9 September 2026
£65,000 donation buys life-saving ultrasound for Southampton’s sickest children
A £65,000 donation from the Leon Crouch Foundation has enabled Southampton Children’s Hospital to purchase a state-of-the-art paediatric ultrasound machine, giving doctors specialist equipment to treat the region’s most seriously ill and injured children.
The gift, made through Southampton Hospitals Charity, has funded a top-of-the-range ultrasound scanner fitted with bespoke paediatric probes – smaller and more sophisticated than the adult equivalents the department has previously had to borrow from elsewhere in the hospital.
University Hospital Southampton is the region’s major trauma centre and treats the area’s sickest children, meaning clinicians regularly need fast, accurate imaging to secure vascular access in unwell patients, assess internal injuries after trauma, and support routine emergency care. The hospital is also one of the largest training centres for medical students, doctors and nurses in the region, and the new scanner will allow ultrasound training to take place in the department for the first time.
The donation is the latest gift from the Leon Crouch Foundation, set up by Leon Crouch – a Lymington businessman and former Chairman of Southampton Football Club – to continue supporting the causes he supported in his lifetime, following his death. Leon died in 2019 just over six weeks after being diagnosed at University Hospital Southampton with secondary melanoma skin cancer.
The foundation previously donated £75,000, via Southampton Hospitals Charity, towards the refurbishment of the G3 orthopaedic ward at the Southampton General Hospital.
Hannah Leonardi, Leon’s daughter and a trustee of the Leon Crouch Foundation, said: “Dad was an exceptional man. His generosity and desire to help people in need knew no bounds, and our family is incredibly proud of all that he did during his lifetime to support others.
“Southampton has always been part of our family’s story. Dad grew up in Lymington, as a lifelong Saints Fan he was proud to become Chairman of Southampton Football Club. Southampton General Hospital has cared for our family over the years, as is the case for so many local families. During his lifetime, Dad would personally pay for children’s medical treatment because he simply wanted to help ensure that they had the best care. He never forgot where he came from or the people and communities that mattered to him.
“Continuing that commitment through his Foundation, first with the refurbishment of the G3 ward and now with this ultrasound machine, feels like exactly the right way to honour Dad’s memory and continue the legacy of kindness and generosity that meant so much to him. My sisters, Lara and Louise and I feel deeply honoured to be Trustees of the Foundation established in his name, which has done so much to support important local causes.
“Working with Southampton Hospitals Charity has been a very positive experience. From our first conversation about wanting to make a difference, to seeing this machine ordered, everything happened so quickly. We know that donations to the charity will be spent carefully and thoughtfully, and they will make a real difference to patients, their families and the staff who care for them.”
Dr Melanie Ranaweera, Paediatric Emergency Medicine Consultant at University Hospital Southampton, said: “I can’t put into words what this machine will do for our hospital. For the sickest children who come through our doors, having the right equipment, sized and built for them, rather than relying on adapted adult equipment, makes an enormous difference. It also means we can finally train the next generation of doctors and nurses in ultrasound within our own department.”
Kate Saltrick, Director of Fundraising and Marketing, from Southampton Hospitals Charity, said: “Donations like this make the biggest difference for families and for the teams caring for them. It’s a privilege to work with donors like the Leon Crouch Foundation, who take the time to understand what’s needed and trust us to make sure their generosity goes where it can have the greatest impact – from the equipment on the ward to the doctors delivering care on the ground.”