Children's ward at the Royal Surrey gets a makeover

Young patients at Royal Surrey County Hospital this Christmas will now be comforted by serene scenes of an underwater sea-world, thanks to Momentum Children's Charity.

Hascombe, the hospital's paediatric ward, now has all its walls and corridors expertly decorated with dolphins, whales and all sorts of colourful sea creatures.

Momentum Children's Charity supports families across South West London, Surrey and West Sussex whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition.

Hascombe Matron Senal Soyer contacted the charity late last year to see if they would be able to transform the paediatric ward into a magical sea kingdom, after seeing their work in other NHS trusts.

She said: "Hospital can be a frightening and intimidating place for anyone, but especially for children. These beautiful murals will be a great distraction and help to make the hospital feel warmer and less like a scary clinical space. We chose the underwater sea theme because it is calming and we have noticed that the children respond really positively to it."

One dad, Assym Zaman, who visited Hascombe ward with his four-year-old daughter Ayzah, said: "The cute sea life murals on the walls make the ward look a lot more welcoming for my daughter when she comes here for treatment.

"I really appreciate the makeover that's been done because now the place looks and feels more like a nursery school and that definitely helps Ayzah feel less nervous and scared when she visits."

Like what we do? Please like our Facebook page.