While many of us will be celebrating Christmas in the comfort of our own homes, hundreds of patients at Scarborough Hospital will be spending the day in hospital – with many patients not receiving a single gift or seeing a visitor at all.

That’s why Howard Civil Engineering has donated £250 to York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity to help them purchase a warm, cosy blanket for each patient and brighten their Christmas this year!

Maya Liversidge, Community Fundraiser at York & Scarborough Hospitals Charity, said: “Blankets can be used by all our patients and that’s really important. Not everyone can eat a box of chocolates or use body lotions, so blankets are a lovely gift for all. We have 320 beds at Scarborough Hospital and we anticipate them all to be in use on Christmas day, so we prepare a gift for each person.

"Christmas can be lonely for some, and receiving a gift from the ward staff is a lovely moment - one that we want to be a part of," she continued. "Support from companies like yourselves makes this small act with a massive impact possible, and we are truly grateful for your support this Christmas.”

Howard Civil Engineering is currently working to construct a new A&E department at Scarborough Hospital alongside our client, Integrated Health Projects (IHP).

Daron Walker, Senior Construction Manager at IHP, said: "This kind donation is an illustration of IHP’s caring values, family culture and collaborative approach we adopt with our client York & Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which was echoed in the recent Considerate Constructors Score of 45/45.

"Not only are we able to make a positive impact on the local community by delivering a quality state of the art facility but, as a team, we are striving to make the patient and staff environment as comfortable and homely as possible. It is gestures like this one that make this time of the year even more special for everyone.”

Throughout December, Howard Civil Engineering is spreading festive cheer by donating £5,000 to a variety of charities and community groups across the north of England! We have chosen 12 different causes to help this festive period and we will be documenting these throughout the month using the hashtag #12DaysOfHCE.