‘I’ve been brave’, and will be handed out to children who have shown outstanding courage in the face of illness and injury.

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Peter, 64, who lives in South Shore, said: “It puts a big smile on the child’s face right at the point where and and his parents need it. I’m very proud to be supporting it.

“Having talked to the staff there, they are all saying thank you. It makes their lives much easier.

“Imagine you’re a nurse in A&E and you have a child that’s injured, you can go to the child with the medal and instantly their focus is on that instead of the injury.”

It is estimated that Blackpool Victoria Hospital A&E department will treat over 15,000 children, from newborns to 16-yearolds, in 2017 alone.

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Children’s A&E staff nurse Jacqui Smith said: “This is a lovely idea which will help children to be as brave as possible while we try to make them better.”

Lauren Codling, community fundraiser for Blue Skies Hospital Fund said: “We are grateful to Peter and Joanne for their generosity and delighted to provide the inner sections for these bravery medals for children.”