Children at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) were given a wonderful surprise when Santa and his elves abseiled in to spread a ho-ho-whole lot of Christmas cheer.
Jolly old Saint Nick, two of his most trusted elves, and their super friend Spiderman descended the side of the hospital, much to the delight of unsuspecting children, families and staff watching through the ward windows and from the ground below.
The fearless festive friends scaled two different parts of the building to ensure as many children and young people as possible had a chance to view the spectacle.
Organised by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) in partnership with Edinburgh Rope Access, the daring deed is raising money to deliver magic and happiness to seriously ill children in hospital this Christmas.
Nicky Erskine, managing director at Edinburgh Rope Access, dedicated the gutsy stunt to all those at the hospital who fight their own brave battles on a daily basis.
Nicky said: “Who needs a chimney when Santa can abseil off the roof instead? Scaling the side of a hospital isn’t for the faint-hearted but it is nothing compared to the challenges that children staying here face with such courage every day.
“We wanted to do our bit to spread some Christmas cheer, bring lots of smiles to those on the wards and raise funds for an incredibly worthy cause while we were at it.”
Pippa Johnston, Director at ECHC, said: “We are enormously grateful to Santa and his elves for coming all the way from the North Pole to visit children and families at the hospital. It was marvellous to see so many faces light up when Santa dropped by their window and gave them a wave!
“Every year, together with our friends at NHS Lothian, ECHC works hard to make time spent in hospital a little bit brighter. At Christmas, this becomes even more vital, but we rely solely on donations and kindness to do this.
“Though we can’t stop their pain, we can deliver some happiness. For those facing a hospital stay at this time of year, special events like this really do go a long way in delivering magic and lifting everyone’s spirits.”
To find out more about ECHC’s Redirected Letters to Santa Christmas appeal and to donate, visit www.echcharity.org/donate