What is Trailblazers? Trailblazers is a youth group for young people aged between 13-25 years, who receive inpatient and/or outpatient care at the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals. Trailblazers is run by The Brompton Fountain and Patient & Public Engagement Team at RBHH. Trailblazer members can: Have a say on youth healthcare services at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals; Sign up to regular social events and activities; Take part in workshops to gain new life skills; Meet other young people who are receiving care at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals. Sign up now.

How did Trailblazers start? Aimee, co-founder: “In Autumn 2013, I had a chat with Trudy about setting up a peer network for young people within Royal Brompton and Harefield.  Following my transition from paediatric to adult healthcare, I really missed the support and opportunities provided by The Brompton Fountain (as they only supported paediatric patients at the time!), and thought that something needed to be changed.  The seeds of ‘Trailblazers’ were sown!  In Spring 2018, Trailblazers took on a new lease of life following Chloe expressing a desire for a youth forum within RBHT.  Since then, Trailblazers have gone from strength to strength! The name ‘Trailblazers’ was chosen because we are doing something new, and leading the way for future young people within RBHT and beyond. There are many exciting social events and activities throughout the year, from paint parties to virtual escape rooms.  You can attend just one of these events, or all of them – it is entirely up to you!  We are always open to new ideas to add to our social events, so if you have an idea for an event, please do get in touch! Trailblazers also has a youth forum within RBHT, working alongside hospital staff on projects to create real change within the hospital and patient experience.  These are informal events where your voice can be heard and listened to. All of our events and meetings are able to be accessed on Zoom (even pre-Pandemic!), which means you can access them from wherever you are!  At all in-person events, strict infection control and cross-infection rules are adhered to at all times.”

Upcoming projects and events Some examples of our recent events include Junkyard Golf, Living Stories, cooking sessions, and painting workshops. Click here to see our upcoming events. 

Projects we have been involved in We created the following Procedure Support documents to help prepare you for what to expect for each of the following:

Having an X-ray

Having an Ultrasound

Having a PICC Line Dressing Change

Having a PICC Line

Having a MRI Scan

Having a ECHO

Having a ECG

Having a CT Scan

Having a Cannula 

Having a Blood Test

We also created a Transition Support Document to help you through the process of transitioning from children to adult services.