Your Trust Charity, the registered charity for Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, is encouraging people to raise funds by hosting a tea party on the 74th birthday of the NHS.
The celebration takes place on 5 July and Your Trust Charity will be marking the day with a small tea party at Sandwell Hospital.
Funds raised will go towards enhancing the experiences of patients, their families and staff working for the organisation, with a focus on the new Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, currently under construction. The Trust also runs City Hospital, in Birmingham, Rowley Regis Hospital, Leasowes Intermediate Care Centre and a number of GP practices.
Last year nationally more than 4,800 hosts signed up, collectively raising over £500,000. In addition to individuals, schools, community groups and organisations, more than 150 NHS charities were involved, including Your Trust Charity.
Johnny Shah, Head of Your Trust Charity, said: “We are proud to be a part of this annual event where our community can celebrate their local NHS Trust and the hard work that our dedicated staff do for our population. The funds we raised last year from our fundraisers including the Big Tea helped us to make a real difference for so many people, including running a number of pop-up wellbeing hubs for staff across our sites, and setting up a volunteer befriending service for our patients living with and beyond cancer.
“We have also been able to support our community through our ‘Inside Outside’ programme as part of the Trust’s art in hospital strategy. This has brought together artists, children and young people from 13 local schools and clinicians to create high quality art, which will eventually be showcased in the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
“This year, we’d encourage our local community to host their own events and fundraisers for Your Trust Charity on 5 July. This could be something as simple as a running a cake sale, a dress down day, doing a run or cycle challenge, or even dyeing your hair!”
This year, NHS Charities Together hopes to make the event the biggest NHS Big Tea to date, with a collective fundraising target of over £775,000. This will include donations from corporate sponsors including the headline sponsor Morrisons, who supported the campaign by raising £250,000 last year and will be urging their customers and staff to take part once again.
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive at NHS Charities Together, said: “The NHS can’t face every challenge alone, and the network of NHS charities is proud to have funded hundreds of incredible projects supporting staff, patients and communities. By hosting tea parties and inviting your friends, colleagues or classmates, the NHS Big Tea allows us to come together and say an enormous thank you to our incredible NHS – especially after all they’ve been through these last two years, and the ongoing challenges they continue to face.
“So, whether at home, in the office or in school, we’re asking the nation to pop the kettle on, grab the biscuits, and raise vital funds to help the NHS go further this July.”
To sign up to host your own NHS Big Tea event and receive a fundraising support pack, please visit www.swbh.nhs.uk/charity/fundraising/ or www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk
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