Fundraising appeal to ‘bring light’ to children and young people’s mental health unit

The aim is to raise £25,000 to build a bespoke sensory room.

A fundraising campaign to provide vital sensory support for children and young people with acute mental illness has launched.

The aim is to raise £25,000 to build a bespoke sensory room at The Beacon CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health) unit on Leicester’s Glenfield hospital site.

‘Bring light to The Beacon’ is co-ordinated by Raising Health, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust’s registered charity.

The Beacon is a 15-bed inpatient facility for children and young people experiencing acute mental health illness and eating disorders who need round-the-clock care from a specialist team. Demand for these services has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Paul Howley, matron at The Beacon said: “Sensory environments are a valuable way of enhancing people’s care and recovery. For instance, one non-verbal young person felt able to open up and engage with therapy thanks largely to the use of a personal sensory box, filled with items to help them self-regulate. Sensory activities build trust with carers which can act as a springboard for recovery.

“We want to extend this level of care further by creating a sensory room for children and young people to engage with, as well as providing two sensory trolleys for those who find leaving their rooms challenging.”

The sensory room will be equipped with a bubble wall, seating, a variety of lighting and an interactive projector, plus two sensory trollies for patients who are too unwell to leave their rooms.

So far Raising Health has raised just over £15,000 in donations.

Carolyn Pascoe, Fundraising Manager for Raising Health said: “By donating, you will be helping our young mental health inpatients with their recovery. The sensory room and the portable trolleys will have a hugely positive impact on enhancing their care. Please can you help us bring light to The Beacon?”