20 September 2010

World-cup winning England Women’s Cricket Captain, Charlotte Edwards, and batsman, Lydia Greenway, will be visiting the Royal London Children’s Hospital on Tuesday 21 September to brighten the day of dozens of young patients.

The visit is one of a number of activities taking place throughout the week at the Children’s Hospital as part of National Play Week, a nationwide initiative aimed at promoting play as a way of helping recovery.

Charlotte, who will organise a cricket session for some of the 130 patients said:  “Being in hospital is incredibly tough, especially for children.  We hope to bring something different to their day and show them that people really care how they are doing.”

Batsman Lydia Greenway added:  “Cricket is a game that is highly adaptable for different environments and a hospital is certainly a change from where we normally play.

“I hope the session on Tuesday will allow the children to take their mind off the hard time they are having and perhaps give them something to aim for in the future.”

Coaches from Fulham Football Club will join the cricketers to organise a mini-sports day.

Other activities during the week will include mask-making, a fancy-dress party and a caricaturist drawing portraits of the children.

A digeridoo player will be the guest of honour later in the week during a musical day, which will also include a performance by a gospel choir.

And on Friday, youngsters will be treated to a magic show as well as visits from the hospital’s air ambulance and fire-crews.

Royal London Children’s Hospital Play specialist Catrina Fleming said:  “Play is important to kids in hospital because it helps with their understanding of their illnesses and their treatment.

“Hospital can be a very scary place for a small child. 

Play is one way of making it feel less intimidating and it gives them an outlet when they feel stressed out or anxious about what’s happening to them.

“The aim of this Play Week is to raise the awareness of play specialists and our role and the different kinds of play in hospital and its importance to children.”

Contact: Call Angela Boon on 0207 480 4843 or Shannon Gillespie on 0207 480 4892 for further information or photographs on the day.

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Notes for editors

• The Royal London Children’s Hospital has 130 beds for children - including premature baby cots - and is London’s biggest paediatric Accident & Emergency department.  We care for more than 40,000 children and young people each year from London, Essex and across the UK and Europe.
• * National Play Week is a nationwide event that runs every five years to raise the awareness of play in hospital and the role of the play specialist.  It runs from the 18th September to the 25th September.  It is organised by the National Association of Hospital Play Staff – a charity which aims to promote the physical and mental well being of children and young people who are patients in hospital, hospice or receiving medical care at home. The NAHPS aims to promote high professional standards for play staff, and to ensure the provision of appropriate therapeutic and stimulating play facilities in hospital. NAHPS also provides professional support for all  hospital play staff. http://www.nahps.org.uk/
• Information on England Cricketers:
Charlotte Edwards MBE:  England captain, Kent captain, Debut for England in 2006, 140 ODI caps, has scored over 4000 runs in ODIs, Ashes winner in 2005, 2008 and 2009, World Cup winner 2009 (50 over), Twenty20 World Cup winner 2009 (20 over). More info here: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/53696.html
Lydia Greenway: England batsman, also plays for Kent, 79 ODI caps, 1260 runs, Ashes winner in 2005, 2008 and 2009, World Cup winner 2009 (50 over), Twenty20 World Cup winner 2009 (20 over). More info here: http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/53709.html

Forthcoming tours/fixtures: November 2010 – Sri Lanka, Dec/Jan 2010/11: Ashes in Australia. 
Both women work as Chance to Shine coaching ambassadors on the Cricket Foundation’s Chance to Shine campaign to educate through cricket.

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