The Leeds Rhinos joined forces with staff at Leeds Children’s Hospital to ensure everyone displays a safe pair of hands when it comes to hand washing.Hand hygiene is crucial to avoiding the spread of infection and keep children and young people safe, and the Rhinos came along to support a week-long campaign to raise the profile at Leeds Children’s Hospital.
Player Adam Cuthbertson – the club’s Ambassador working to support Leeds Children’s Hospital – and the club’s mascot Ronnie the Rhino attended a special event in the hospital’s Clarendon Wing to show their support and add some sporting razzmatazz to the proceedings.
This included judging a children’s poster competition with a “wash your hands” theme. The Giggle Doctors also came along and there were activities including the chance to look at bug-causing organisms which live on the hands under a microscope.
Rachel Hollis, one of the matrons at Leeds Children’s Hospital, is organising the activities. “This is such an important issue which requires some very basic but important precautions each and every time to ensure everyone visiting our wards has clean hands to help keep infection at bay,” she said.
“Staff, visitors and our young patients all have an important part to play in keeping the hospital safe – it is a real team effort, which is why it is great to have the support of the Rhinos in ensuring we quite literally constantly tackle this issue.
Adam Cuthbertson said: “Myself and the whole team are huge supporters of the work of Leeds Children’s Hospital and I am very pleased to be our Ambassador in this partnership. I wanted to come along to support this important issue and show that hand hygiene should be a priority. The hospital cares for some very poorly youngsters and it is important everyone keeps them safe by not bringing germs into hospital on their hands.
The event underlines a growing partnership between the Leeds Rhinos Foundation and Leeds Children’s Hospital in which these two great local institutions are working together to provide mutual support and highlight issues of particular importance to children and young people’s health and development.
