Children’s hospital wards were visited by Red Arrows personnel who presented teddy bears and other gifts to young patients ahead of Christmas.
Pilots, engineers and support staff spent time meeting people at Lincoln County Hospital’s Safari and Rainforest wards – not far from the team’s home base of RAF Waddington.
The air and ground crew handed out toys and other items paid for through fundraising carried out during 2024.
Chief Technician Ben Pearson, one of the Red Arrows’ senior mechanical engineers and a coordinator of the charity work, said: “We’re always keen to support our local community and this latest visit continues a great collaboration between the Red Arrows and the hospital over recent years.
“We took a few hours out from pre-season training to head to Safari and Rainforest wards this week and distribute lots of teddy bears, toys and other donations.
“Getting chance to see the small difference the fundraising makes to people and their wellbeing, at what can be a challenging time, is extremely humbling but very rewarding.”
More than £1,600 was raised by Red Arrows personnel during 2024 – taking a total figure generated for the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity in recent years to £10,000.
The majority of the most recent fundraising took place during the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team’s overseas pre-season training, known as Exercise Springhawk, in April and May.
Together, personnel ran, swam and cycled the equivalent of 60 miles a day across the deployment.
The target was inspired by the Red Arrows celebrating a diamond anniversary of 60 display seasons this year.
Through kind donations and sponsorship, money raised during this, and previous charity challenges by the team, has gone towards providing toys and arts and craft materials for the children’s wards as well as day chairs and beds, which parents use to stay with loved ones at the hospital.
As well as Safari and Rainforest, the Red Arrows group also visited Clayton Ward, which looks after general medicine for the care of the elderly.
Ben Petts, charity manager at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “It is absolutely fantastic that we have the ongoing support from the whole team at the RAF Red Arrows.
“Every year their fundraising in the summer provides a great boost to support items for the children’s wards at Lincoln County Hospital, then following this up with a Christmas visit puts a smile on the faces of all the patients they meet.”
