Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I am raising money for The Carer Support Team (CST), a volunteer service that gives practical support to the carers of children admitted to Watford General Hospital's acute paediatric Starfish Ward.

Our younger daughter spent some time on the Starfish Ward, following a number of emergency admissions when she was very small. At that time, the Carer Support Team did not exist, but we would have really benefited from the support of their amazing volunteers. I've explained below a bit about what they do to assist parents and help the wonderful staff on the ward.

Whilst we were on the ward, there was a tiny child in the bed opposite whose family members were not able to be with her. It was heart-breaking that she had no-one familiar to care for her. Had the CST existed at the time, this is the kind of situation in which they would have been able to help.

Many carers are alone in supporting their child on the Ward, they often lack a 24/7 support network; some have limited English. All are stressed and face sitting beside their sick child for indeterminable periods of time.

A CST volunteer may sit with a child while a carer showers, help a carer compile questions for the consultant, provide toiletries to families, organise a translator and/or provide information about the hospital. The CST also makes referrals for Home-Start (a partner charity) when carers could benefit from support at home after discharge. Their valuable work also allows busy health care professionals to focus on the medical needs of patients.

Although funding for carers is evident at hospitals with specialist care or intensive care units, we do not know of another volunteer team like CST.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.