Month: March 2026

The Big Pledge Weekend returned for its third consecutive year from Friday 6 March to Monday 9 March 2026, bringing the people of Leicester together in a show of support for patients, their families and NHS staff across Leicester’s Hospitals. 

The four-day fundraising event raised a fantastic £18,000 to support our current campaign – Parent Facilities Appeal. The appeal is dedicated to improving facilities for parents whose children are receiving critical care in the Children’s Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Leicester Royal Infirmary. 

Over the next two years, the Charity is hoping to raise over £1.2m towards refurbishing overnight parent bedrooms, creating a new parent lounge complete with kitchenette facilities, and enhancing privacy and comfort for families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Through dedicated events and appeals throughout the year we have already raised over £600,000 towards this target. The improvements will help ensure parents can remain close to their child’s bedside with dignity, reassurance and the opportunity to rest. 

We hope to raise enough to start phase 1 of the project in 2026, providing immediate benefit for parents and families. This year’s Big Pledge Weekend was aimed at getting us to another £40,000 towards this. 

A weekend of community action 

Over the course of the weekend, fundraising and engagement activities took place across key locations in Leicester to encourage widespread participation in this phase of the appeal. 

On Friday and Monday, supporters visited the charity team at Leicester Royal Infirmary’s LEat restaurant and the Main Reception in the Windsor Building, where staff, patients and visitors were invited to pledge their support and take part in games. 

Saturday featured a special Pledge Day broadcast live from Ramadan FM, where listeners were encouraged to donate throughout the day. Donations made during Ramadan hold particular significance, and the broadcast highlighted the power of collective generosity within the community. 

Throughout the weekend, pledge points were also hosted at Haymarket Shopping Centre and Fosse Park, allowing shoppers to learn more about the appeal and donate in person.

Community support 

Stephen James, a local community fundraiser who raised £2,000 towards the Big Pledge Weekend by organising a coach trip to the seaside and a raffle at his local pub, said, “For me, this weekend has been about giving back to my local hospital, especially for younger patients. I’ve supported the Charity for some time. I’ve pledged my support for other appeals, and I really wanted to do something for the current Parent Facilities Appeal.   

Hospitals are at the heart of our community. We should do what we can to support them and make sure we can elevate the care that local people receive, support patient families and the NHS staff who deliver the service.” 

Sunita Patel, Head of Charity at Leicester Hospitals Charity, said, ”This year, it has been incredibly moving to see individuals, families, community groups and businesses unite behind our Parent Facilities Appeal. Every donation and every conversation shared during the Big Pledge Weekend brings us closer to creating a more comfortable and supportive environment for parents in CICU. 

“We want to thank everyone who supported us over the weekend activities.” 

The Charity was pleased to receive match funding before the weekend from various businesses and community groups who helped to maximise the impact of donations.  Even though the £40,000 target wasn’t met at this stage of the appeal, there is still time to give a gift or even help us fundraise so we can reach our target and get phase 1 of the project underway.  

For more information about Leicester Hospitals Charity, to donate, or see how else you can get involved, please contact the Charity team.