Pictured: Eid al-Fitr came early for patients on the Children’s Ward at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital last week – thanks to a visit from the ‘Secret Sheikh’.
Secret Sheikh is a project created by Phil and Karen Boulding, who set up Secret Santa Limited less than two yeard ago, delivering 1,000 Santa Sacks filled with gifts to children at Blackburn with Darwen’s eight children’s centres.
This year, Phil, Karen and a team of supporters extended the project for Eid-al-Fitr, to ensure that every child had the opportunity to enjoy the celebration, including those receiving treatment in hospital. They purchased and wrapped 27 packages of toys and gifts for the patients, and delivered them to the hospital on Monday 3 June, where they were accepted by ELHT&Me, the hospital’s official charity. ELHT&Me fundraise for, and receive donations on behalf of, hospital wards and clinical teams across East Lancashire. The charity aims to improve patient experience and provide a service beyond standard NHS funding by accepting monetary and gift donations from the local community.
“Our aims for Secret Sheikh are to bring a smile and happiness into the lives of poorly children at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital,” said Phil Boulding.
“The idea comes from Secret Santa and we’ve adapted it to convey best wishes to children during Eid-ul-Fitr.”
Eid-ul-Fitr is the Muslim celebration that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. During the month, healthy, adult Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. On Eid, Muslims attend communal prayers, share traditional food, and children are given gifts.
Children’s Ward Manager Katie Ceraldi said staff and patients were very grateful for the generosity of Secret Sheikh. “We want to say a big, big thank you to Phil, Karen and the volunteers. It was such a magnificent gesture and certainly cheered up the children,” said Katie.
Denise Gee, Fundraising Manager at ELHT&Me, said: “We were delighted to receive these thoughtful gifts from the ‘Secret Sheikh’! We appreciate every kind of donation, and there’s so many ways the community can contribute to their local hospital charity.
“I would encourage anyone who has a fundraising idea, or would like to donate in any way, to any area of care, to get in touch with the charity by emailing fundraising@elht.nhs.uk or visiting our website – www.elht.nhs.uk/charity.”