Many patients arrive at hospital with nothing. A simple toiletry pack — soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, roll-on, a facecloth, a comb, sanitary products — restores a sense of dignity that illness so often takes away. We welcome items for women, men, and children, whether individually or made up as packs.

Our patient libraries give long-stay patients something precious: a way to pass the time and feed the mind. We accept Bibles, fiction, non-fiction, and magazines in good condition. Reading material in African languages — especially isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho and Setswana — is in particularly short supply and especially treasured.

Puzzles, colouring books and crayons, storybooks, and soft toys bring play and comfort to children's wards. For safety reasons we can't use items with small loose parts, beads, or latex balloons — but a sturdy teddy or a box of crayons goes a very long way.

Gently used, clean clothing for women, men, and children helps patients who are discharged with nothing to wear, and supports families in crisis. Items we can't use directly are sold through our Hidden Treasure charity shop, where every rand raised goes back into patient care.

Long hospital stays are hard, and public hospital wards can be cold. Blankets remain one of our most requested and most appreciated items — in one recent drive, 68 donated blankets reached patients across medical, surgical and high-care wards within days. We also welcome new beanies, socks, and slippers for adults and children.

Individually wrapped sweets, biscuits, and small treats become care packages for patients and appreciation packs for the hospital staff who carry so much. A small sweetness on a hard journey.

Notebooks, pens, and pencils support both patients and our skills development programmes.