• Brit Award winner Aitch delivered presents to children at Royal Bolton Hospital
• The I’m A Celebrity star supported Porsche Centre Bolton’s annual Christmas gift appeal
• People can also support hospital patients by getting involved with Our Bolton NHS Charity

Christmas has come early for children and young people staying at Royal Bolton Hospital as BRIT Award winner and I’m A Celebrity campmate, Aitch, delivered presents ahead of the big day.

‘Santa Aitch’ joined Porsche Centre Bolton for their annual gift appeal to help spread festive joy to those who are spending the Christmas period away from the comfort of home to receive care and treatment.

Bolton’s NHS staff welcomed Aitch to the children’s ward, E5, where he dropped off presents, handed out autographs and got involved with photos to help people capture the special memories.

Aitch said:

Let’s make Christmas special for these kids. I’ve got all of the presents and I just want to say Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all of that good stuff!

The presents were donated by Porsche Centre Bolton to Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s official charity partner, Our Bolton NHS Charity, which aims to ensure patients, service-users and their families receive the best possible care, in the right place, all year round.

 

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Steve Webb, Centre Principal at Porsche Centre Bolton, said:

Seeing how many gifts came in from both our customers and colleagues was amazing. Nobody wants to be in hospital at Christmas, especially children, so we just wanted to do a little something to help lift their spirits. Bringing Aitch along to help deliver the gifts made it even more special – the smiles said it all.

“We’re proud to be part of the Bolton community, and this is just one way we can give something back. Hopefully, it made things a bit brighter for the children and their families during a tough time of year.

Aitch recently won the hearts of the nation after appearing on this year’s ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!’. His surprise visit to Royal Bolton helped to cheer up patients and their loved ones, bringing fun and laugher to the ward.

Dr Carl Oakden, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, welcomed Aitch to the ward and said:

Having worked alongside Porsche Bolton for several years, supporting the work we do with Children here at Bolton, it has been another wonderful experience to be able to invite Porsche Bolton and Aitch today to the Trust.

“It was lovely to see how excited the Children (and several of my colleagues) were to see and meet Aitch and I am incredibly grateful for the support he has shown in this year’s gift donation with Porsche Bolton. It was a privilege to be able to show Aitch and the team from Porsche Bolton around the site today and I hope that we have been able to bring some early festive cheer to the Trust.

“It’s heartwarming to see the generosity and support Royal Bolton Hospital receives from our community and I’m proud to play a very small part of that by keeping these strong relationships with people like the team at Porsche Bolton and Aitch.

How you can support Our Bolton NHS Charity this Christmas

There are many ways to get involved with Our Bolton NHS Charity this year. Whether people want to help spread awareness, raise funds, or join in a bit of festive fun, all of it helps create a brighter Christmas for patients, families and colleagues.

Abdul Goni, ‘Our Bolton NHS Charity’ Charity Engagement Coordinator, said:

We’re incredibly grateful to Porsche Centre Bolton for their support in lifting our patients’ spirits this Christmas and we’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to donate a gift.

“Thank you to Aitch for giving his time to help. We loved being able to welcome him to the hospital to meet with our young patients, their families and our staff.

“If – like Aitch – you would like to spread a little joy to patients who will be spending Christmas in hospital, please consider purchasing a gift from our You Are Not Alone wish list.

“Alternatively, you can make a donation to our Christmas appeal to help us fund equipment that excels, spaces that soothe and moments that matter. Thank you for all your support.

For more information about how you can support Our Bolton NHS Charity this Christmas, please visit their website.