YOUNGSTERS at the children’s ward at Great Western Hospital had a special visitor yesterday when a performance storyteller dropped by to make them have a giggle and forget about their worries.

Anna Conomos, 33, who lives in London and tours the UK, spent the whole day entertaining young patients as well as a group of pupils from Uplands School.

Armed with props such as feathers, hats, togas, African wraps and even a bunch of grapes, Anna performed Jason and the Argonauts in the morning with the children, followed by an African themed story in the afternoon with a group of teenagers.

As part of her storytelling workshop she got the children involved by encouraging them to finish the endings of stories, as well as getting them to join in with singing, rhyming and cartoon drawing during the action-packed day.

“It was brilliant,” she said. “They were so responsive and all of the kids got really interactive.

“It is extremely rewarding and really inspiring for them to put their worries aside and immerse themselves in something so creative.

“One girl said it had given her confidence and made her feel so happy. Another boy said it made him forget having to be in bed all day and he felt like he was back to his old self and left him happy for the rest of the day. I was very honoured.”

Anna’s visit was organised in collaboration with the Jean Russell Storytelling Project, thanks to support from the Ragdoll Foundation, which was set up to reach out to vulnerable and less privileged children.

The organisation is working with six book groups across the UK to host storytelling events and chose the Hospital School Unit at GWH for the first event, as part of their work with Aldbourne Children’s Book Group.

The project has also made a donation of £250 to the trust’s charity Brighter Futures for the Hospital School Unit to buy books.

Julia Miller who has been helping organise the project said: “We are delighted with the reaction. Anna made an effort with every single child and they had so much fun.”

The Hospital School Unit which is part of Education Other Than At School (EOTAS), not only teaches young patients on the ward but also provides an alternative education service to secondary pupils with behavioural, physical or mental barriers under the Education Other Than at School scheme.