Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity

Join the nation this July and host your own NHS Big Tea party to raise funds for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity!

You can brew up a storm on 5 July, the 76th birthday of the NHS, or anytime that week.

Your fundraising can help to provide added extras that make a real difference for patients, staff and services across our hospitals.

Everyone can get involved and every cuppa makes a difference.

Download your fundraising pack and materials here: https://wahcharity.org/community-%26-diy-ideas

This weekend Stephen, Head of Procurement, at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is taking on a challenge of a lifetime Chase the Sun South!

Taking on this epic physical, mental and navigational challenge in support of us, Stephen will be racing from East to West Coasts from sunrise to sunset a distance of 200 miles!

Wish him luck below!

🪂🚣‍♀️🧗‍♂️🚵‍♂️ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞🪂🚣‍♀️🧗‍♂️🚵‍♂️

From runs to skydiving what will you take on for your local hospitals?

Take a look on our website here for inspiration both worldwide and on our doorsteps...

https://wahcharity.org/challenge-events

Thank you Crafting For Communities for your continued support of our End of Life Care Team 💙

Your wonderful crafted items make a real difference for patients and their loved ones 💛

A huge thank you to Tenuto. who held a concert last weekend in support of us, the raffle proceeds raised over £200! 💙

How it started vs How it's going 🎨

Thanks to the support of our Urgent and Emergency Care Appeal we are delighted that Emily Kaye Illustration has been able to paint another bespoke mural at the front entrance of Worcestershire Royal Hospital Emergency Department!

Helping to make the entrance a welcoming and inclusive space for all 💙

Find out more about Emily Kaye Illustration here: https://www.emilykayeillustration.com/

Find out more about the Urgent and Emergency Care Appeal here: https://wahcharity.org/uecappeal

Thank you to all Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and charity volunteers, your support makes a real difference 🙏

In April, Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse Paul Dewdney, took on the Alto de Garajonay Challenge in order to raise funds for portable monitoring equipment for the Worcestershire Cardiac Rehabilitation Service.

Paul chose to take on this challenge in order to raise funds for Kardia AliveCor equipment, a 3 lead rhythm strip, that can take a reading looking for arrhythmias. Should any arrhythmias be found this would indicate a 12 lead ECG to be carried out. This equipment will be of great benefit for the many patients enhancing their recovery following a serious cardiac event.

Paul walked from Playa de Santiago (sea level) to Alto de Garajonay (1487m - 4879ft) and back again on the island of La Gomera. Walking over 29 miles on varied terrain, the summit conquered was higher than Ben Nevis!

Paul said of the challenge: “The island of La Gomera is spectacular. Its volcanic history has created magnificent peaks and valleys on a very small island. Doing this walk was a truly joyous experience. The equipment that we will purchase will enable a much quicker and more thorough response to any emergency situation that might occur during our exercise sessions."

We are pleased to say that following the challenge Paul has raised enough to fund four Kardia AliveCor devices. Once all the funds are collected, he will have achieved his £1000 target.

Sophie Burt, Head of Fundraising and Community Development at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity says of the fundraiser: “Paul has taken on a real challenge in support of his service area, we are so pleased to have helped his fundraising efforts.
When staff challenge themselves to raise funds in support of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity it really does put the patients, staff and services of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust first.

We are very grateful for Paul’s hard work and look forward to supporting the purchasing of the Kardia AliveCor equipment for use in the Worcestershire Cardiac Rehabilitation Service.”

You can still show your support to Paul by visiting his Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/paul-dewdney-1710104775761, you can find out more about Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity here: https://wahcharity.org/

🌷🌻 𝓕𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻 𝓹𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻 🌻🌷

The dementia garden at Worcestershire Royal Hospital has had a uplift of new planting thanks to St Peters Garden Centre, Worcester and Cook's Garden Centre, Stourport!

Thanks also to the helping hands for planting 🌱

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

A huge thank you to Harry! Harry raised over £500 from taking on a mud run – incredible! 💙

Harry raised the funds to say thank to our NICU Team who took care of him when he was born, the funds raised will make a real difference for our babies and their families - thank you Harry! 💙

Congratulations Claire! 👏👏👏

We were so pleased to work with the Tissue Viability Team previously to fund hand held mirrors as part of the ‘Think Skin …. react to Risk' campaign. Aiming to reduce hospital acquired pressure damage by allowing staff to more easily monitor patients’ skin.

Congratulations to one of our nurses, Claire who won a Regional NHS Champion Award for her amazing work arranging new mattresses for patients that improve safety and have saved the NHS £1million!

Claire Hughes, our Lead Nurse for Tissue Viability arranged a new contract for high-specification hybrid mattresses which improve patient safety by providing a higher quality pressure-relieving surface that reduces the risk of patients developing pressure ulcers.

Pressure ulcers are injuries that break down the skin and underlying tissue when an area of skin is placed under pressure. They are sometimes known as “bedsores” or “pressure sores”.

The new contract that Claire helped organise also provides an incredible saving to the NHS of £1million over four years.

We are very proud to support this important project and we hope they will provide a fitting tribute to that difficult time 💙🦋

We are hugely grateful to our community partners for their support in designing and producing them.

The project has been supported by Bromsgrove based design company Iguana Group, who have donated their time and expertise in bringing together the designs and construction, and Yamazaki Mazak, with their European headquarters in Worcester, who have generously donated materials and laser cut the butterfly design in recognition of the contribution of Trust staff during the pandemic.

Further support was provided by Pinnegar Hayward Design to ensure the memorials could be safely installed across all sites.

We will be closed for the bank holiday until 28/05/2024.

If you’d like to see us in your inbox occasionally talking all things charity then be sure to sign up to our mailing list to receive our newsletter sent a couple of times a year, sign up here: https://wahcharity.org/manage-contact-preference

You can read our first Newsletter here: https://wahcharity.org/april-2024-newsletter

Thanks to a charitable grant the Ophthalmology Department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, part of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, has invested in a Cyclo G6 laser which helps to manage and prevent pressure induced pain from Glaucoma.

The laser has several settings which allows for both pain relief in advanced cases of Glaucoma but can also be used earlier in treatment to allow for preventative measures to be taken. It is estimated that 60 patients will benefit from this additional provision every year.

Previously one Cyclo G6 laser was shared between Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre. The additional laser means that one can now be kept at each site so that more patients have access to the course of treatment and each laser will have a longer life span as it is not being transported between sites.

As a charity we are committed to improving patient experience and by providing a laser at each site patient care and experience is significantly improved. Prior to having a laser available at Worcestershire Royal Hospital ‘round the clock’ patients would have to travel to another hospital or possibly out of county to continue their treatment.

The Team in the Ophthalmology Department are very grateful to have a laser located at Worcestershire Royal permanently.

Mr Sharma, Glaucoma Consultant commented: ‘Having a Cyclo G6 laser located at Worcestershire Royal Hospital enables the Ophthalmology Department to enhance our patients’ care by providing treatment in their hospital by a staff team they have gotten to know.”

Sara Ruck, Senior Sister and Glaucoma Specialist Nurse added: “Providing our patients with the very best care is something our entire department holds dear and we are very grateful for the support which enables us to provide even better care for our community.”

Today was our Eastnor Castle Walk which saw walkers take on 10 miles led by Sky Blue Adventures!

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust staff and volunteers took on the challenge in support of their local hospitals charity and we so grateful for their support, raising over £1,000 so far with the total still rising - 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 💙💙💙

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤 to all our walkers taking on our Eastnor Castle Walk this weekend! 🥾🌄🥾

With Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust staff and volunteers taking to the trail we can't wait to cheer them on!

Our walkers have raised over £800 so far with the total still rising - thank you it will make a real difference for the patients, staff and services of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 💙

Thanks to your support of our Urgent and Emergency Care Appeal the Emergency Department at Worcestershire Royal Hospital now has the provision of a phone charging station in the main reception of the department.

This service will be free of charge for patients enabling those in our care to keep in touch with their loved ones during a stressful time, thank you 💙

Choose your own challenge!

From local runs to skydiving what will you take on for your local hospitals charity?

Take a look on our website here for inspiration: https://wahcharity.org/challenge-events

A huge 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤 to Stephen who is taking on the epic challenge of Chase the Sun South this June!

A physical, mental and navigational challenge, Chase the Sun South is an annual ride from the East to West coasts on the longest Saturday of the year. A ride of over 200 miles it is a tough commitment to have made to see the sunset in Weston-Super-Mare having started the day at sunrise in Minster-on-Sea ☀️🚴🌙

Stephen, Head of Procurement, has chosen to race in support of us, if you can please show your support here or wish him luck below!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/stephen-carter-1706011456413

Looking for a way to support your local hospitals?

Why not take a look at holding your very own DIY fundraiser!

All fundraising helps us to continue to provide those added extras that make a real difference for the patients, staff and services across Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

From coffee mornings to sponsored skips, contact us on [email protected] to let us know your plans and we will be pleased to support you in your fundraising!

This Dying Matters Week we are pleased to highlight the difference Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Palliative and End of Life Care Teams make for their patients.

We are so pleased to support their work through our specialist fund the SUPPORT Fund. The SUPPORT Fund provides funding for additional extras that help to make the experience for patients and their loved ones that bit easier.

From care packages for unexpected stays, celebration boxes to mark occasions celebrated whilst in hospital, funding the decoration of the Peony Rooms (dedicated relative rooms) in the Worcestershire Royal and Alexandra Hospitals to the imminent arrival of Day Beds funded from our 2023 Christmas Campaign we are pleased to support their work.

You can find out more and show your support here: https://wahcharity.org/the-end-of-life-care-fund

A huge thank you to Redditch MMA & 10th Planet Redditch and their amazing fighters for raising over £20,000 from their Charity Fight Nights!

Over the past few years Jess and James Whiston have arranged Charity Fight Nights to give back in thanks for the care their son received on the Transitional Care Unit at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, supporting our specialist fund The Worcestershire Neonatal Unit Fund.

A huge thank you to all involved in the past 6 Charity Fight Nights, your support is very much appreciated and will make a real difference.

The funds raised will support special events, projects and experiences that go above and beyond the core NHS provision. As well as much needed practical support the funds raised will allow Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity to provide 'special extras' for the babies and their families.

Redditch MMA & 10th Planet Redditch are planning their next Charity Fight Night for 16 November 2024 in support of The Worcestershire Neonatal Unit Fund. If you are interested in taking part, following a 10-week free training programme which starts in September, please either contact Redditch MMA & 10th Planet Redditch on Facebook or attend the gym in person for registration on 9 September 2024.

You can find out more about the fund and the work that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity does here: https://wahcharity.org/neonatal-unit

Enhancing patient experience is at the heart of what we do, which is why we are so pleased to have funded a refresh to a waiting area at Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre.

We funded some new seating for the waiting area used by Imaging, Renal and Ophthalmology services to provide a more comfortable environment which can help to reduce anxiety and stress for patients, making them feel more at ease.

We will be closed for the bank holiday from 5pm today until 9am on 7 May.

Following a grant award from The Morrisons Foundation we were delighted to welcome Antony, David and Sarah from Morrisons Malvern Store for a cheque presentation at Worcestershire Royal Hospital!

The grant award will fund four Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities, also known as RITA for use in the dementia and frailty wards at both the Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Worcester and the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch.

RITA is an interactive device designed for older patients giving access to reminiscence resources in addition to games, physical therapies and exercise classes.

The devices are currently being ordered and we look forward to their arrival soon in Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust wards!

Reminder that sign up for our Eastnor Castle Walk closes this Friday (3 May)!

Find out more and sign up here: https://wahcharity.org/upcoming-events-1

On May 5 Dale will be taking on the Great Birmingham Run in aid of our specialist fund the Children of Worcestershire Cancer Fund!

This will be Dale’s first marathon, a keen footballer, Dale chose to support our fund inspired by his partner Megan and their colleagues who work on River Bank the children’s ward at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. His partner and colleagues sometimes care for patients in our children’s oncology service and their loved ones and Dale wanted to do something to give back.

Good luck Dale, we are sure you’ll do brilliantly and hope you smash your 1 hour 40 target!

You can support Dale here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/dale-edwards-1707852820651