Tag Archives: Sick Kids

Skyline changing at Sick Kids

Click to zoom in

A quick drive by sketch to see how the old children’s hospital is changing.

A place my family and I knew so well is changing forever and although I know the new hospital is doing a fantastic job I will always look back on the hospital by the meadows with fondness.

This is Sylvan Place where the A&E entrance was and where I rushed through a few times past the parked ambulance and a blur of parents and doctors. Distant memories now thankfully, and scene replaced with cranes and construction workers!

New Hospital, new name

Today I was visiting the great team at Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, now in their new location at Little France.

I have fond and emotional memories of the old Sick Kids hospital as many of you will know. My boy James has Haemophilia and was in and out of the old hospital by the Meadows many many times as a wee one. I have sketched the beautiful Victorian building many times in the past.

But now we have a brand new children’s hospital to visit, thankfully for us not so often now, but along with the new location there is a new name.

And so instead of visiting ‘The Sick Kids’ as many would have known the old building, I was today visiting and sketching the also beautiful and very striking ‘Royal Hospital for Children & Young People’.

Carols for Christmas at Edinburgh’s St Cuthberts Church

carolsforchristmasLast night St Cuthbert’s Church hosted the annual Carols For Christmas concert in aid of The Sick Kids Friends Foundation.

It was a wonderful night of choir singing, inspirational readings, and the stirring sounds of the Dalkeith & Mortonhall Brass Band who played a number of festive tunes.

Edinburgh Academy Chamber Choir sang throughout, guiding the audience through many classic Christmas hymns, but the cutest site was provided by the Choir of George Heriot’s Primary One class, who sang Child in a Manger Born beautifully.

The annual Carols For Christmas concert is a wonderful way to kick start the festive period and personally I love a good sing song at this time of year!

As many of you will know I am a very keen supporter of the Sick Kids Friends Foundation and know first hand the wonderful work that they do supporting the Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children and all those who go through that building at some point in their lives.

So I was honoured to be asked to draw the cover illustration for this years programme, which as you can see is a pen sketch of the front of St Cuthbert’s Church, which sits behind Princes Street and Lothian Road.

For more about the work SKFF do and how you can donate or get involved see the link below.

Sick Kids Friends Foundation website

St Cuthberts Church website

st-cuthberts_both

 

 

A postcard book to put little minds at rest

SickKids_BookThis beautiful and creative postcard book helps to tell children that hospital isn’t a scary place but one with many friendly faces all ready to help them.

 

Funded by the Sick Kids Friends Foundation writer and illustrator Linda Cracknell and Cate James have developed the All Write project, encouraging staff and visitors to write and draw their experiences in the hospital.

 

They have also been developing characters from everyday medical equipment, a fantastic idea which must make them more familiar and less daunting to children.

 

Regular readers will know I have been in and out of Sick Kids a great deal over the last few years with my son who has haemophilia, and I know that anything that might make a hospital visit a more relaxing experience is to be commended.

 

For more information follow the link below to The Sick Kids Friends Foundation website.

 

 

6 Charity Christmas cards of Edinburgh

ChristmasCards13web6 Edinburgh charity Christmas cards for £5 + pnp from my shop page, or collect in person for no postage. £1 from each pack sold goes to Edinburgh’s Hospital for Sick Children.

Email me HERE to order for collection, or click the link below to order from the ES shop.

https://edinburghsketcher.com/products-page/cards/christmas-cards-pack-of-6-designs/

Christmas cards 2012

Here are my six Christmas cards for 2012, each a hand drawn sketch of Edinburgh in the winter.

Including the simple ‘Merry Christmas’ message inside each A5 card comes with a white envelope. The pack of six different designs costs £4.50 plus pnp direct from my site, or £5 from various places around Edinburgh. I will add places you can buy them below as they become available.

£1 from each pack of cards will go to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children charity; The Sick Kids Friends Foundation. A charity very close to my heart and one that does amazing work every day of the year to make the lives of the children and the families of the children in the hospital a little easier.

To buy a pack of cards direct from my Shop please click HERE.

A rewarding weekend

Well done to Joanne, James, Brogan, myself, Zoe, Jade, Holly and Stacey for completing the Big Fun Run 5k in aid of Edinburgh’s Sick Kids Friends Foundation.

We all had a fantastic day and have raised well over £500 for the hospital. Thank you to all those who sponsored us, and congratulations to everyone who took part in the fun run on Sunday.

You can still sponsor us here: http://www.justgiving.com/5kforsickkids
info@markkirkham.com

Thankyou

Although not totally clear of the woods I feel we can now at least see the way out. This is my ‘thank-you’ sketch of the front of Edinburgh’s Sick Kids Hospital, for everyone who has helped us.

The past couple of weeks has opened my eyes to see just how many kind and good people dedicate their time and money to help make the hospital what it is. Not only the amazing doctors, nurses and surgeons, but also the members of public, some of whom have benefited in the past and are now giving something back.

Like the mother who started itsgoodtogive a small charity who made sure the fridge on the ward was always full for patients and families who hadn’t had time or thought to pick up something from the shops. And the Colours of Islam charity who let all children celebrate in the Eid festivities by giving each child a toy at this time of year.

It’s an ordeal I obviously wish we hadn’t been through but discovering the kindness and generosity that exists in people is incredibly uplifting.