Children at the Sowenna mental health unit in Bodmin Hospital have received Christmas presents from a charity.

The gifts came from Christmas for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).

Alicia Morse, the deputy ward manager at Sowenna, said: “The charity made contact with us to ask what types of gifts would be best suited to our patients.

“They think carefully about what gifts would be age-appropriate, safe and what will bring joy to the young people we work with.

“This year, we received a fantastic selection of gifts, including facemasks, fluffy socks and journals, as well as Christmas-themed activities and decorations for the ward. The presents brought a much-needed boost for our young people, showing them that they matter and they too deserve to feel joy at Christmas.”

Christmas for CAMHS provides gifts every year for children and young people who are in child and adolescent mental health wards and units across the UK. The charity was originally set up because volunteers saw a gap in the way child and adolescent mental health units were treated over the festive period compared to other NHS services for children and young people. They wanted to do something to change that. Each year, the charity aims to raise £10,000 to buy gifts for CAMHS wards all over the country, including the Sowenna unit.