Three year old twin brothers from Bristol are starring in a film to launch a new festive fundraiser for the hospital unit that saved their lives.

The short film featuring twins, Ben & Sam from Bishopsworth and their friends at Amberley Hall Nursery in Clifton has marked the launch of ‘Tinsel for Tots.’


Three year old twin brothers from Bristol are starring in a film to launch a new festive fundraiser for the hospital unit that saved their lives.

The short film featuring twins, Ben & Sam from Bishopsworth and their friends at Amberley Hall Nursery in Clifton has marked the launch of ‘Tinsel for Tots.’

The film, which can be viewed at www.cotsfortots.org.uk, has been created to raise awareness of the fundraiser and encourage people to donate £1 to wear tinsel and dress up for the day on
Friday December 10.

‘Tinsel for Tots’ is part of the ‘Cots for Tots’ campaign which aims to raise £1 million to expand the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol.

Ben and Sam spent the first nine weeks of their lives at NICU after being born three months premature.

Lauren Vincent, fundraising manager at the Cots for Tots Appeal, is inviting people in Bristol and across the region to take part in the fundraising day. She explains: “‘Tinsel for Tots’ is a festive twist on the traditional dress down Friday and a perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! It’s really easy to take part, from simply adding a bit of sparkle and tinsel decoration to your normal outfit to dressing up to dazzle and getting creative with party fancy dress.

“We hope that little Ben and Sam will inspire lots of people to join in the fun on Friday 10th December and help raise money for this life-saving cause.”

The money raised from the Appeal will enable an expansion of NICU, providing a new suite of four
intensive care cots for the care of up to 150 more babies a year. It will also create new, dedicated family
accommodation to help a further 200 families each year to stay close to their babies when they are
being treated on the Unit. NICU currently treats around 600 babies per year.

The ‘quaternary’ Unit, the only one of its kind in the region, currently needs more cots in order to meet the demand for the high level care that the team provides. Babies born in Bristol or from across the region with serious and complex problems are referred to NICU because of the extra-specialist and life-saving treatment the team here can provide.

Since its launch in September, the ‘Cots for Tots’ Appeal has raised over £100,000 for NICU.

To register to take part in ‘Tinsel for Tots’, visit www.tinselfortots.org.uk , email info@cotsfortots.org.uk or call 0800 919 649 and request your free fundraising pack.