I am a registered nursing associate at Southampton Children's Hospital. I work in Paediatric Medical Unit. The ward specialises mainly in respiratory conditions and a lot of the patient's lives depend on long-term ventilation (CPAP, BIPAP, AVAPS, tracheostomy), but we also look after patients with a variety of rare genetic disorders, motorneuron diseases, patients with oncology diagnosis, eating disorders and children and young people in a mental health crisis. Some of the patients have life-limiting conditions. The ward has patients from 0 to 18 years old. To improve and facilitate patients needs, the ward was recently refurbished and we have now 9 cubicles, of which 8 have built-in en-suits. 

Due to the patient's condition, the average stay of the patient is 1-2 months, but some patients would stay with us for 3+ months. Some of them require protective isolation, so they cannot leave their rooms. The youngest patients might have never left the hospital since they were born. It is a very difficult and daunting experience, not only for patients but also for their families. 

To improve our patient's stay I would like to raise funding to equip each of the cubicles with a smart TV. The ward already offers free-of-charge wi-fi access, so patients will be able to connect to platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. to have a bit of normality in such a difficult time. 

To raise the necessary funding I have decided to take the part in a night sailing experience facilitated by The Bridge Sailing Team located in Haslar Marina in Gosport. It is a small company run by Afanasy, Maria and Oliver. The most precious member of the company is a Portuguese Water Dog called India. Afanasy and Oliver are both skippers with a lot of experience. They sailed thousands of nautical miles and took part in many competitions and races. 

I have very little experience in sailing, yet from 23-25 of September I will be a part of a team with people I have never met before. We will be sailing at night with nothing but the navigation lights to guide us. I can only imagine that The Solent and the English Channel feel totally different under the night sky. The team will be led by an experienced offshore sailor. Although he is not an instructor he will be very happy to share his knowledge and love of sailing. 

We start from Haslar Marina and will be sailing to Cherbourg Marina in France. This is approximately 70 nautical miles and 10-12 hours of overnight sailing. The yacht will be Beneteau First 40 (40 feet). The skipper will get us involved in handling the sails, helming, keeping watch and navigation, but also in cooking and clearing up. Once we arrive at the marina, we will have time for rest and exploring the area and then we will be sailing back to the UK overnight. 

Please could you help me achieve the goal and make my ward more friendly for the patients and their families? I am sure they will be forever grateful for your donations. Having that bit of normality will help bring some smiles and happiness during their stay in the hospital. Thank you for all the donations in advance, they will make a huge difference. 

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