Patients in Peterborough City Hospital get boost thanks to huge donation from Game Swap Shop UK

Patients in Peterborough City Hospital will be able to take their gaming to the next level – thanks to The Malcolm Whales Foundation and Game Swap Shop UK.

Last week a a brand new, top of the line gaming set up along with many games and accessories was handed over to the haematology and oncology ward at the hospital, to help put a smile on the faces of patients and visitors.

Damien Whales, Headteacher of Ken Stimpson Academy in Peterborough and founder of The Malcolm Whales Foundation, was joined by support teacher Alex Midson and four of his students who represented the hundreds of schoolchildren across Peterborough who have raised money for the foundation by participating in fundraising events, including the Annual Dorset Walk.

Joining the Foundation were Daryl Williams, founder of Game Swap Shop UK, and Pete Cook, a member of Game Swap Shop UK whose wife had spent time on the ward.

The plan to make the donation began at the very beginning of the year when Pete tagged Daryl in a Facebook post where Emily Mitchell, a nurse on the ward, was asking if anyone had a spare PlayStation 4 controller as the wards had broken and patients on the ward were asking to play.

Daryl immediately posted to the Game Swap Shop UK Facebook group where within 24 hours over 30 members had donated brand new controllers and games.

During this time Daryl also posted on the Spotted Ramsey Facebook group asking if anyone would be willing to help. Within a few minutes, Damien Whales commented asking them to email the foundation as this is something they could help with. Daryl quickly got in touch with Damien and the foundation decided that a brand new gaming set up worth £2,500 was what was in order.

Daryl and the ward talked about what to get and how it could help the patients, and eventually decided that a brand new Samsung 65" 4K TV, a Playstation 5, 2 OLED Nintendo Switches, lots of new games, extra controllers and a stand on wheels which allows the entire set-up to be moved to people in isolation was the way forward.

All of the students did a fantastic job setting up all of the consoles and installing the games onto them while Daryl, Pete, Alex and Damien set up the stand and TV.

After a few games of Mario Kart with the students and staff on the ward it was time to go.

Daryl said: “The nurses and staff on the ward were amazed and so excited saying "the impact that this will have on the patients and their families going through such challenging times will be monumental.”

For more information about The Malcolm Whales Foundation visit https://linktr.ee/tmwf_uk

Fore more information about Game Swap Shop UK visit https://gameswapshopuk.com/