Dress as an Elf on the Twelfth raises thousands

A local children’s charity is celebrating following the success of their Christmas fundraising appeal.

Rockinghorse Children’s Charity held their Dress as an Elf on the Twelfth dress-down day last week (Thursday 12 December) which saw schools, businesses and community groups from across Sussex take part.

The annual event encouraged participants to wear red and green, or dress in full elf costume, and donate £1 towards the charity’s Christmas appeal for 2013.

As the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and a vital supporter of the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU), Rockinghorse raises money for life-saving and cutting-edge medical equipment, whilst ensuring that children are treated in an environment better suited to their needs.

The charity is currently fundraising for a portable sensory play centre at the Alex which will support the play specialist team at the Brighton-based children’s hospital.

By purchasing the vital piece of equipment, Rockinghorse ensures that no child, no matter how poorly, will be left without the opportunity for play during their hospital time.

Rockinghorse announced they have exceeded their Christmas appeal target, raising over £10,000 from Dress as an Elf on the Twelfth.

The charity would like to thank everyone who participated in the fundraiser, including sponsors, Austin Rees.

The team from Austin Rees (Chartered Surveyors and Property Managers based in Hove) lent their support on the day and dressed as elves to join staff at the Alex for a children’s Christmas party, which included entertainment from Zaz the Clown.

The Austin Rees elves delivered an early festive surprise and presented gifts to children on the wards.

Director, Andrew Austin, said of the visit: “We were delighted by the response from all of our contractors who donated presents for the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital.

“The team and I, dressed as elves, visited the Alex, the High Dependency Unit and the Oncology Day Care Unit to deliver presents.

“We spent many hours visiting the young patients and their parents and we hope we helped make a difference on the day.”

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, also lent her support to Rockinghorse on the day.

She spent time meeting staff and visiting patients and their families at the Alex.

She said: “Rockinghorse is a wonderful local charity. It was brilliant to meet the dedicated staff at the Alex, and to see first-hand the benefits for children of the amazing work they do.

“Congratulations to the team for running such a successful event, and I wish them best of luck with their fundraising in 2014.”

Rockinghorse relies on its valued supporters to ensure they can continue their vital work at Christmas and all year round.

The charity is overwhelmed with the support shown for their Dress as an Elf on the Twelfth day. CEO, Ryan Heal, said: “This has been our best ever year for the Dress as an Elf on the Twelfth initiative.

“To have so many schools and businesses across Sussex taking part shows how much the work at the Alex and TMBU means to everyone in the region.

“It makes everyone at Rockinghorse very proud to feel we are their chosen charity, supporting our children in our county.”

For further information about Rockinghorse and the work they do, or to make a donation, visit: rockinghorse.org.uk or call 01273 330044.