Helen and Isobel, caring for children with cancer, thanks to your support
Welcome to this latest edition of TORCH magazine – where we shine a light on the work of our charity in the hospitals that care for you and your loved ones.
In this edition we hear from the clinicians we work with, putting the spotlight on new advances taking place right now, thanks to your kind support.
You’ll hear from NHS staff in the Churchill, Horton General, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford Children’s Hospital and John Radcliffe – all sharing the impact of your donations.
They’ll tell you more about new cutting-edge equipment supporting groundbreaking rehabilitation at the Oxford Centre for Enablement, improved breast cancer surgery at the Horton and better diabetes care at the Churchill.
And you’ll find out about the extra support now being provided for families of children with cancer, music for older patients and care packages to help during unexpected stays – and even a party with ice cream!
The range of what we can do in our hospitals – thanks only to your donations, fundraising and gifts in Wills – never ceases to amaze us.
We’re very proud of the impact of this charity and keen for more people to know about it!
So we are thrilled that our new Charity Hub – hopefully the first of many – is now open in the West Wing at the entrance to the Oxford Children’s Hospital. Do come and say hello to Jamie and Lynn and pick up an activity pack to keep you or your child busy while in hospital.
You may also remember that we recently won a competition run by the Oxford Bus Company to ‘Brand the Bus’. Our prize-winning all-electric double-decker is now driving through the streets of Oxford and beyond, helping to spread the word about our important work! It’s big, it’s bright pink and it features the smiling faces of our hospital and charity staff.
But do you know the very best way to raise more awareness about Oxford Hospitals Charity? It’s through you! Please help us by telling others about our charity’s work – so together we can keep driving improvements and innovation to support our special hospitals.
Thank you so much for all your support!
Thank you
Sarah Vaccari Editor, TORCH magazine
There are many different ways that you can support Oxford Hospitals Charity:
✔ MAKE A DONATION by using the response form that came with this magazine or go to www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/tor24a to make a one-off or regular gift
✔ CREATE YOUR OWN EVENT OR CHALLENGE by going to www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/fundraising
✔ ASK YOUR COMPANY OR LOCAL GROUP to choose us as their local charity of the year
✔ INCLUDE OXFORD HOSPITALS CHARITY IN YOUR WILL and help to support the health of future generations: www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/legacy
✔ CALL US on 01865 743 444 to discuss your support and ideas
You can also visit www.hospitalcharity.co.uk for more information and to read inspiring stories about why your support makes such a difference
Thank you
Oxford Hospitals Charity includes Horton General Hospital Charity and Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity.
Our support covers the whole of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, including the John Radcliffe, Horton General, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Churchill and Oxford Children’s Hospital, as well as the many satellite sites that are part of our Trust.
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New Support for Cancer Families
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Raising Smiles: activity day for children with cancer
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Cutting-edge Equipment: enhancing breast cancer surgery at the Horton
The Wood Centre for Innovation, Quarry Road, Oxford, OX3 8SB www.hospitalcharity.co.uk
New Support
for Cancer Families
Meet Helen Cooper and Isobel Merison. Between them, they have over 23 years of nursing experience working with children with cancer – mostly on Kamran’s Ward at the Oxford Children’s Hospital.
Thanks to your donations, we’ve funded new roles for Helen and Isobel, as Paediatric Solid Tumour Clinical Nurse Specialists. This long title reflects a simple goal – to hold the hands of families with children going through cancer treatment. Here they tell us all about it:
We’re so excited about this much-needed new role! We will be a single point of call to help navigate the complexities of children’s cancer care – providing tailored and personal support for the families of over 60 babies and children with solid tumour cancers.
These young patients live across the whole of the Thames Valley region and their care can be really complex – with multiple treatments at different specialist hospitals and radiotherapy centres – and numerous clinicians and therapists.
So we’ll be on hand to answer all those questions parents have, big and small, to help them fully understand their child’s care and provide practical and emotional support.
The families we work with are so pleased to hear about this new service!
Our hospitals provide really specialist care, but at a deeply emotional and draining time it can be very hard to fully understand what’s going on, and having us on hand to help them through will transform the support they receive.
We’re so excited about these new roles! These children are the best of us, amazing little people who are so strong and brave. They and their parents become like family and we feel privileged to be here for them and are grateful for the charity’s support to make this happen.
Kamran’s Ward
Helen Cooper and Isobel Merison, pictured outside the Oxford Children’s Hospital.
Tamsin Rawlings, Head of Major Gifts at Oxford Hospitals Charity has been working with donors keen to fund this important step forward. She told us:
“Facing a cancer diagnosis is already a very stressful time for families and uncertainty around treatment options only adds to this anxiety.
“Isobel and Helen have the specialist expertise to coordinate care and work really closely with families in a truly holistic way, addressing emotional, social and physical needs.
“Our thanks go to all our donors who allow us to fund such important work. A special mention to Risk Management Security Services, long-term supporters who have provided significant funding towards this project.”
Hazel Murray, Head of Programme at the charity added: “This is a really big step forward and we know it will have such a positive impact on these young patients and their families.”
Raising Smiles: Activity Day for Children with Cancer
We recently had the pleasure of supporting a Kamran’s Ward activity day at the Oxford Children’s Hospital – packed with fun and engaging activities for children with cancer to enjoy.
The day included carnival games, balance challenges, the Pets as Therapy dogs, mini mouth care and art therapy sessions. Plus our charity mascot, Harry Bear, was there to hand out hugs.
To make the day even sweeter we provided goody bags and arranged for an ice cream van to come to the hospital and treat everyone –perfect for the hot day!
The event was a beautiful reminder of the strength and resilience of these children and their families. Most are in the later stages of cancer treatment, bravely adapting to their new normal, while managing the side effects. It was lovely to see them enjoying the day and creating happy memories.
Dr Amy Mitchell said: “It was incredible to bring together so many inspirational young people living through and beyond cancer. We hope the fun and interactive trail inspired them with ideas to support their lives with healthy nutrition, sport and creativity.”
Thank you to all the staff and volunteers who helped make the day happen – and to you, our kind supporters. It’s your donations that help make special events like this possible.
Gio, a young patient on Kamran’s Ward, receiving care.
CUTTING-EDGE EQUIPMENT ENHANCES BREAST CANCER SURGERY AT HORTON GENERAL
Breast cancer surgery has taken a huge step forward at the Horton General Hospital, thanks to cutting-edge equipment funded by the charity, with the support of a generous donor.
Karen Wentworth-Foster, Horton General Hospital’s Theatre Manager, tells us all about it:
We are delighted that the charity has been able to fund a specialist piece of equipment, called a Faxitron machine
The Faxitron provides our breast cancer surgical team with immediate access to high-resolution imaging and biopsy reporting during the operation.
Previously, any removed specimen or tumour had to be sent to radiology to check the size, boundary, and margins of the biopsy, and help determine if enough tumour had been removed.
This process would typically take around 45 minutes and meant an extra staff member was needed to take the specimen for analysis.
While the biopsy was taking place the patient would remain under general anaesthetic, as the surgical team waited for the results. If the x-ray showed that additional tumour removal was necessary, the surgery would then resume.
Thanks to the Faxitron, biopsies can now be examined within the operating theatre, with results coming through in just minutes.
PICTURED: Theatre team with the new Faxitron machine
Karen Wentworth-Foster, Horton General Theatre’s Manager
This innovation reduces the duration of anaesthesia for patients, saves surgical time, and also keeps the ‘flow’ of the operation.
It really is a transformative piece of equipment – it’s good for our patients, good for the surgical team and the time saved means we can operate on an extra person each day.
We perform breast cancer surgery one day a week at the Horton, so this equipment allows us to perform an extra 50 operations a year, saving time and money, and most importantly getting the patient treated more quickly, which means better outcomes.
It’s brilliant – we’re very grateful to the charity and their special donor for funding this equipment.
Tamsin Rawlings, Head of Major Gifts at Oxford Hospitals Charity added: “We are thrilled to hear from Karen and the team about what a difference the Faxitron is making for patients with breast cancer.
“We were privileged to work with a local donor who wanted to fund something with a big impact – and we know they are delighted at this positive advance, which builds on the local support and treatment provided for cancer patients at the Horton’s Brodey Cancer Centre as well.”
Lisa Glynn, Director of Clinical Services at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust also told us:
“It is wonderful to hear about this important advance that benefits both local and wider Oxfordshire patients by reducing waiting times and improving patient outcomes. We are so grateful to our hospital charity and this very special donor for funding this important step forward.”
If you would like to find out more about supporting the Horton General Hospital, please visit www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/horton or call 0300 373 1188.
10
Years of
Tee-rific Support!
We recently welcomed dedicated fundraisers, Dan Hancocks and Anthony Surley, back to the Oxford Children’s Hospital.
The two fathers first met at the hospital and know it well; Anthony’s son was born with a rare gastroenterological disease and Dan’s son, born a few months later, required major bowel surgery.
Between 2010-2020, Dan and Anthony raised over £200,000 through their charity golf days.
The funds supported vital equipment and extra support to make life easier for young patients and their families.
They were invited to see a commemorative plaque and reconnect with familiar faces over tea and cake. Former Children’s Hospital fundraiser, Penny Hambridge, was also tempted out of retirement to join the thank you event.
We’d love to hear from you if you’d like to organise an event in support of our hospitals!
PICTURED ABOVE: Dan and Anthony, pictured with the charity team, staff from the Children’s Hospital and our CEO Douglas Graham
GivesHope
UK-first Treatment to Patients
Supporting innovative advances in our NHS Trust is at the heart of our charitable mission. Your donations have recently funded specialist ultrasound equipment for exciting work at the Oxford Centre for Enablement (OCE), based at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.
Clinical lead, Anton Pick, explains:
We’re a specialist rehabilitation centre, with a diverse team of experts supporting people from across the South East with a huge variety of disabling conditions. Some attend after catastrophic events, like major strokes or brain injury following trauma, others with lifelong conditions, such as cerebral palsy.
The team is passionate about what we do; helping patients to live as independently as they can and find meaning in their lives, whatever their abilities. As such, we are always watching the horizon for cutting-edge ways to improve the lives of our patients.
Some exciting advances are currently taking place in our field, and our team in Oxford is at the centre of them.
Many of our patients have what is called spasticity –the involuntary tightening of muscles. Spasticity can be a painful, often deforming condition that affects people’s ability to walk, eat, and do many of the things most of us take for granted.
Consequently, it can also have a big impact on their self-esteem.
Many patients aren’t suitable for surgical options, and other treatments currently available only go so far, with effects sometimes lasting just months.
Last year, I came across interesting work taking place in Canada; a team pioneering a new treatment targeting nerves was generating excitement in the field and getting some incredible early results.
The treatment is called Cryoneurolysis and uses the power of ice.
A specialist probe is guided to the targeted nerve by state-of-the-art ultrasound (which was funded by the charity). Nitrous oxide gas is moved from high to low pressure within the needle to generate freezing temperatures – creating a tiny ice ball.
This process of freezing and then thawing damages the faulty nerve, but without affecting the tissue lining of the nerve, nearby blood vessels or muscle.
By doing this you can promptly ‘switch off’ the spasticity – in a way that doesn’t happen with any other similar treatments. The results can be instant and, excitingly, long-lasting.
Clinical Lead, Anton Pick, pictured with Rachel Dye, neurophysiotherapist
It should need to be repeated much less frequently than other existing therapies – and perhaps for some, just a single treatment will be enough. That would really be a game-changer.
We were thrilled that the Canadian team were keen to work with us to bring the treatment to the UK. It’s not easy to bring in an innovation like this, but we were well supported by our Trust, and fortunately have the right quality of ultrasound equipment –funded by Oxford Hospitals Charity – to make it all possible.
We invited a small cohort of patients to be the first in the UK to receive the treatment, including 31-year-old Louise and 60-year-old Andy.
Andy worked at BMW’s mini plant until he had a major stroke nine years ago – his left arm was left flexed and twisted and his left hand so tightly clamped that his wedding ring had to be cut off soon after the stroke. He was in constant pain, walking was difficult, and available treatments weren’t working.
He was the first patient we treated in Oxford with cryoneurolysis and the results were instant. He walked more confidently, his shoulder dropped to a more relaxed position, and in a very special moment his hand was unfurled and his wedding ring returned to his ring finger for the first time since his stroke.
He and his wife Ros then held hands, just like they used to. There wasn’t a dry eye.
Louise was just 23 when she had a stroke which dramatically affected her speech and movement. Her mum Jackie says the stroke initially left her entirely weak ‘like a ragdoll’. Louise became a longterm patient at the OCE, relearning how to walk, talk, live. She was incredibly determined to recover function and worked hard in rehabilitation. However, her spasticity was very difficult to treat.
Louise and her mum Jackie were amazed at the results from the cryo treatment – with Louise calling it ‘amazing’, even ‘miraculous’.
Her walking was instantly so much better, she was ecstatic and told us it gave her hope for the future.
We continue to follow both Louise and Andy’s progress and it’s clear these two lives have been changed hugely for the better. About a year on, we are planning to repeat the treatment on some of their nerves, but others have not required it.
Just like for our patients, this is a big step forward in our field. We were privileged to be the first UK team to work with this new treatment, and indeed one of the first in the world.
We’re continuing to learn how best to utilise the treatment and with which patients. We are currently in the late planning stages of a clinical trial designed to help answer outstanding questions and enable us to learn how to bring this exciting treatment to many more patients in the UK.
The equipment funded by the charity is key to all of this. The team share their deep thanks to the charity, their kind local donor and grant-giving organisation for this generous support.
Andy and Louise, patients at the Oxford Centre for Enablement.
Thank you
for bringing comfort to older and more vulnerable patients in your local hospitals
Earlier this year we asked you to help fund new overnight essentials packs for patients in need.
Every day vulnerable patients, often frail and elderly, are admitted to hospital overnight without warning – perhaps after a fall, or an appointment that flags up concerns. Very often they don’t have the basic essentials needed for an overnight stay in hospital. This can add to an overwhelming situation, leaving patients feeling anxious and uncertain.
Small things make a huge difference for patients in these moments. That’s why we asked you to help us fund our new overnight essentials packs by making a donation. And you responded!
Thanks to you we have been able to fund hundreds of overnight essentials packs, to help patients at this crucial time. Containing a toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb, wipes, ear plugs, and eye mask – what began as an idea from the team at the Ambulatory Assessment Unit in the John Radcliffe, can now spread to other hospital areas.
Luke Thomas, Deputy Charge Nurse in the Ambulatory Assessment Unit, explains: “The packs are a small act of kindness to show patients in need that we care. With your continued support, the charity can now start to roll out this initiative to more departments and wards in our local hospitals.
“We’re getting such lovely feedback, with patients telling us that it is ‘thoughtful and kind’ and that they are ‘truly grateful’. One lady received the pack herself and then later made a donation so that another patient could benefit from the new initiative in the future.”
“I was grateful for the reassurance the pack gave me. I hope my donation helps the next patient who needs it ”
Laura King, Individual Giving Manager, added: “We are so thankful for your support which helps us provide more overnight essentials packs, bringing extra comfort to patients in their moment of need.”
There’s still time to support this appeal and make a donation.
Will you help us fund more patient overnight essentials packs, so we can continue to meet this important need?
Just £20 can bring comfort to vulnerable patients www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/donate/overnight-torch
Dorothy, a patient on the ward, receiving an overnight care pack from Deputy Charge Nurse, Luke Thomas.
SAY HELLO to our new Hub and Bus!
Our goal to raise the profile of our charity has been given a BIG boost in recent months.
First, we opened our new Charity Hub at the main entrance to the Oxford Children’s Hospital. Here, Jamie and Lynn, plus volunteers, provide a friendly welcome as people enter the hospital. The Hub has a tap donate station, charity merchandise and activity packs to keep boredom at bay. Most of all it is somewhere for patients, visitors and staff to drop by, see a friendly face and find out more about the work of the charity. Do come and say hello!
And earlier this year you helped us win the Brand the Bus competition. Now we have a bright pink charity-branded bus driving our charity messages around Oxfordshire! Added to that, the prize includes a package of radio advertising. Many thanks to Oxford Bus Company and Greatest Hits Radio for such an incredible prize.
PICTURED: Oxford University Hospitals CEO, Professor Meghana Pandit, joins staff from the Charity and Trust and young patient Kaiden Edwards to cut the ribbon on our new Charity Hub. OUH staff and the charity team celebrate the arrival of our prize-winning bus!
Musical Support has Big Impact for Patients
A musical initiative at the John Radcliffe’s Complex Medical Unit (CMU) is giving a boost to patients, particularly those who are elderly, frail, or who have conditions like dementia.
Sarah Saunders, the Cognitive Frailty and Dementia Lead Nurse spearheaded the project, with funding from Oxford Hospitals Charity to purchase some simple MP3 players and headphones.
Radio Cherwell’s Neil Stockton, kindly created an array of playlists spanning various decades and added gentle commentary to help reorient and soothe patients. Staff told us the results were outstanding, with patients showing marked improvements in mood and engagement – singing along, smiling or chatting for the first time, and some listening for hours at a time.
Krystal Harry at Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: “We’re so thrilled with the success of this trial. It shows that projects, regardless of their size, can have a profound impact on our patients.
“They’ve been so successful that we are now preparing to introduce them to more areas.”
The CMU team and Oxford Hospitals Charity extend thanks to the charity supporters, including Harry’s Audio Library for making such an impactful project possible.
Our charity’s Artlink programme also brings musicians and even live concerts to our wards.
A quartet from the Oxford Philharmonic regularly play at the Churchill’s Tarver Dialysis Unit, and our Music on Wards team performs to patients across the hospitals – taking requests, having a chat and rekindling special memories.
Diabetic Foot Care Transforming
Diabetic foot disease is one of the most costly complications in the NHS, with close to £1 out of every £100 of the national NHS budget spent on treating it.
So when staff at the Churchill’s Diabetic Foot Clinic asked us to support a big step forward, we were keen to help.
And thanks to the kindness of supporters – including those with direct experience of the life-changing impact of diabetic foot disease – we were able to.
This generous support funded a state-of-the-art ultrasound duplex machine. This now plays a crucial role in managing diabetic foot disease by allowing the team to assess the blood flow to patients’ feet during their appointments – saving vital time and cost.
Consultant Garry Tan, explains: “We’ve assembled a multidisciplinary team here, including experts from vascular surgery, orthopaedics, microbiology, diabetes, podiatry and the vascular studies lab.
“The new ultrasound machine is a game-changer for us. When patients come in with diabetic foot problems, we can now assess their blood supply during the same visit, allowing us to develop a treatment plan on the spot.
“Previously, patients faced lengthy delays, often waiting weeks between appointments to get the necessary tests and results – adding to their stress and delaying care.
“Now, with this ‘one-stop shop’ approach, we can deliver the timely and effective treatment essential to manage diabetic foot disease.”
Thank you for supporting important projects like this.
Garry Tan and team
Nurse Marion’s Special Gift to the Oxford Children’s Hospital
A former nurse, who worked for many years at the Radcliffe Infirmary, has left a generous legacy to the Oxford Children’s Hospital.
Family told us that Marion Rowland dedicated her life to looking after children. First as a nanny in America – often travelling around the world – then as a nurse on Leopold Ward in the 1970s, before moving to the Oxford Children’s Hospital when it first opened.
Marion lived most of her life in Oxford’s Summertown and loved her regular walks to the hospital. She is remembered fondly by those who knew her; always meticulously dressed, an independent lady with a super sense of humour. Over the years she cared for many hundreds of young patients in hospital – which spurred her to leave a gift in her Will to support the future care of poorly children.
She wrote: “This gift is given in recognition of many happy memories whilst working on the paediatric wards at the Radcliffe Infirmary and the John Radcliffe Hospital and also with my good wishes to all – with the hope that a successful and happy future will present itself.”
Thank you Marion, for your kindness and commitment to the care of children in hospital.
Could you support our hospitals in this special way?
We provide a FREE Write Your Will service and all the information you or your solicitor will need. Visit www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/legacy or for an initial chat about your wishes please call us on 01865 743 444.
Legacies allow our charity to do so much good across our hospitals. Perhaps you, like Marion, could include our charity in your Will and leave a legacy gift to help the care of your local community long into the future?
Remembering Silver Star’s Professor Chris Redman
This August Professor Chris Redman sadly passed away.
Maggie Findlay, who looks after our Silver Star Maternity Fund, shares the important legacy of this very special man.
I worked with ‘Prof’, as I always called him, for over 25 years – he was a maternity pioneer, a wonderful colleague and a true friend.
He initially came to Oxford to conduct a trial and manage hypertensive pregnancies and was soon leading the care of many mothers-to-be with pregnancy-related medical disorders.
In 1983 he set up a dedicated maternal medicine service called the Silver Star Unit. As one of the first obstetric physicians in the world, he transformed maternal care, and the Silver Star template was reproduced worldwide.
A group of grateful parents set up the Silver Star Society to raise extra funds for the unit and support their ground-breaking research work into pre-eclampsia.
Prof dedicated his life to pushing forward research and driving standards for maternity care – benefiting so many families in Oxfordshire and indeed worldwide.
We are immensely sorry to lose him, but deeply proud to have known him – his legacy will continue.
There have been many tributes left by families that Prof Redman quite literally helped to create. To share your memories or make a donation: Silverstarremembersprofessorchrisredman. celebrationpage.org
Your Fundraising Stories
We love all the innovative ways you raise funds for our wonderful charity! See more stories on our social media (just search for Oxford Hospitals Charity) or at www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/news
Choral Sing-a-thon Raises Over £9,000
The Cotswold Voices Choir, fifty singers aged 20 to 70, sang nonstop for nine hours at Oxford’s Westgate Shopping Centre recently – raising £9,651 for Oxford Hospitals Charity!
The Sing-a-thon featured popular rock and pop songs, with crowd favourites like ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky” and a medley from The Greatest Showman.
Choir member Sarah Nisbett explained that the charity was chosen because of its vital support for patients and staff, which many choir members had personally experienced.
Pete’s Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge for the Churchill
Pete Collison ran 106km around the Isle of Wight’s scenic coastal path, raising £614 for the Churchill Hospital.
Motivated by his father’s cancer surgery in 2023, he conquered the route in 20 hours and 30 minutes!
Little Lottie’s BIG Steps for Charity
Meet Lottie, a big-hearted four-year-old from Wantage. Lottie walked laps in her local park − whatever the weather – to raise funds throughout a wet and windy July.
Inspired by local firefighters, Lottie chose to help “poorly children” and as a former patient, she wanted to give back to the Play Specialists who brightened her hospital stays.
Going outside in all the elements, she raised £1,250, with surprise support from Harry Bear, the charity mascot, and even the local fire crew!
Lottie’s mum, Rachel, said: “I am so proud of Lottie for coming up with this idea by herself. The world definitely needs more Lotties!”
Horton Fundraising Gets a Lift!
Earlier this year a group of lucky folks from Banbury took part in a special forklift training experience – whilst raising £500 for the Horton General Hospital.
Anne Marshall from Stackers Training organised the forklift event where attendees tackled steering exercises and even some box stacking!
Anne said: “It was such a brilliant day, everyone enjoyed themselves. We wanted to support our local hospital because our family have been looked after very well there.”
Teacher’s Top Class Charity Football Match
Jonathan Saunders, a teacher at Holtspur School in Beaconsfield, organised a charity football match, raising £1,400 for the Oxford Children’s Hospital.
Motivated by two pupils who had recently undergone multiple surgeries at the hospital, Jonathan and a parent of one of the pupils wanted to support the Play Therapy team, which helps prepare children for surgery and aid their recovery.
The match, held at Wycombe Wanderers’ Adams Park, ended in a 3-0 result but was enjoyed by all, and included a half-time children’s match and raffle.
Jurassic Coast Challenge for Neuroscience Unit
Pete said: “Thankfully Dad is now well on the road to recovery. I’m so grateful to the amazing team that works across the NHS in particular in our Oxford hospitals.”
A mammoth thank you to the incredible ‘Wait for Me Willis’ team for conquering the 58km Jurassic Ultra Coast Challenge. This endurance test, which includes a steep 1,700m climb, was tackled by Kumi, Cat, Natalie, Tash, and Isla – dedicated staff from the Neuroscience and Intensive Care units.
Ranging from novices to seasoned runners, they navigated the stunning Dorset terrain from Corfe Castle to Weymouth, raising over £2,600!
WallyUkes Strum up £250 for Charity
The WallyUkes, a Wallingford-based ukulele band, recently held their first ever concert, raising over £250 Formed in 2023, the group meets weekly to play a variety of music from Chuck Berry to Miley Cyrus. Their focus on friendship and community led them to support our charity’s Music on Wards Programme, which brings live music to hospital patients.
Bank Holiday Fun at The Folly
Over the May Bank Holiday Weekend, The Folly Inn pub in Farringdon hosted a Charity Fun Weekend to raise funds for the Churchill Hospital’s Cancer and Haematology Department.
With a full lineup of activities, it promised to be an action-packed event!
From karaoke to a 5KM fun run and family cycle, there was something for everyone. Highlights included “Brave the Shave” and plenty of live music to keep everyone entertained over the three day event.
A huge thank you to the staff at the Folly Inn and the local community for raising over £6,000 through your participation and donations!
Raising smiles at the Churchill
Supporter Tanya Crouch, who lost her mother to cancer in 2022, donated 45 brand new “Scentsy Buddies” – fun cuddly characters filled with calming scents. The charity team delivered the special gifts and brought in pizza for patients on the Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Ward at the Churchill. Tanya, a Scentsy consultant, saved up her credits with the help of friends and family to purchase the gifts to brighten the day for cancer patients, like 23-year-old Maddie Deacon from Thatcham.
There were enough for children on Kamran’s Ward in the Oxford Children’s Hospital too!
Get involved
There are many ways you can support our charity. Whether you join one of these events or organise something yourself, we would really love your support! Visit www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/events for full details of these and more.
Charity Black Tie Event at Leonardo Hotel
Friday 15 November 2024
Dress to impress and join us for a fun-filled evening with welcome drinks, 2 course buffet, an auction and live entertainment
Tickets are £79 per person, with proceeds benefitting four local charities. We’d love to see you there.
For tickets and more information, visit: hospitalcharity.co.uk/black-tie-event
OX5 RUN Returns!
Sunday 23rd March 2025
Join us for another exciting year of the OX5 RUN! In 2024 our amazing supporters raised over £110,000 at our annual OX5 RUN for the Oxford Children’s Hospital and children’s services across the Trust.
Get set to join in the fun in 2025, by running, jogging, or strolling around the beautiful five-mile course at Blenheim Palace.
Whether you’re aiming for a personal best or just enjoying the scenery with friends, family or colleagues, your participation makes all the difference.
Don’t miss this chance to support our biggest annual fundraiser supporting young patients in our hospitals. www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/OX5RUN
Looking for a BIG Challenge?
See our website for a list of ultra challenges across the country – www.hospitalcharity.co.uk/events
Can’t think of what to put on your birthday gift list? Create a birthday fundraiser!
Instead of asking for presents this year, why not set up a birthday fundraiser and help make a difference to patients and staff in your local hospitals?
It’s quick and easy – just visit facebook.com/fund/ OxfordHospitalsCharity.
A huge thank you to everyone who has created birthday fundraisers this year; your contributions are greatly appreciated.
Meet the
Play Specialists
It’s a privilege to be part of each child’s care journey – I absolutely love my job!
Hospitals can be overwhelming and frightening for children, sometimes even making it difficult for them to receive care.
Enter the Play Specialists – a team of therapeutic play experts dedicated to helping children cope and improving medical outcomes throughout Oxford Children’s Hospital, Horton General and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.
Emily Hodgkins, a Senior Play Specialist at the John Radcliffe Children’s Emergency Department (ED) has 20 years of experience. Her skilled and empathetic approach is a crucial part of the integrated care delivered by the Children’s ED team. She told us:
“It’s a privilege to be part of each child’s care journey – I absolutely love my job!”
Every day is different and things can change quickly - nowhere more so than when dealing with emergency care. Responding to the individual needs of each child is paramount for the Play Specialists:
“We might be called on to support a huge variety of situations – whether it’s leading a play activity that compliments a child’s physiotherapy, engaging children who are on bed rest, or creating a calm and relaxed environment to help a child undergo their treatment and distract them from pain.”
Emily Hodgkins
Play Specialist of the Year in 2023 next to the specialist sensory equipment funded by our charity, pictured below.
“We help to normalise the hospital environment for children, easing their fears and even introducing some fun!”
Oxford Hospitals Charity understands how vital Play Specialists are. Your donations have stocked play rooms, funded posts within the team, and equipment, including “The Voyager” – an interactive mobile sensory play unit.
“I use it every day, wherever it’s needed in the department. It always makes a huge impact, providing stimulation, distraction or relaxation, depending on each child’s needs.”
Emily is deeply grateful for the support of Oxford Hospitals Charity, which provides her with the tools she needs to do her job “Equipment like ‘The Voyager’ makes a real difference for children every single day.”
By funding play, you are directly supporting children and I cannot thank you enough.
