Staff at Southampton McDonald's restaurants have provided a day of magical memories for families with children receiving hospital treatment.
Ronald McDonald House, at Southampton Children's Hospital, has bedrooms and facilities to support families with children in hospital there and at Princess Anne Hospital.
Families staying at the free home often miss out on celebratory occasions and family gatherings.
To give them a day of light relief, the restaurant crew swapped their cooking duties for hanging bunting and piñatas at Ronald McDonald House.
Children enjoyed face painting, games, and activities, rounded off with a Happy Meal.
Nigel and Lorraine Fleetwood, who have been in and out of hospital for the last 10 years with their son Jacob, were among the families who attended.
Jacob, born at 27 weeks and suffering from multiple health conditions, has been in Southampton Children's Hospital for six weeks this summer.
He was granted a medical day pass to attend the party.
Mrs Fleetwood said: "It’s just nice to see him having fun because then you can deal with the bad days when he’s not happy, because he has had a good day.
"We’ve had no summer; we’ve not done anything this summer.
"We were meant to be going to Rome soon but that’s just not happening, so having the special events the House puts on is really nice because you can just come over for an hour and feel like you’ve done something."
The event was organised to celebrate both McDonald's 50th birthday in the UK and Ronald McDonald House Charities UK's 35th anniversary.
Sarah Lloyd-Sharp, who owns and operates eight McDonald's restaurants in the Southampton and Hampshire area, said: "I’m so proud of my crew at the McDonald’s restaurants for volunteering to support our local Ronald McDonald House, as the Charity celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.
"It’s heart-warming to see the impact of McDonald’s donations and the vital support the Charity provides for families all over the UK.
"As McDonald’s celebrates its 50th year in the UK, it’s important for us to continue to give back to the local communities that we’ve been lucky enough to be a part of over the years.
"We look forward to continuing to support Southampton House in future."
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