Parents of boy cared for at Musgrove Park Hospital raise over £17,000 for neonatal unit

Love Musgrove, the official charity of Musgrove Park Hospital, was thrilled to receive over £17,000 from the family and friends behind Charlie’s Challenge – with the money going towards the Somerset Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (SNICU).

Charlie was cared for by staff at the unit for a number of weeks after he was born so his family spent a lot of time with staff while he was getting better.

And now, having just turned one year old before Christmas, and being a happy and healthy boy, Charlie’s family was able to present the incredible amount to the neonatal unit.

Charlie’s Challenge included a wide range of fundraising activities, such as:

Zoom Zumbathon, hosted by Carole-Anne Turner

  • Sold donated items online and at car boot sales
  • A painting sold on an auction site by Ruby Price, a 12 year old twin who was born premature
  • A silent auction to sell a piece of artwork by local artist Jurassic Mandela Art
  • Plant sales and raffles
  • Money raised by Minehead Running Club
  • Staff at Gwilliam’s of Edington working in fancy dress

Charlie’s parents, Emma and Jo, said:

“We are completely overwhelmed with the support we had for Charlie’s challenge, it’s so nice when a community pulls together to raise this amount of money.

We started off wanting to raise £3,500 in Charlie’s first year just to say a massive thank you for the support we were given by the SNICU when Charlie was born.

We will never give the unit what they gave us, saving our little boy, but I hope that this money will help to buy more vital equipment to help save and help more babies like Charlie who need this extra support in the first weeks of their precious little lives.

Thank you so so much to the staff at the SNICU for what you did for us and a massive thank you to everyone who helped to make this amazing total possible.

We would like to say a massive thank you to Gwilliam’s of Edington for all their help and donations and selling raffle tickets, Minehead Running Club for their donations and all the local community who donated, bought raffle tickets, donated prizes for our raffle, we were overwhelmed with all the support.

Also, thanks to The Parlour and The White Hart in Chilton Polden and everyone else who helped sell raffle tickets.”

Dan Varley, Love Musgrove’s community fundraiser said:

“We were absolutely thrilled to receive the support of Charlie’s Challenge, and the funds raised will make such a difference to future babies that spend time in SNICU for years to come.

A huge thanks to Emma and Jo for organising such a brilliant array of fundraising, especially during these difficult times.

It was lovely to see how many people rallied around this brilliant cause and donate so much money, thank you!”