June 2021 - Leicester Hospitals Charity

Seven community projects in Leicester supporting local people in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic will be boosted by a share of £490,000 thanks to a Community Partnership Grant from NHS Charities Together.

Delivered through a partnership between the three local NHS Charities, Leicester Hospitals Charity, Raising Health (Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust) and East Midlands Ambulance Charitable Fund, seven grants were made to support communities affected by the highest levels of deprivation and greatest health inequalities.

The grants are a first step in a combined desire between the partnership groups to help ‘level up’ NHS services for the most vulnerable people in our communities as the region emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over 40 local charities and projects applied to receive a grant, with the seven recipients chosen for their focus on supporting vulnerable and marginalised people in our communities.

Leicester Hospitals Charity Director, Lisa Davies, says the group of the three local NHS charities are proud to support these important local projects through these grant awards.

“The pandemic has impacted all of us, but people in our community who are vulnerable and the community charities who support them have been hit particularly hard,” says Lisa.

“Through this funding from NHS Charities Together, we are delighted to lend a helping hand to these seven important projects as they support people in our communities. As we emerge from the pandemic over the coming years, we’re proud that these grants will help our communities to recover.

“For us at Leicester Hospitals Charity and our partners at Raising Health and East Midlands Ambulance Charitable Fund, we all see this moment in time as an important opportunity to create a positive legacy from Covid. Nothing can undo the difficulties and hurt the pandemic has caused, but we are all determined to help make our health services even better for those who need them most.”

The charities and community projects named as beneficiaries of this NHS Charities Together grant are:

– Enrych – empowering adults living with a disability, particularly who are socially isolated, to live active and independent lives.

– Reaching People – supporting older vulnerable people with mental health, wellbeing, housing, benefits and money advice.

– Centre for Fun & Families –supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing through 121s and groupwork programmes covering anxiety, low-mood, low confidence and self-harm.

– Home Start Horizons – providing one-to-one family support and post-natal illness specialist support for families in BAME communities

– Leicester City in the Community – “United Leicester”, supporting adult mental health through sport, offering activities around education, community engagement, and health and wellbeing.

– Rural Community Council – supporting adult mental health across Melton Mowbray and Rutland by providing intensive one-to-one support individuals considered ‘high intensity’

– Leicester Academic Health Partnership – supporting research into health inequalities pertaining to NHS trusts. Working to understand the inequalities in health care that affect those who experience poorer outcomes as service users.

Two grateful fathers who feel a personal debt of gratitude to Leicester’s Hospitals are stepping up to support the Trust by becoming Leicester Hospitals Charity’s first ever Community Champions.

As the nation celebrates Volunteers’ Week, Leicester Hospitals Charity proudly announces that John Nowell of Leicester and Jason Howling of Peterborough will be the charity’s inaugural fundraising figureheads.

By raising awareness as well as funds for the charity, Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Community Champions will play a vital role in supporting all three of Leicester’s Hospitals.

Veteran helicopter pilot John Nowell says he felt compelled to give back after Leicester’s Hospitals helped to save his son’s life back in the 1980s.

“My third son, Nicholas, was born at 26 weeks,” explains John. “Without doubt, the staff of the Leicester Children’s Hospital saved his life during his year-long stay in hospital.

“At one point, he was transported to Glenfield Hospital for a major operation to have the upper part of one lung removed. Today he is a great big strapping chap with a terrific sense of humour!

To give back, John will be raising funds for Leicester Hospitals Charity by collecting and recycling metal cans and tins at Glenfield Hospital.

“As we have all seen over the past 18 months, our NHS has faced perhaps the most challenging situation this century and it is to their credit that they are winning,” says John.

“We, the people of Leicestershire & Rutland, can support Leicester Hospitals Charity by simply donating your used aluminium cans to generate funds to enable the NHS to become even more efficient and save even more lives.”

The charity’s second Community Champion, Jason Howling, is determined to give back to Leicester’s Hospitals as their continue to provide treatment to his newborn son.

“Back in December, we had our third child, Arthur,” Jason explains.

“A few days after he was born, he became very unwell and was quickly transferred to the Leicester Royal Infirmary with what turned out to be a hole in his stomach. He had surgery and was taken to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit for a few days before being well enough to move to Ward 10. Arthur underwent two further surgeries and spent nearly nine weeks in total on the ward.

“We were really impressed by the level of care we received over those weeks – Arthur was so well looked after, but they looked after us as parents, too! His surgeons did an incredible job of making him better. He spent four weeks with a stoma in the hospital during the second lockdown which we were supported in caring for. The nurses were exceptional given what they were going through at the time. We’ve never met such a kind group of people.”

Jason says he’ll be taking part in Leicester Hospitals Charity events and encouraging others to join him to help other families like his.

“We know that the NHS will do what they need to do for their patients, but there’s a whole host of things around that care which Leicester Hospitals Charity help with. There’s a whole load of things the NHS does to support parents and people who are going through what is, potentially, the worst time of their lives and support them – especially during COVID too.

“For myself and my partner, who wanted to be involved with this all the way through, we’re definitely going to be taking part in some of the charity’s fundraising events. I particularly fancy doing the Firewalk in October – something a little bit different I think! And when we can, we’d love to visit the staff on Ward 10 and show them how well Arthur is doing and how big he is now!”

Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Head of Fundraising, Claire Campbell, thanked John and Jason for their efforts and encouraged others to put themselves forward to support their local hospitals.

“On this Volunteers’ Week, we’re delighted to have both John and Jason agree to become our first ever Community Champions,” says Claire.

“We want to create a movement of passionate local people who want to support our hospitals. Volunteering as a community champion is such a fulfilling way to help patients and staff across our three Leicester hospitals. John and Jason are fantastic role models for those who want to join them in benefiting the wider community.

“Anyone willing to give up some of their time to fundraise, volunteer or help spread the world about our work can become a Community Champion and help us make the care our hospitals’ patients receive even better into the future.”

To learn more about the Community Champions programme or for more information about Leicester Hospitals Charity, visit www.LHCharity.org.uk or call 0116 258 8709.

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