Thanks to your donations, Leeds Hospitals Charity recently provided funding for memory making kits to be used in the mortuary at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. The mortuary provides a post-mortem service for those who have died within the hospitals, or occasionally in the community, also providing forensic services alongside the police. The team regularly work with families who are going through bereavement and are always looking for ways to improve the service they provide.

Sam Oakes, Nurse Specialist, said the funding would be used for a garden area outside the Chapel of Rest, and to provide families with lasting memories of their loved ones. “Sadly, here at the mortuary we deal with the death of children as well as adults, which means we often liaise with parents who’ve lost a baby or children who may have lost a sibling. These memory kits help us to provide small tokens to the families – from a lock of hair to a footprint or photograph – that they can treasure forever. We’re incredibly grateful for this charity grant as this is not something that would usually be paid for by NHS funding.”

The charity also provides funding to the mortuary team for ongoing items, such as pyjamas or clothing for deceased patients and recently funded an iPad so that virtual viewings of bodies could take place during the coronavirus pandemic.