The play room and social area are great resources for children and young people undergoing treatment or visiting friends and family at the hospital’s Piam Brown Ward, but the facilities were in dire need of renovating and redecorating.

A complete refurbishment project funded through donations from local families and supporters was planned, but unfortunately there was no budget for the moving and storing of the furniture and equipment. With no room to store at the hospital, the Ward approached Pickfords’ Southampton branch, who was more than happy to volunteer its services.

Pickfords packed the contents of the rooms into cartons, removing everything from the site ahead of the refurbishment. The equipment was taken to the local Pickfords storage centre in Eastleigh for the duration of the project, before being dropped off again in time for the grand reopening a few weeks later.

The Piam Brown Ward treats over 100 children from 1-day-old to 16-years-old each year. 

Photo: The refurbished play room, school room and teenagers' area at Southampton General Hospital's Wessex Children's Cancer Unit.