HOSPITAL workers have skinned rabbits and slept in leaky shelters in the woods to raise money to improve a room for grieving parents at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro.

Six teams of community and hospital midwives, health workers and a consultant braved the great outdoors.

Footsteps of Discovery instructor Leon Andrews guided the midwives and health workers to their respective camps. 1009JR00504woods
Midwives Philippa Hughes, Andrea Haynes, Linda Beynen and Jackie Boulton head off into the woods with only a rabbit and some vegetables. 1009JR00501woods
Maternity unit staff Denise Millen, Jess Shearer, Sally Budgen and Suzanne Yates enjoy foraging in the woods near Grampound Road during their charity woodland adventure. 1009JR00505woods. Pictures: James Ram.
The Truro community team of Sarah Hadfield, Heather Matthews and Kez Youngman building their shelter in the woods. 1009JR00506woods
Footsteps of Discovery director Tony Manly and instructor Ross Burt taught the hospital staff the art of outdoor survival. 1009JR00507woods
Trenoweth landowner Stefan Heale was on hand to look after things as the midwives and health workers struck out into the woods. 1009JR00503woods
Midwives and health workers made camp in Trenoweth woods near Grampound Road to help the Ella's Memory charity. 1009JR00502woods

Royal Cornwall Hospital midwife Sharon Vincent was nominated by her team to take part in the "bush-tucker-trial", influenced by ITV's I'm A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here reality show.

"I had to eat some dried ants, which wasn't particularly pleasant," she said.

On Saturday evening the six teams were led into different parts of Trenoweth Woods and left with a knife, vegetables and a rabbit to survive for the night. "I think the reality of what we were doing really hit home then," said Mrs Vincent.

"It took us about four hours to put up our shelter. It was great and going really well until it started raining.

"I was feeling quite proud of my waterproof shelter until I felt the first drip. Soon after that there was a river running through it."

Winners

A team of Truro community midwives were announced the winners of the Footsteps of Discovery-organised event, with their excellent axe-throwing helping them to first place.

The teams raised about £400 for the Ella's Memory charity which aims to improve the hospital's facilities for parents grieving the loss of a baby.

Mrs Vincent, who works on a high-risk ante-natal ward, said: "We are trying to raise money for the room to have its own private entrance so that people don't have to walk through the hospital and see other pregnant women and new mums.

"We want to make it more comfortable and less like a hospital room. Because we work on that department we see first hand what people go through."

For more details visit www.ellasmemory.org.uk