It is 40 years since the York Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) Support Group was set up.

The fun day, to be held next month at Osbaldwick Sports Club, is being hosted by the volunteers who have been supporting families with premature babies since the 1980s.

The group financially supports a wide range of services during hospital stays and once mum and baby are allowed home for neonatal care.

This can even include funding to help with the cost of living and overnight stays for families.

Staff who have worked on the unit and continue to do so are members of the group, which regularly holds events across the city to raise funds.

Money is used to pay for a variety of specialist equipment, from incubators to heated mattresses, for the premature babies.

Organised by Vikki Smith, who works at York Hospital as a neonatal outreach sister, the fundraising day will give families in York who have been cared for in the unit an opportunity to mark all the achievements of the group and a fabulous way for the SCBU community to come together.

Vikki said: “We are hoping that we get as much support as possible from all the families who have used the unit over the past 40 years.

"We still have staff who remember the unit when it opened and the huge difference it has made to families needing support.

"The group was formed by the late Sister Ellen Willey, who worked on the unit and decided to form the support group. It has been run by staff and parents ever since.”

The late Sister Ellen Willey, left, of SCBU who set up the support group

Christina Harris, who currently works on the unit and is one of the longest serving members of staff, added: “I would say SCBU is like no other area of nursing. You have a relationship with the parents and are privileged to be part of a special part in their lives. On many occasions I have been approached in shops or while out socialising by parents who remember you.”

Local mum Emma Johnson, SCBU support group member and neonatal lead for the Maternity Voices Partnership in York and Scarborough, described how the unit provided her family “amazing support” after her daughter was born 16 weeks early.

She said: “Initially, we spent time in Hull but came home to York and spent a further six weeks in their care. They helped to make as many memories as possible, celebrate milestones and made our whole family feel welcome. When we left the unit, I became a member of the York SCBU Support Group to help others on their neonatal journey.

“Every penny fundraised by the group goes back to the unit to support the babies, parents and even siblings. It is the little things and kindness that make a hard time easier. The list of what the support group helps to provide is endless: from food and drink in the parent's kitchen to vital lifesaving equipment. The family fun day is a celebration of 40 years of this support and for all the families who have experienced neonatal care in York.”

Current SCBU team in 2024

Gemma Ellison, of the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Both myself and all the leadership team are very proud of the care offered by the SCBU team and it is wonderful that everyone can celebrate together 40 years of the support group in York."

The day in aid of York Special Care Baby Unit Support Group will be held at Osbaldwick Sports Club on Sunday, September 1 from 11am-4pm. Free entry – all welcome. There will be a bouncy caste, inflatable assault course, BBQ, activity, and craft stalls as well as plenty of fun for all the family. All proceeds from the day will go towards the Special Care Baby Unit at York Hospital.