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We’re incredibly grateful to the runners who take on the London Marathon each year in support of Leicester Hospitals Charity. Their efforts help us to raise vital funds that

 provide additional resources across our hospitals, enhancing NHS care and improving the experience for patients, their families and our staff. 

This year, three runners took on our Charity places, alongside others who secured their own places and chose to fundraise for us. Together, they have raised over £18,300 so far. Thank you to all for their dedication and incredible achievement.

Lauren 

Lauren took on the challenge following her own family experience. When her son Eden was born in November 2024, he was transferred to Leicester Royal Infirmary by the CenTre Neonatal Transport Service. During an incredibly difficult time, the team provided calm, reassurance, and support. Wanting to give back, Lauren raised over £4,000 to support the service, helping other families who may face similar situations. Reflecting on her experience, she shared that the marathon was about resilience, gratitude and supporting others. 

Lauren said, “It feels bigger than me; it’s about honouring our story and supporting other families who may find themselves in similar situations.” 

Emma 

Emma’s story is one of determination and recovery. Born with pectus excavatum, she faced ongoing challenges with her breathing and in 2020, underwent surgery at Leicester Glenfield Hospital, with follow-up care at Leicester’s Intensive Care Unit.  

Six years on, Emma took on the London Marathon to celebrate her progress. She raised over £4,500 for Ward 10 at Leicester Children’s Hospital, helping to improve the environment for young patients through enhanced spaces, activities and small comforts. Now working as a newly qualified Children’s nurse at the hospital, Emma is using her experience to support and inspire others. 

Emma said: “I will never forget the care, kindness and support”   

Matt 

Matt chose to run in recognition of the care his family has received from cancer services across our hospitals. After losing his mother to cancer and more recently supporting his father following a stage 4 diagnosis, he wanted to give back. Matt has raised over £3,600 to support patients and families, helping to make a difference during some of the most challenging times. 

We are also grateful to those who secured their own places and chose to fundraise in support of our hospitals.  

Michaela  

Michaela took on the marathon after her son Charlie was born prematurely at 26 weeks and received specialist care, raising £2,600 for the CenTre Neonatal Transport Service. 

Yogesh 

Yogesh raised over £1,300 to support older patients’ wards, helping to improve care for patients, families and staff. 

Andy 

Andy raised £1650. 

If you are interested in running for Leicester Hospitals Charity and helping to make great things happen, please visit our events page. 

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. 

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) is proud to announce the opening of the first SWAN Room, made possible through the incredible generosity of supporters of Leicester Hospitals Charity.

The SWAN (Sign/Words/Actions/Needs) model of care is a nationally recognised approach designed to improve the experience of dying patients and their families. It enhances the confidence and knowledge of ward teams, and ensures care is delivered with dignity, compassion and respect. The introduction of SWAN Rooms at UHL marks a significant step forward in improving the quality and consistency of end-of-life care across the Trust.

The three pilot rooms are located at:

• Ward 35 and 29 at Glenfield Hospital
• Ward 40 at Leicester Royal Infirmary

These thoughtfully enhanced side rooms provide a peaceful, calming environment for patients who are recognised as dying. They allow those important to the patient to spend precious time together in comfort and privacy.

Karen Murray, Palliative and End of Life Care Lead Nurse,  said: “When a patient’s condition deteriorates, families often choose to remain at the bedside, sometimes overnight and at very short notice. The SWAN Rooms are equipped with practical comforts such as reclining chairs, soft furnishings, refreshment facilities and toiletry packs, helping loved ones to rest and care for themselves while staying close.

“The rooms also create opportunities for meaningful memory-making — whether listening to a favourite song, creating handprints, or accessing specialist resources for bereaved children. These compassionate touches can make a lasting difference during one of life’s most difficult moments.”

Funded by the Community

The three initial developments of the SWAN Rooms have been funded entirely thanks to the generosity of individuals, community groups and businesses supporting Leicester Hospitals Charity.

Among those supporters is a local business, Crowndale Foodservice, whose employees completed a sponsored swim challenge in Bulgaria, raising an incredible £4,000 towards the project.

William Boulger, Director of Crowndale Foodservice (pictured left), said: “When we heard about the SWAN Rooms and the difference they would make to families at such a vulnerable time, we knew we wanted to help. Taking on the swim challenge was tough, but nothing compared to what families go through. Our local hospitals play a vital role in caring for the people around us every day, and we are proud to do what we can to support them. We’re pleased that the money we raised will help create a more peaceful and dignified environment for patients and their loved ones.”

The project was also supported by Emily Newton (pictured fourth from right), who completed the London Marathon in 2025 in memory of her father, who passed away in 2024. Emily said: “The hospital was there when my dad was receiving end-of-life care.  I wanted to support the hospital and decided to run the London Marathon in his memory, and I approached the Charity to help me raise funds for this project.  I’m proud to be able to help other families by creating a calm, comforting space to spend precious final moments together.  The room looks great.”

Building for the Future

The launch follows learning from other NHS trusts, including Northampton General Hospital, where SWAN Rooms have already transformed the care experience for dying patients and their families. Feedback from patients, relatives and staff has shown significant improvements in comfort, dignity and overall experience.

UHL hopes this pilot will demonstrate the positive impact of the SWAN model locally and inspire further charitable support to expand the programme to additional wards. There are also future ambitions to create a dedicated family room away from clinical areas, recognising the important role such spaces play in supporting loved ones.

This initiative forms part of UHL’s wider strategy to improve end-of-life care and enhance the care environment for patients and families.

Sunita Patel, Head of Charity at Leicester Hospitals Charity (pictured right) said: “We are incredibly grateful to every individual and organisation who has supported this project so far. The SWAN Rooms show the powerful difference charitable donations can make in our hospitals. Together we’ve been able to support colleagues to create spaces of comfort, dignity and compassion for patients and families when they are needed most.

“We exist to support UHL to enhance the care and experience of everyone who comes into contact with our services.  We are so pleased to support our Specialist Palliative Care Team to continue to raise funds for more SWAN rooms across all wards within the three acute sites.”

For more information about the SWAN Rooms or to support the work of the Specialist Palliative Care Team, please click here.