The Co-operative Funeralcare - Fratton

EC Roberts centre (Known as The Roberts Centre) is based in Portsmouth and also provides services in Gosport and Havant. We work to improve the lives of children and families we develop and deliver innovative services for families who are facing homelessness or the impact of family breakdown giving people the skills to manage their money, home and children. Changes to the way society functions are inevitable. What matters is that there are safety nets and support systems for those less able. It is not a virtue to be intelligent, to have been born into a caring and capable family or to have good mental and physical health. Those of us who have had these benefits are challenged to care and support those who start life with more challenges and potential limitations. At the Roberts Centre we believe everyone can be assisted to improve their lives. We focus all our energies on designing and delivering services for people who want a better life for themselves or their families, whether they are struggling with homelessness or family relationship breakdown, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of children, who are particularly affected by their families' plights.

The Paediatrics Department at Queen Alexandra Hospital are raising funds to buy a Blood Gas Analyser machine to help save children's lives. With their own machine, nurses will be able to deliver quick blood gas tests, prevent tests clotting which results in re-testing, and spend their time with patients at their bedside. Portsmouth Hospitals Charity serves the patients of Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust by improving existing facilities and by providing additional equipment, supporting research programmes and innovation in the development of services and education to both patients and staff. Our Paediatrics Department supports families from across Hampshire and Sussex, and sees over 8,000 patients a year. We have 42 beds across 2 wards and treats children aged 0-18years. We were M&S Charity of the Year 2016/17 for our local area. They helped us to raise funds for a Blood Gas Analyser machine for the Children's Assessment Unit in the Paediatrics Department. The machine measures the amount of oxygen & carbon dioxide in the blood. Imbalances in oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH levels can indicate one of the following medical conditions: Kidney failure Heart failure Respiratory depression Uncontrolled diabetes Chemical poisoning A drug overdose Shock The department do not have their own Blood Gas Analyser and therefore have to go to another department within the hospital to borrow theirs, and this uses up crucial time that a nurse should be at the child's bedside. Last year Paediatrics did 50 gases a week, which equates to 433.5 hours a year of a nurses time off of the Ward and away from their patient. If you would like to get involved with fundraising, please get in contact.