BASILDON Hospital’s new children’s A&E opens its doors today – just as fundraisers reach their £100,000 target for decorating the department.

The ten-bed emergency treatment ward is kitted out with flat-screen televisions, twinkling star ceilings, games and projectors shining bright pictures on to walls.

Schools, businesses, community groups and residents have held hundreds of events to raise money to brighten up the department, through the hospital’s Polly Parrot Appeal – which was backed by the Echo.

The fundraising project was launched just over a year ago and aimed to raise £100,000 to buy play equipment, artwork and sensory gadgets to alleviate children’s stress when visiting the unit.

Helen Mattock, the hospital’s head of fundraising, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the appeal – meeting our £100,000 target is a fantastic achievement.”

Pupils from nine local schools, which collectively raised £10,000 for the appeal, were invited to cut the ribbon and get the first look at the facilities yesterday.

Among them were children from Shaw Primary School, in South Ockendon, who raised more than £100 through a colouring competition.

Clair Arnott, deputy headteacher, said: “It’s great for the children to see where the money they raised has gone and the department looks fantastic.

“The decorations and toys will really help to put children at ease when they’re poorly, as hospital’s never a nice place for a child to go, but at least they’ll feel comfortable.”

The new ward is part of the £17million rebuild of the hospital’s A&E department in Nethermayne, which also includes an adults’ A&E and fracture clinic.

The adult ward is on target to open within the next few months and the fracture clinic opened last August.

The new department is being constructed within the same building the old A&E was housed in, so wards have been moved into temporary locations while work is carried out.