Behind the scenes at Christmas in Glasgow’s Children's Hospital

Dedicated staff at the 256-bed facility, which specialises in paediatric healthcare for children and teenagers up to the age of 16, spend all year planning how they can ensure the festive period remains extra special for those who face spending it in isolation or on a ward.

This invaluable place of care, situated with the grounds of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, opened in June 2015, replacing the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, and since then has cared for thousands of youngsters with a wide range of medical conditions.

The hospital comes alive at Christmas. (Image: Newsquest)

And while the work they do all year round is vitally important, staff know that Christmas brings a weight of expectation to spread joy, in the face of difficult news or adversity.

Asiyah Ahmad is head of volunteering and hospital events with the charity impact team at Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity.

She says that every effort goes into making sure the festive season is extra special for the youngsters in their care, with preparations months in the planning.

She explained: “We work extremely hard to ensure that our young patients can enjoy the festive season, even while in hospital. From Christmas decorating day and our hospital visits to Santa’s Grotto, we do everything we can to bring the magic of the season to children and their families.

Santa's grotto at the children's hospital has been a big hit with families (Image: Supplied)

“The play and events programme is carefully crafted to ensure that children in hospital can enjoy merry and bright moments at the most wonderful time of year, and know Santa hasn’t forgotten about them, but always in a safe and appropriate way that puts their health first.

“While Christmas is a particularly difficult time, we work year-round to help youngsters cope with the challenges of a stay. Many will spend months in hospital at a time but it's also important that we remember them all year and not just at Christmas.”

The team at the hospital start work in the summer to make sure activities, visits and flagship events are all in the diary right across the festive season.

This year, Christmas trees built by volunteers and placed on wards and a free-to-attend Santa’s grotto in the hospital atrium have both proved big hits.

The team prepare a tree for the wards. (Image: Supplied)

There have also been VIP visits, with by players from Scotland’s top basketball team, the Caledonian Gladiators, dropping in, while Finnie the Unicorn, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games mascot, has also popped in to wish patients well and hear their Christmas wishes.

The basketball stars on the wards. (Image: Supplied)

The hospital is also well supported by Glasgow’s biggest football clubs, with £20,000 of gifts for children donated by Rangers and Celtic’s charity foundations, as well as specially recorded festive messages from the respective teams for wide-eyed young fans.

Celtic FC sent festive messages to cheer up patients. (Image: Supplied)

A young Rangers fan enjoys a festive message from his heroes. (Image: Supplied)

Deck the Halls is an annual festive competition held every year in the hospital. Young patients decorate rooms and corridors with help from the Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity’s play team and medical staff before the designs are shared on social media. People then choose the favourite fun and festive displays.

One of the Deck the Halls entries. (Image: Supplied)

Of course, no Christmas would be complete without some spectacular lights. This year they were turned on by Noah Connell, eight, whose also designed the logo for this year’s Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity Christmas Bauble Appeal.

A lot of the preparation and hard work for Christmas is undertaken by the charity’s impact team, who help bring moments of joy, play and connection into the building, allowing children to feel more like themselves during any hospital stay.

The impact team (Image: Supplied)

A spokesperson said: “We do this through everyday play or special moments worth looking forward to. We also recognising the important role NHS staff play in creating a positive, supportive environment for children and families.”

Kirsten Watson, CEO of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, says being able to still create a magical time for the young patients, will always be a key focus for her and her team.

She added: “We’re so grateful for the support and donations we receive at Christmas and across the festive season. It’s this kindness and generosity that allows us to create truly magical moments and continue to support our young patients and their families at this busy time of year. It is lovely to be able to remind them that, even while in the hospital, they can still share the festive season together.”