Date of release: 19th May 2025
Bloomin’ lovely casino surprise
An “Ode to Wolverhampton” wall mural at the city’s Genting Casino has proved a stroke of luck for young patients at New Cross Hospital.
The eye-catching design, painted by “Mr Murals” – Daniel Russell-Ahern – has taken pride of place in the casino’s new Temple Street Social area which features interactive darts and shuffleboard, a 100 inch TV screen for live sporting action and bar and dining area.
And when Mr Murals asked for his payment to be made to The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity to go towards its appeal to give a huge makeover to the garden in Paediatrics, delighted Matron Sarah Lewis happily accepted the £9,000 cheque.
She met with John Cooper, General manager of Genting Casino Wolverhampton to receive the unexpected windfall.
“We were really surprised to get this donation and thank both John and Mr Murals for making this happen for such an important project at New Cross,” said Sarah who is Matron for Children’s Specialities and Outpatients.
“We are currently working to revamp the Paediatrics garden which is a vital outdoor space for our young patients and their families, and this donation will help us fund artwork in the garden. It was a tired area that really needs to be brightened up and we’re excited to see the end result which Mr Murals is also involved in.”
John said: “I follow Mr Murals on social media, and he has done some amazing work so we wanted to commission his skills for the casino. He has created an Ode to Wolverhampton which captures the spirit and charm of the city.
“It’s important for us to be part of the community and contribute towards the community so when he suggested his fee could go to New Cross Hospital I thought that was a fantastic idea. We do care about our local area and meeting Matron Sarah and Amie from the RWT Charity helped me gain a real insight into this project and how much it is needed, as well as the wonderful work that goes on to support patients.”
Mr Murals has worked with the Trust on a host of projects including a revamp of the Children’s Ward that now features images of unicorns and sea creatures.
Amie Rogers, Fundraising and Lead Digital Engagement Officer for RWT Charity, added: “Once again Mr Murals has been so generous and we thank him and Genting Casino Wolverhampton for this donation which, as Sarah has described, will really help our exciting garden project.”