Apollo 35 Ward Gets a New Sensory Room! 

Apollo 35 Ward in Bristol Children’s Hospital cares for young people aged 11-16, who may have a range of illnesses. The ward can often be busy, loud and overwhelming for patients. That’s why, with the help of an incredible fundraising family, we’ve refurbished an under-used space into a new, versatile sensory room.

As the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, patient wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we know just how important it is to foster a calm, balanced environment for children and young people. 

Recently, we were proud to unveil a brand-new sensory room in Apollo 35 Ward, which typically cares for patients with cancer, or those awaiting surgery. 

As a dedicated space to leave the busyness of the ward behind, the sensory room creates a small oasis of peace and fun. Here, patients can interact with sensory objects to help ground them, a touchscreen floor projector to encourage play and mobility, and customisable LED lights. The built-in Bluetooth system lets patients link their own playlists up to the room and even match the lights to the beat of the music. 

The room has beanbags, soft furnishings and a starry night projector for those times children just need some quiet. 

Young people can come here with Tom, Apollo Ward Play Specialist, their parents or even other patients. 

In January 2023, Freddie – who was just 15 years old – became unwell, and his health started to decline. In February, he was admitted to Bristol Children’s Hospital, and within just a couple of weeks, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma – a type of cancer that often affects the body’s lymph nodes. 

Freddie’s treatment lasted for several months, and Apollo Ward became like a second home for him and his family. 

Now out of treatment and back home, Freddie and his family set their sights on fundraising to make the lives of other Apollo Ward patients better. Together, we’ve funded the new sensory room that countless young people just like Freddie will benefit from. 

Recently, we were thrilled to welcome Freddie and his family back to the hospital for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and to officially open the Apollo Ward sensory room. 

We’re extending a huge thank you to Freddie, Kay, Craig and their troop of fundraisers for raising an extraordinary £18,000 and helping us make this new sensory room a reality. 

It’s support from businesses, individuals and families like Freddie’s that we’re able to fund and facilitate projects that make your children’s hospital better. Could you be the driving force behind our next project?