It was busy as usual at Stepping Hill Hospital over the Christmas period.

We held our usual annual Christmas lunch for our volunteers with our chair Adrian Belton. Over 350 volunteers provide vital support for staff and patients at the hospital throughout the year. The volunteers came into their own again on Christmas Eve when a number of them visited wards across the hospital singing carols to bring festive cheer to patients.

A number of local businesses gave presents to the younger patients on our Tree House children’s unit, and the Starlight charity pantomime troupe performed a wonderful version of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ to entertain kids, parents and staff alike.

On Christmas Day itself around 700 staff were still at work looking after and supporting patients. There were nine Christmas babies born on the maternity unit on the day, with the first being Samuel Moore, born 7lbs 10oz to parents Corral and James at nine minutes past midnight.

And while staff received presents many donated presents too, with hundreds of gifts from both the hospital and community workforce being donated to the Wellsprings charity which supports the homeless in Stockport.

Carol singing with students from Aquinas College at the volunteers Christmas lunch

A song from the Starlight Christmas Panto `Dancing with the Captain`