Cornish Mutual has donated more than £2,000 to The Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal. The money was raised through donations from Cornish Mutual Members, made at the Royal Cornwall Show in June.

Cornish Mutual served up complimentary pasties, cake, tea and coffee over the three-day show. Cornish Mutual Members visiting the South West insurer’s marquee to enjoy the hospitality were invited to contribute to The Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal.

At the heart of The Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal (BABA) is the desire to give every Cornish baby the very best start in life. With the support of the local community, funds raised through the appeal will continue to provide additional equipment and enhance the environments in the maternity and neonatal units at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

Over 4,000 babies are delivered in Cornwall every year and around 600 of these will need special care by the Neonatal team at the hospital. At the core of The Cornwall Birth and Baby appeal, is a passionate belief that women, babies and their families deserve the best possible care.

Cornish Mutual Sales & Operations Leader David Price presented a cheque for £2,001.45 during a visit to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, with colleague Amanda Booker. They toured the maternity and neonatal units, where they met midwives and new parents with their babies.

David said: “Cornish Mutual is committed to supporting local communities across the South West. As one of the Royal Cornwall Show’s nominated charities, and a cause that will benefit families across Cornwall, Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal was a natural choice for us.

“We were bowled over by the generosity of our Members and absolutely delighted to have raised more than £2,000 in just three days. It was a privilege to visit the Royal Cornwall Hospital’s maternity and neonatal units, where we were able to see the real impact of the appeal. The Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal is already making a massive difference to local families.”

Fundraising has provided equipment for the unit including breast pumps, oxygen blenders and additional incubators. In the new Neonatal Unit, the team have already seen the benefit of families being more at the centre of their baby’s care. Each of the cot spaces has a recliner chair where parents can spend longer periods bonding with their babies in comfort with additional privacy. In the birth centre, donations have enabled the purchase of equipment including bean bags, balls and active birth rocking chairs.

Karen Murrish, Fundraising Manager for Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity said, “It was amazing to have the support of Cornish Mutual and their Members at Royal Cornwall Show. We are so thankful to everyone that donated. Not only have they made a great contribution to the fundraising but hopefully more people are now aware of the aims of the appeal and how much difference it will make to so many families across Cornwall.”

The core developments were made possible through an NHS Trust investment of £3.6million, with the additional enhancements and equipment being funded by The Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal. The fundraising total for the appeal is now over £120,000 with continued support still needed.

Anyone interested in finding out more about The Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal can go to www.baba.royalcornwall.nhs.uk, contact the charity team on 01872 252858 or RCHT.Charity@nhs.net . Appeal news and updates can also be followed on the appeal Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheCornwallBirthandBabyAppeal/