The Children’s Day Care Unit at University Hospital Lewisham recently received a unique and beautiful donation of a handcrafted wishing well made by local resident Mick Cousins.

Located in the foyer to capture the attention of those passing by, the Wishing Well invites patients and visitors to drop a coin into the well, make a wish and then ring a bell to send the wish on its way. It was lovingly crafted by Mick who put over 40 hours of hard work into the well, which is made from wood and hand-painted. All donations received will go to the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity.

As Ladywell residents, Mick and his wife Marilyn have a long association with UHL and they are both currently receiving treatment at the hospital. Mick previously worked as a blood sample driver working between GPs and UHL and really wanted to create something that could be enjoyed by all and raise money for the hospital. 

Mick said: “As a retired pensioner, I like to keep active by making useful objects out of wood. I also have a love of maths and set myself a challenge to bring my two hobbies together to create a shape that is mathematically complex and interesting but also practical. I came up with the idea of creating a Wishing Well and once I’d mastered it, it felt absolutely right to donate it to the hospital that is currently caring for me and my wife. I hope patients and visitors love it and can have some fun using it while raising money for the Trust’s charity.”

Margarita Vidiella, Head of Charity: “The wishing well is such a thoughtful and special donation to receive.  We are very grateful to Mick for his generosity and kindness in making it and giving it to the hospital. It has pride of place in a busy area of the hospital, so we know it will bring smiles to lots of faces and hopefully raise some funds for us too.”

Mick and his wife Marilyn visited the hospital in early May to meet with Margarita, Ben Travis CEO, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and members of the Children’s Day Care Team to see the wishing well in its new location.  

We are truly grateful to Mr Cousins for his support!

We would also like to thank our Trust partners CitySprint (for kindly collecting and transporting the Wishing Well to University Hospital Lewisham) and ISS for kindly cleaning the Wishing Well so that it could be placed at the entrance of the Ward.

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