21 November 2008
The High Sheriff of Surrey, Sally Varah toured Epsom Hospital recently accompanied by four local young people from Rosebery School, who were shadowing her as part of Takeover Day (7 November 2008).
Takeover Day is a time when thousands of children and young people from across the UK are invited to work alongside adults to get more involved in the services, businesses and organisations that can affect their lives. It also aims to bridge some of the gaps and misunderstandings between the generations.
The visit to Epsom included meeting with staff in the hospital's busy A&E department and a question and answer session with the Trust's Director of Nursing, Pippa Hart and Director of Communications, Antony Tiernan.
Pippa said: "We were delighted to welcome the High Sheriff and the pupils to Epsom Hospital. The children asked some very challenging questions and it was interesting to hear their thoughts on how we could make the hospital even more child friendly."
Sally Varah, High Sheriff of Surrey said: "I welcome the chance to let young people discover more about the role of the High Sheriff in Surrey by taking over for the day.
"Whilst at Epsom Hospital they were able to make their voices heard and to present cogent ideas and recommendations from the youth angle.
"They tell me that they learnt masses from the day - and we, in turn, learnt a huge amount from them. This is what Takeover Day is all about - a sharing of perspectives and perceptions across the ages."
