Member Article

Donation helps family charity build a brighter future

A home from home for families of babies in a special care baby unit has received a huge boost after winning £2,000 worth of building materials in a competition.

Cots for Tots House, founded in May 2012, aims to provide a comfortable, homely environment for the families of the sickest and most premature babies receiving treatment in the Special Care Baby Unit at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol.

The charity is now planning a series of home improvements thanks to its windfall of £2,000 worth of building materials in a competition organised by Selco Builders Warehouse to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Bristol branch in Sheene Way, Bedminster.

Cots for Tots house manager, Anne Clements, said: “As an independent charity, funded wholly by donations, this prize is a massive boost for us and the families that spend time in our house whilst their babies undergo treatment at the hospital.

“We support families from Bristol, Bath, the South West of England, South Wales and beyond and it is important that they have somewhere close to the hospital where they can feel supported during a very difficult and challenging time. We aim to create a home from home and a sense of normality for our families, many of whom use our facilities for several weeks, some for nearly a year.

“The donation from Selco will allow us to carry out maintenance in communal areas, install new flooring and redecorate a number of our bedrooms, all of which will make a huge difference to the families living here.”

The Cots for Tots Appeal has supported over 600 families since the house opened in 2012 and is currently looking to expand the accommodation so that it can help more families whose babies need to spend time in the Special Care Baby unit at the hospital.

Chris Williams, branch manager for Selco Bristol, said: “We are thrilled to help such a fantastic charity as Cots for Tots as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations.

“The service they provide for the families of sick babies is tremendous, making a huge difference to people’s lives and enabling them to stay together as a family through arguably the most difficult time in their lives.

“We will liaise closely with the charity to recommend the best materials possible for the work they are carrying out and will continue to assist and advise as they carry out the improvements on the property.”

Bristol is one of 37 Selco branches in England and Wales, all of which supply a massive range of building materials including doors, windows, insulation, roofing, heating, plumbing supplies, lighting, electrical products, kitchens, bathrooms and timber.

Branches also offer an in-branch café, trade services, direct-to-site delivery options and van size parking spaces, all designed to make it easier for tradespeople to get back onto the job as soon as possible.

For more information on Selco or to find details of local branches, log onto www.selcobw.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by kathy .