Every patient waking up at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals on Christmas morning will find a special Savile Row stocking by their bed, packed full of presents.

More than 1,200 stockings have been handmade by apprentices using 180 metres of velvet, tartan, tweed and other fabric that was donated by cloth merchants who supply the Row. Local businesses including Cass Art and Elemis and Harvey & Hudson also contributed to the effort, donating items with which to stuff the stockings.

Rebecca Devlin, a cutter at Savile Row’s Richard Anderson, recruited and organised the tailors from 20 different tailoring houses.

She says: “We are surrounded by the finest tailors, most talented apprentices and best cloths in the world so it was great to be able to bring everyone together to really make a difference to people who are in hospital over Christmas.

“It’s been an amazing team effort – even our couriers have got involved. I’m so proud of what we’ve all achieved.”

Stocking-fillers have also been donated by the charity Giving World and AMT Coffee. Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity provided funds for the Chief Nurse’s Office to buy gifts, and the Samaritan Fund has contributed to the stockings.

As well as stockings for all adult patients, and bags of gifts for children, the parents of children who are in Evelina London Children’s Hospital will receive a Christmas stocking.

Reverend Mia Hilborn, head of spiritual care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ says: “Nobody wants to be in hospital on Christmas Day and so we’re very grateful to all the people who are helping us to bring a little joy to our patients."