Three Lister Hospital staff members participated in a fire walk to raise money towards a £2 million charitable fund for the hospital's new children's centre. 

Organised by East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals' Charity, the annual event took place at The Orange Tree pub in Hitchin on March 26, and focused on raising money for Lister Hospital. 

Last week, NHS England announced the £11 million construction of a two-storey children's care centre, but East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals' Charity hopes to raise a further £2 million to make the new build extra special for both patients and staff. 

East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals' Charity Events Manager Hannah Martin said: "We want to turn the new building from a clinical setting to feeling like a play centre when you walk in. 

"We want every child to not feel scared or feel like they're coming to hospital, but feel comfortable and confident in the space." 

The red-hot event had 30 participants, each walking across embers for a department of their choice with thousands of pounds being raised across the course of the evening. 

Lister staff members Claire Moore, Sarah James and Ali Morris raised just over £1,000 for their collective walk – money that will go towards the charity's children's centre fund. 

Ms James, Delivery Director at Lister Hospital, said that raising money to ensure the new centre offers everything the children and staff need is "really important". 

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She said: "The current environment is probably one of the poorer environments in the hospital and we've really been worried about it as an organisation for many years. 

"The money we've got from NHS England just gives you the basics in terms of building and environment but this money will really make it stand out in terms of access to all the things that children need when they're in hospital." 

Work on the new centre will begin later this year and the building will feature 20 inpatient beds, 14 consulting rooms, plus clinical assessment and care units. 

The charity hopes that the extra money will turn the building from a "purpose-built facility" into a "state-of-the-art" children's centre, with a play area, recreation room, lounge areas and overnight accommodation to ensure family members remain comfortable during difficult times. 

The charity's next fundraising event will be its annual abseil down the 11-storey Lister Hospital which will take place across the weekend of April 24.