Released by Jessops:

Jessops Helps Gosh Kids Go Digital

Jessops, Europe’s leading photographic retailer, has announced a new digital photography initiative in conjunction with The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust in London.

Jessops has donated five digital cameras for use in the project, entitled ‘Digital Kids’. The project aims to teach patients the basics of digital photography to enable them to creatively record their time in hospital.

‘Digital Kids’ will initially be piloted with a number of long-term patients, who will participate in a series of workshops facilitated by Jessops staff. The sessions will teach each child how to capture, store, down-load and e-mail images. If successful, it will then be rolled out to other patients in the future.

Patrick Olszowski, Hospital Liaison Officer from GOSH said, “Many of the children here spend lengthy periods of time in hospital. The project will provide another creative medium for them to express any feelings or anxieties that they may have during their stay. It will also equip them with a valuable new tool which they can continue to benefit from long after they leave”.

Karen Lamerick, Head of Marketing for Jessops said, “Digital Photography is a quick and easy way for people to keep in touch. Children on the project can e-mail images to family and friends, and also share their experiences of being in hospital with other children via the GOSH website”.

Images from “Digital Kids” will create an on-line gallery on the GOSH School website at www.goshkids.nhs.uk. The project’s best images will also form an exhibition at the hospital and selected Jessops storeslater this year.

* Jessops is Europe’s leading retailer of photographic equipment and accessories, with a network of over 240 stores nationwide. It sells a comprehensive range of cameras, camcorders, digital cameras, binoculars and accessories, as well as providing high quality developing and printing services.

* Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust has around 350 beds. It offers the widest range of children’s experts under one roof in the UK. As a tertiary hospital we see patients who will benefit from that expertise, referred to us by hospitals and other doctors. This includes some patients with particularly rare, difficult or complex problems. Great Ormond Street works with the Institute of Child Health and South Bank University to form the largest paediatric research and training centre in the UK. The hospital motto is ‘The Child First and Always’ and we are committed to providing child and family centred care, and constantly improving what we do.