Our Christmas Wish List is now open!

With your help, we can make sure that children and young people spending Christmas in Leeds Children’s Hospital will still be able to open gifts on Christmas day this year.  

 Buy a gift from our wish list

This will be the third consecutive year that our annual appeal in collaboration with Leeds Children's Hospital has gone virtual with an online Wish List, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The giving of donated gifts to patients is always central to Leeds Children’s Hospital’s Christmas celebrations and it’s become a Christmas tradition for many people, businesses, and community groups from across Yorkshire to bring some festive cheer and some sparkle to patients and their families spending Christmas in hospital.

To keep Christmas magical in 2022 hospital play specialists and Leeds Hospitals Charity staff have once again created an Amazon Wish List in order for members of the public to choose and purchase a gift or gifts that will be delivered straight to Leeds Children’s Hospital in time for Christmas.

Every gift on the Wish List has been selected by hospital play specialists and youth workers to be suitable for children and young people in hospital taking into account all ages, abilities, and conditions. This year’s wish list includes gifts for premature babies, sensory toys for patients with complex needs, gifts for teenagers, and toys and games that can be enjoyed from bed.        

Members of the public donated over 1,300 gifts through the Wish List in 2021. This year hospital and charity staff are hoping to attract over 2,000 donations via the Wish List.   

Those wishing to donate simply purchase a gift or gifts from the online Wish List, gifts are then delivered directly to Leeds Children’s Hospital where staff will wrap and distribute them throughout the hospital ready for Christmas Day.

Celia McKenzie - Head of Nursing at Leeds Children’s Hospital, explained why donated gifts are so important.

“Some of our patients will be with us for weeks or even months at time. Some patients will find themselves in hospital at Christmas unexpectedly with no time to plan. Having a child in hospital places a huge strain on a family so by making sure that every child receives a gift, we can make a huge difference for these families and make sure that even our sickest patients will enjoy some magic at Christmas! 

Gifts on our Wish List have been specifically chosen by hospital staff so you know that the gift you are giving will be suitable and gratefully received by a child or young person”

Leeds Children’s Hospital will also be hosting two, pre-booked, socially-distanced drop-off events for businesses and community groups making large donations.

These must be booked in advance through Leeds Hospitals Charity. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic Leeds Children’s Hospital will not be able to accept individual drop-off donations and donors will not be able to visit the wards as they have done in previous years.