Children and staff Birmingham Children’s Hospital were treated to a surprise visit from the stars of Dick Whittington this week.

The visit, which saw cast members Matt Slack, Jodie Prenger, Andrew Ryan and Danielle Hope drop in on staff and patients of Ward 12 – also featured the presentation of a cheque for £8,000, which was raised in bucket collections held at selected performances of the pantomime throughout December and January.

Thanks to the generosity of theatre-goers, a phenomenal £16,000 in total was raised through Bucket Collections in 2017 which will be shared between Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity and Great Ormond Street.

The £8,000 donation will be put towards Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity’s Star Appeal which aims to raise £3.65 million to fund construction of the UK’s first Rare Diseases Centre for children.

Every year, Birmingham Children’s Hospital treats over 9,000 children living with over 500 rare or undiagnosed conditions. These children often face huge challenges and obstacles growing up and the sense of isolation can be overwhelming.

To change this, the Star Appeal will build a brand new centre that will, for the first time, bring together a team of experts from specialities across the hospital all under one roof. It will also go a long way towards reducing family isolation, improving diagnosis and ensuring patients are at the forefront of research and medical advances.

Commenting on the success of this year’s Fundraising efforts, Rob Macpherson, Director of Marketing and Development at Birmingham Hippodrome, said; ‘This is a truly amazing result and we’re delighted so many visitors donated so generously over the extended festive period’

Annie Eytle, Acting Events & Regional Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Birmingham Hippodrome and its patrons for being so generous.

“Our Rare Diseases Centre will be the first of its kind in the UK and the money raised will make a big difference to our brave children and young people living with a rare or undiagnosed condition.”