The much-loved colourful visited the hospital to spread Christmas cheer, meeting more than 50 children and their families on Tuesday 17th December.
During his visit, Ray brought smiles, laughter and festive joy to the young patients and their families. Each child received their very own Ray plush toy, along with a special goodie bag filled with special Ray-themed surprises.
The visit, organised by The Entertainer as part of their ongoing commitment to supporting UK hospitals, aimed to spread joy to those spending the festive season in and out of hospital.
The Entertainer launched Pennies, the digital charity box, in its shops in 2011. Since then, the toyshop’s customers have been donating, and supporting, nine hospitals in the UK, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. The funds raised continue to support everything from the provision of life-saving medical equipment, to play therapy services to aid patient recovery and help families in need
Craig Lowe, events and community manager at The Entertainer, said: “Ray has captured the hearts of families across the UK, and we were delighted to bring him to Birmingham Children’s Hospital to spread some festive cheer.
“We’re incredibly proud of the impact our Pennies initiative continues to have, allowing our customers to support children’s hospitals in such meaningful ways. It’s fantastic to continue to support the incredible work done by Birmingham Children’s Hospital and its charity, and we hope Ray’s surprise visit brought smiles and a little magic to the children and their families.”
Katie Harris, Corporate Partnerships Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, added: “The sheer joy on the children’s faces when they saw Ray was truly heartwarming.
“For many of our young patients and families, Christmas can be a challenging time, but this surprise visit brought a lot of happiness and joy to our wards. We’re very grateful to The Entertainer for bringing some festive magic and for its continued support.”
A real-life plush toy of Ray, the ‘hit’ star from The Entertainer's new TV advert, is available to purchase in-store and online for a limited time for just £10.