The Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity has been raising money to enhance the experience of NHS patients for more than 25 years, funding resources, equipment and projects which really make a difference.

This has included resources for special babies, including Zacy Hugs – special weighted gloves which help to mimic the sensation of a mother’s touch and smell while they’re in an incubator.

The charity has also funded bespoke artwork for the ward, diaries for new mums plus books and decorations for staff to mark International Kangaroo Care Day, which promotes skin contact for parents and their newborns.

Parents tell us that having a premature baby is an emotional time. They are often faced with weeks of additional care and it’s a tiring and stressful time as we nurse their little ones to full health at Rotherham Hospital.

We want to provide a new unit for these much-loved babies and their parents and the staff caring for them who do an amazing job supporting the families 24/7.

The Trust's plans for the refurbishment and expansion of the unit promise to transform the experience of neonatal care for thousands of families from Rotherham and beyond. Meanwhile the charity will provide the special touches that really do create a home from home.

Alongside our caring, compassionate and skilled colleagues, families can expect to find:

- Refurbished bedrooms where they are welcome to stay with their little one.

- A renovated kitchen and family room where they can prepare food, eat and involve their baby's siblings more easily.

- Recliner chairs beside each cot so they can sleep close to their precious newborn.

- Sensory equipment and lights which help their baby's neuro development. We hope this will include mood lighting, portable sensory lights, toys and a sensory projector.

- Cot-side lockers to allow them to store their belongings, clothes and keepsakes while personalising their baby's space on the unit.

- Toys and books for their baby's siblings to enjoy while they get to know their new brother or sister.

- A quiet room where families and staff can gain some respite from the bleeping machines and busy ward environment.