Coming to GOSH

GO Create!
Arts and Humanities programme

Locations

Safari Day Care

In 2008, Elephant Day Care closed its doors, renamed itself Safari Day Care, a name conceived by a patient being treated on Elephant, and moved into a newly refurbished space on level nine of the Southwood Building.

The quest for artwork in Safari Day Care was inspired by Morgandie Harrold, diagnosed with a large tumour in her abdomen at only six weeks old. The tumour was fairly quickly identified as neuroblastoma, but Morgandie went through two more agonising weeks of tests at Great Ormond Street Hospital, before finally getting the prognosis, that it was treatable, and was of a good biology, giving her a real chance of beating it.

From the first day at the hospital the walls in many places were looking, to Morgandie’s parents, Lyndsay and Graeme Harrold, suspiciously bare… and yet the children’s faces were a picture of delight, in the areas where artworks and visual imagery was present.

So, on a trip home, a message was posted on an internet forum, which the Harrold’s use in their business offering engraving and signage services, updating those that were interested firstly, on why they wouldn’t be appearing on line so much, and secondly, commenting on the need to enliven the environment in which their daughter was being treated.The result was astounding! Suddenly the Harrold’s were bombarded by messages of support for Morgandie and offers of graphics, printing services and any other help, literally from all over the world!

It took many months of liaison, with both the hospital and ward staff, and many generous souls. GO Create! commissioned illustrator Sandrine Dubois to produce a series of designs, in keeping with the them of the ward - an array of colourful animals including, elephants, giraffes and zebras against a backdrop of trees, mountains and clouds were generously printed in kind and now parade across the corridors, waiting areas and bedrooms.

Ward sister, Emma Gilbert, has commented that ‘the area is bright with lots of artwork throughout, making it child friendly and welcoming.’

Staff and patients of Safari Day Care at GOSH would like to thank Graeme and Lyndsay Harrold from 3-e Engraving Ltd, Pwllheli for driving this project forward in conjunction with GO Create’s! Arts & Humanities Manager.

In addition we would like to thank all the suppliers who made this project possible:
Roy Roffey, Alphabet Signs, Plymouth; Steve Morgan, Morgan Associates, Basildon; Derek Heron, Bespoke Signs, Newcastle Upon Tyne; Lynn and Peter Normington, L P Signs, Luton; Phill Fenton, The Right Signs, Livingston; Nick Minall, NC Signs, Worcestershire; Richard Urquhart, Dynamite Signs, Croydon; Jason Xuereb, Media Point, Australia; Lorraine Clinch, Absolute Signs, Norwich and Martin Armitage, Dart Fire Protection, Devon.