5 March 2025

Thanks to Anna and Michael England from Millie Moos who hosted a Cake Off to raise money for our Neonatal Unit at DMH.

Their daughter was born prematurely in DMH and stayed at SCBU and they have been incredibly supportive ever since.

This latest event was the Cake Off held at The Manor Hotel & Spa in West Auckland earlier this month.

Participants made cakes at home and brought them in to be judged by special guest Finalist Bake Off Martyn Edmonds.

Rich Jones, CDDFT Charity Manager said: "We are very grateful for this generous donation, which is a wonderful way for families to say thank you and give something back after experiencing positive patient care.

“Donations like these are a testament to the dedication and compassion of our teams, and we are so proud that the care #TeamCDDFT provides has inspired this thoughtful gesture.

“For those who wish to support our work, our CDDFT Charity website has a direct donation function, making it easy to contribute towards projects that enhance patient care.

“There is also a ‘Say Thanks’ button, where patients and their loved ones can share messages of appreciation with our staff. Please do share these details so we can continue connecting with our patients and families and using these generous donations to make a meaningful difference."

Chris Mackerness, Neonatal & Paediatric Matron said: “The SCBU team are immensely grateful for the donation made by Anna and Michael.

“Donations made to the SCBU are used to improve the experience of families spending time with their newborn on the SCBU and adding “special touches” to the ward to make to as family orientated as possible.

“The donation will help families in the future during their time on SCBU.”

Special guests included Sam Rushworth Labour MP for the Bishop Auckland and Manager of the hotel Johnathon Cairns.