An appeal is underway to help hospital patients across the Black Country receive a sprinkling of festive magic this Christmas.

The ‘Presents for Patients’ campaign has been launched by Black Country Brighter Lives, the charitable arm of Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which is the lead provider of mental health, learning disability and autism services in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

The appeal for donations aims to spread festive cheer to people who will spend Christmas in hospital away from their loved ones.

Presents will be given to patients in locations run by the Trust such as Bushey Fields Hospital in Dudley, Penn Hospital in Wolverhampton, Dorothy Pattison Hospital in Walsall and Edward Street Hospital in West Bromwich.

All donations will be spent on gifts that patients can use such as memory games, food hampers, warm clothes, activity books and more. Shaukat Ali, Non-Executive Director at the Trust and chair of the charitable funds committee, said:

“We understand that times are tough right now, but we would really appreciate anything the community can give to help us provide a gift to every patient in our care this Christmas.

“Presents for Patients is about more than giving a gift, it’s about showing a person you have never met that somebody out there cares.

“Perhaps you or your organisation want to carry out a random act of kindness this Christmas, or maybe you want to give something back after a loved one has been supported by our Trust.

“Every penny donated will go toward buying presents for our patients to help bring a smile to their day as the festive season can be a difficult time for many people.”