The Royal Children’s Hospital was set up by Mrs. Mary McConnel in the year 1878, the wife of an early pioneer of Brisbane Valley, David McConnel. During those periods, under age 5 children were not permitted admission into adult hospitals and many children died. Mary got so moved by the sad plight of the affected children that she decided to rally the support and backing of ‘ladies of position’ went ahead to raise funds towards establishing The Hospital for Sick Children, that opened its doors in March 1878 house in a rented dwelling located on Leichhardt Street, Brisbane.
During that initial year, a total of 105 children got admitted to the small 15 bed Sick Children Hospital. At the moment, the Children Hospital and its extended community health services are treating in excess of 37,000 children yearly. To honour the Hospitals’ achievements, Queen Elizabeth II consented in 1967 to a name change and it became the Royal Children’s Hospital.
For close to 140 years, the Royal Children’s Hospital continues to remain at the leading edge in terms of paediatric care. Because of the ongoing generosity of the community, the Hospital has developed a great reputation as being among the most respected hospitals in Australia.
What We Do
The Children's Hospital Foundation assists to work wonders for the sick children through continuing investing in vital paediatric equipment, research, patient and clinical services for improving outcomes for the sick children. It also offers invaluable entertainment and volunteer services for supporting the little patients including their families whilst they are still in the hospital.
The Children's Hospital Foundation wonderful teams of volunteers work towards supporting young patients and their families as well as the Royal Children's Hospital staff.
The Vision
To get the best attainable health levels for every small child, in every family and in every Queensland community.
The Mission
Children's Hospital Foundation partners with the Queensland community to enhance the health of children through funding and supporting research, education and clinical care.
Values
- Accountability
- Working together
- Excellence and innovation
- Care
- Recognition and respect
Our Partnerships
The Foundation helps towards work wonders for the many sick children across the entire State. Everything that gets done is possible through the generosity of donors. The support allows the Foundation to fund critical medical research that searches faster diagnoses, improved treatments and eventually cures for several of the most distressing childhood injuries and illnesses.
Donations to the Children's Hospital Foundation are also getting channelled to laboratory and hospital equipment, support services for families as well as entertainment programs and facilities for children who are in the hospital plus their siblings. The Foundation is also supporting education and prevention programs around various health issues throughout Queensland.
The 500-strong volunteers’ teams are working tirelessly towards bringing laughter and smiles to the sick children and in providing needed sustenance to their families.
Research Activities
The Foundation at present supports a number of key research areas towards improving the health of kids in all places.
This includes giving funds for research projects that are being managed by a variety of Royal Children’s Hospital departments and the Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute (QCMRI). Research areas that get support from the Children’s Hospital Foundation may at any time include burns, infectious diseases and viruses, respiratory illness, cancer, cerebral palsy and online health.
Prevention and Education
The Children's Hospital Foundation is committed to promoting and supporting the well-being of kids through health education and nutrition initiatives.
With community support, the Foundation has started working on projects like nutrition research, and also assisting children to heal quicker and hence spend lesser time in the hospital. The Foundation has in addition funded rare medical equipment for the Body Composition Laboratory located within the Royal Children's Hospital to aid with sensitive and accurate measurements.
Hospital Services and Equipment
The Royal Children’s Hospital is assisting in excess of 37,000 patients yearly, majority of require need urgent help.
With the giving and support of generous donors, the Foundation has been able to offer researchers and medical staff with state of the art medical equipment and tools to assist them diagnose better and take care of children with complex and serious injuries and illnesses. With the generosity large numbers, health and medical services for children are benefiting greatly across a wide spectrum.
Work Wonders for Family and Patients
The Foundation works wonders for the sick children through fundraising and getting donations from bighearted groups, businesses and individuals.
The Children’s Hospital Foundation also funds family support services and entertainment whose purpose is making life easier for the over 37,000 patients as well their families visiting the hospital each year. The bighearted donors contribute over $500,000 every year towards funding these vital services, without which it would not be possible to positively enhance improve the patients’ lives at the Hospital.
Everything that is undertaken is for the amazing children as well as their families whom are seen each day at the Hospital and in the communities throughout the state.
Metal Mates Initiative
Metal Mates is an imaginative novel idea designed for raising funds for local communities and hospitals, while simultaneously boosting the sustainability and safety of all the work sites and positively improving your reputation as a worthy corporate citizen.
Metal Mates is an excellent way for corporate groups and individuals to aid work wonders for the sick kids! Simply turn your redundant scrap metal into some badly required brass that goes to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
What is Funded?
Since 1986 in excess of $100 million has been ploughed towards helping work wonders for the sick kids.
A number of the longest serving Children’s Hospital Foundation volunteers have been around for over 25 years, and I excess of 45 volunteers have offered on the minimum 10 years of continuous service. The average length of service for the volunteer is 2 years and the Foundation has a broad demographic age that spans 18-85 years, presenting a rich volunteer base that is able to share knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm. At present 84% per cent of the volunteers are female while 16 per cent are male, and about 50 per cent of the volunteers are aged between 20 and 30 years.
- Research
- Grants
- Regional Projects
- Heath Programs
- Bravery Beads
- Regional Grants
