Jan 2022: This page is still open and taking donations for St George's NICU. Covid has put increased pressure on the unit's equipment budget. Thanks for visiting this page and thank you for any donation you are able to make. All donations will be used to buy equipment to support premature and sick babies. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Aug 2016: £65 - July 2016: Summary of amount raised this year by Bertrum House School parents.... £3,026.97!!!! - June 2016: £100 - June 2016: £27.20 from the summer fair - June 2016: £650 - May 2016: Another £80 from that generous bear, Bertrum - April 2016: £25 offline payment IOU from Xmas Crackers - never too late! - Feb 2016: BH quiz night @ The Bedford: £190 - Jan 2016: BH Olympics! £547.96 + £223 = £770.96 - Nov 2015: BH Xmas Fair: Tree of Giving £109.91; Christmas Crackers: £1,048.80 (£751.80 donated online, offline donation £272, IOU for £25 to follow) - Oct 2015: Thanks to Bertrum House parents: £50.10 - July 2014: Ritherdon Road Street Party (thanks to Caroline, Zoe, Tim, Jess, Carol) and It's A Kid's Thing event: £473.34 and £826 respectively, plus a further £100 offline donation - thank you, Janie. Total raised in June: £1399.34 - May 2014: £222 cheque from Waitrose Balham - April 2014: Thanks again to NM ROTHSCHILD (and Gareth) for their further donation of £250 - Mar 2014: The inaugural SW12 RAFFLE: £3,171. Thanks to everyone who bought tickets. - Feb 2014: BODKIN LANE performed another brilliant sell-out gig at The Bedford, Balham, supported by local DJ Jonesy's Jukebox: £1,640 - Jan 2014: Thanks to the Wallace Bell charitable trust for donating £5,500.- Dec 2013: NM ROTHSCHILD & SONS, friends of First Touch: Christmas donation of £1000 - Oct 2013, SAMANTHA ARLOW and Fineline Media, Take 2: £370.

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In 2011 we lost our premature baby son, Matthew. He was cared for by the excellent neonatal unit at St George's Hospital, Tooting. The NNU badly needs funds to replace and update the incubators in the two Intensive Care nurseries. We aim to raise £35,000 to fund a state-of-the-art GE 'Giraffe' Incubator and other essential equipment. You can donate via this site or by text. Thank you all.

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- May 2013, Massive thanks to SAMANTHA ARLOW of Fineline Media who was raffled off as a caddy, raising £400. - Feb 2013, BODKIN LANE band night at The Bedford, Balham: huge local support plus donations: £2,485. Thanks in particular to The Bedford, to DJ Jonesy's Jukebox. - May 2012: Gareth 'Wild Man' Wilding's band BODKIN LANE played Bush Hall, Shepherd's Bush raising £814.45 for First Touch. -May 2012: Donations from EDEN FINANCIAL totalling £2,113.43. -Sept & Oct 2011: WARDY WINTERS' marathon & Chinese evening: £536.40 From Wardy: In Jan 2011 George's cousin Eleanor went into premature labour at 23 weeks. Baby Matthew put up a huge fight but despite the exceptional care of St George's neonatal unit sadly he died 6 days later. During their week at the unit Eleanor and her husband Chris witnessed the huge amount of care needed to support every premature baby. Almost all these babies do survive and thrive, but every 24 hours a baby spends in neonatal intensive care costs £1400. The unit needs support - thank you for yours. XX

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February 1st 2011

Dear friends, family and colleagues,

To our immense shock Matthew Christopher Jaques, due on May 21st, was born 4 months premature on Wednesday 26th January 2011, weighing 1lb 3oz (630g). 

He was just a couple of weeks too early to stand a good chance and despite his best efforts and those of the neonatal unit at St George's Hospital Matthew died on February 1st. We were lucky enough to be with him at the end.

St George's neonatal unit cares for 600 premature babies a year. The care it provides is exceptional - it also treats babies born in other hospitals - and it is staffed by skilled and dedicated individuals who seem to have also been selected for their warmth and kindness. 

They insert lines into tiny veins, fine-tune treatments, wrap babies in little woolly bonnets and micro-sized nappies, and hold daily discussions with confused and desperate parents. The unit also provides facilities including a sitting room, a shower, and a couple of bedrooms so parents can close their eyes in the knowledge that they are only 30 seconds away from their baby.

Many of you have been kind enough to send messages which have been of immense comfort. Almost all of you ask if there is anything you can do to help. Like any NHS neonatal unit St George's is desperate for funds. If you felt able to donate to their First Touch fund it would allow them to buy much-needed equipment for these delicate patients and to continue to provide the additional support to parents which has been of such comfort to us. Please see below for the unit's priority list of items needed.

Thank you all for your kindness and support. Please forward this link to anyone you think might be interested.

Chris and Eleanor

Thank you to Tony, Nigel, Justin, Tonie, Ursula, Victoria, Eden, Sam, Jennifer, Amy, Andy, Vinod, Charlotte, and anyone we have missed out, and to Melissa in the delivery unit.

From Justin Richards, Neonatal Consultant at St George's

Dear Eleanor, St George's neonatal unit priority “wish list” is as follows:

1x Isolette C8000 Incubator @ £12,500

1x Stephanie Ventilator @ £26-30,000

3x Apnoea Monitors @ £190.00 each

2x Phototherapy units @ £2,000 each

2x Biliblanket phototherapy devices @ £2,500 each

1x Resuscitaire unit @ £7,600

I am very keen that you do not feel pressure to raise a set amount, and have deliberately included equipment across a wide price scale. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is anything further that I can do, or any further support I can offer. Best wishes, Justin Richards