Monday 4 June; The Senedd Cardiff Bay 11.00am

This is the message to be delivered by hundreds of children from Mount Stuart Primary School when they present a petition to Presiding Officer, Lord Ellis Thomas on Monday 4 June 2007 at 11.00am.

The petition was started by Welsh grandfather Graham Vaughan who said “Like many thousands of people across Wales, I have been inspired to support the Noah’s Ark Appeal and help build the first Children’s Hospital for Wales.

With great pride I watched the TV news showing the first patient to be admitted back in March 2005. What a success the hospital has been; what a great comfort to sick children and their families.

But why hasn’t it been completed? Why are thousands of children each year still being treated in old, leaking wards, with equipment piled in the corridors? Every child should have access to the same world class environment.

I have started a petition to demand that the Welsh Assembly Government stops procrastinating and takes action by completing the Children’s Hospital for Wales. The people of Wales deserve it and demand it.”

Several high profile celebrities and supporters of the Noah’s Ark Appeal have backed the petition. Brent Cobain, Owen Money, Julian MacDonald and Dame Shirley Bassey are the latest high profile people to back the campaign

“I was delighted to help the Noah’s Ark Appeal build phase one of the Children’s Hospital for Wales. I know that this superb, world-class facility has made a stay in hospital much less frightening for young patients and has also been a great comfort to their families.  It would be wonderful to complete the hospital and I am pleased to back the petition.” (Dame Shirley Bassey)

“I have been with the Noah’s Ark Appeal since Day one, supporting their Ian Botham Walks and helping in any other ways that I could. I was as proud as anyone when phase one of the Children’s Hospital for Wales was completed and I greeted supporters on the Open Day sharing in the excitement of seeing what a nation can achieve when we pull together. The hospital is bright, friendly and cheerful; the medical care is first class. I fervently hope that we will see the Children’s Hospital for Wales completed for the benefit of all children and I back Graham’s petition.”(Max Boyce)

‘We will continue our fight to give the children of Wales the hospital they deserve.” (chairman, Lyn Jones)