Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Charity

January 2013

New Year Hope

for Newborns
How you can make a difference

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Charity news

Letter from Lord Hunt

year 2012 was, and with so many highlights. In the summer we had our sponsored walk, in gorgeous sunshine from Heartlands to Solihull Hospital, and the Friends of Solihull Hospital reached their target of 87,000 for a state of the art laparoscopic camera. In November, Speight of the Art began their fantastic work involving our younger patients in a wide range of artistic activities. A massive thank you to everyone involved, not just in these events, but also the many individuals and teams fundraising, both within and outside the Hospital on behalf of staff and patients. The future looks bright, so watch this space for what Im sure will be another exciting year of charity events. One thing we are looking forward to in particular, is a refocus on the Newborns in Need appeal, an excellent programme which raises much needed funds for newborns in our Hospitals. You can find more details in this months edition.

Hello, and Happy New Year! Welcome to the January 2013 edition of Charity Chat. What a wonderful

BIG
Registered Charity Number 1052330

New Years resolutions might involve giving up cake, biscuits and exercising more. But have you thought about giving more to charity? Heres a New Years resolution youll be guaranteed to be able to keep! Join with hundreds of your colleagues, and sign up to the Trusts Pennies from Heaven scheme to help raise money for patients who need it most. The scheme means your salary is rounded down to the nearest pound each month, and those pennies (anything between 1p and 99p per month) go directly to the Trust Charity and patient care at the Trust. Visit P for Pennies on the intranet to sign up. Visit the Charitys Facebook page www.facebook.com/heartofenglandcharity to see how donations make a difference at our Hospitals.

Charity news

Christmas comes early for poorly children

There were smiles and laughter on the Childrens ward at Heartlands Hospital as kind hearted young people dressed up and came bearing gifts. The young people, aged between 16 and 23 from Solihull, arranged the visit as part of their Princes Trust course, dressed up as Father Christmas, elves and handed out gifts including selection boxes and cuddly toys. Julie Luckman, Play Specialist on the Childrens Ward, said: It was lovely to welcome these visitors to the ward, they really brought a smile to the faces of our patients. Lots of children are here for long periods and this is a lovely way to help brighten up their day and help them forget any discomfort they may be in. Thank you to all the students, and everyone at the Princes Trust for organising this. Vanessa Morris, Princes Trust Team Leader, said: The young people were so enthusiastic

about this project and really got into the spirit of the occasion. It was an eye opening for them and they got a lot out of the experience, whilst at the same time touching the lives of poorly children. The Princes Trust gives practical and financial support, developing key workplace skills such as confidence and motivation to many young people in the region and nationwide. The organisation has helped more than 600,000 young people since 1976 and support 100 more each working day. To find out more, visit www. princes-trust.org.uk If you are interested in contacting your local Hospital to donate, or organise a fundraising event, call 0121 424 3838 or email fundraising@ heartofengland.nhs.uk

Art brings a smile

Charity news

Patients and local school children have been rolling up their sleeves and getting involved with an exciting new art project. The ARTlands project started last November and involves 33 weeks of artistic activity for Heartlands Childrens Ward and 7 local schools. More than a dozen dedicated artists are involved on everything from music, textiles, graffiti, puppetry and dance. The project will culminate in a final exhibition in which the work of the school children will be showcased alongside that of the patients. The project is being run by registered charity Speight of the Art, in partnership with the schools and Hospital. Speight of the Art was founded in 2008

by former motorsport television commentator and producer, Oliver Speight, in memory of his son Mark Speight, the star of BBC childrens art programmes such as SMART. Since inception, the charity has helped over 10,000 children with arts projects. Oliver said: This is the most exciting and invigorating challenge for Speight of the Art to date. This is our contribution and support to the community through the NHS, our partners in this project, with whom it is a privilege to work. To take children from their school environment into hospital surroundings allows the child to remember there is always someone worse off than you. It is a question of giving as well as receiving and that is what this

nation needs to be doing. Artlands will eventually benefit some 1,000 children, both in Hospital and local schools. The participants meet on the wards and share in workshop experiences, enabling children from all backgrounds to develop communication skills, engage with other children and staff, increase confidence and aid successful recovery. The project is funded by the Arts Council and would not have been possible without their generous support. More recently the charity has received a donation towards this project from The William A Cadbury Charitable Trust For more information visit www.speightoftheart.co.uk

Charity news

Good Hope helping poorly Brave Nicola climbs a children beat the blues

mountain for Heartlands Hospital

Good Hope is helping banish boredom and bring smiles to poorly children with the very latest in high tech entertainment. Charity the Starlight Childrens Foundation have donated a Fun Centre to the Hospitals Emergency Department Childrens Area. The robot-shaped mobile entertainment unit, worth 3,000, includes a Nintendo Wii console, four Nintendo DSis, DVD / Blu-ray player, internet access, flat screen TV and will be used to help distract children and help them feel better while they are being treated on the unit. Annette Lillywhite, Unit Play Specialist, said: We are really grateful to Starlight for donating this piece of

machinery. It has amazing benefits on the children we see, helps put their minds at rest and helps them recover quicker. It also helps children feel less anxious and worried about illness and treatment and they often require less pain medication. Happy children do get better quicker. The Fun Centre has not been with us long, but its already proving incredibly popular with our patients! If you are interested in fundraising for your local Hospital, call the Fundraising team on 0121 424 3838, or email fundraising@ heartofengland.nhs.uk. You can follow Heart of England Fundraising on www.facebook. com/heartofenglandcharity

A brave local lady has climbed one of the toughest mountains in the UK to raise money and say thank you to Heartlands Hospital. Nicola Davies, from Tamworth, climbed Mount Snowdon and raised an amazing 1,050 for the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) at Heartlands Hospital in memory of her aunt. Nicola, said: My aunt spent some time in Heartlands ITU until she passed away in February last year. I was very close to my aunt and whilst she was in hospital I came to see her every day and called each morning. I cant thank everyone enough for this, but its my way of giving something back.
Registered Charity Number 1052330

Charity appeals

Newborns in Need is a fund within the Heart of England Charity which supports some of the most vulnerable and poorly babies at our Hospitals. Each year Good Hope and Heartlands Hospital care for over 1,000 babies, some of whom are born more than four months early and weigh as little as one pound. An average of one in ten babies born in the Trust needs the support of our neonatal units, and as we provide the highest level of care for the most premature and most sick babies, the unit also takes babies from across the whole region. The neonatal units provide 24 hour care using dedicated breathing machines, incubators, and sophisticated monitoring equipment As the techniques in medical care advance, more and more of our babies survive and enjoy a better chance in life. The Charitys aim is to match these advances with financial support beyond the limits of NHS funding to ensure the very latest equipment is available for the patients who need it most. The following story illustrates how vital the work of the Neonatal Unit at Heartlands Hospital is to the people of Birmingham and surrounding areas.

All through my pregnancy I was very ill. At 20 weeks I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, which causes high blood pressure and fluid retention. I was given lots of medication to help with the symptoms, but was still very poorly. At 27 weeks, my condition deteriorated and the preeclampsia became severe. If its not treated, the condition

Jades Story

see him so small. Because my blood pressure was so low, and Mylos condition was so serious, we were both transferred to Heartlands Neonatal Unit. I was discharged after a week but Mylo stayed in the Unit. There were times when I wondered if hed ever be allowed to leave. I saw mothers come and go with

Without the help of the Neonatal Unit, me and Mylo would not be here today.
can lead to life-threatening complications for both mother and baby. My body swelled up like a balloon and it felt like there was someone standing on my chest. My condition got so bad I was put in an emergency ambulance to University Hospital Coventry, where I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Mylo. He weighed just 2lb 3oz. As soon as he was born I felt better. It took 4 hours to stabilise him, but it was another 14 hours before I was allowed to see him. In my head I tried to prepare myself for seeing him for the first time and was expecting the worst. It was a shock to their babies, but I never got that chance. It was 2 weeks until I was allowed to hold him, and another week for my partner Andrew. Altogether Mylo was in hospital for 109 days, but 15 months later, were so happy to say that hes made a complete recovery. I got to know members of staff and lots of other mums in similar situations. We became as close as if wed known each other for many years. The Heartlands Neonatal staff were some of the nicest people Ive ever met and their dedication was incredible. Without them, Mylo and myself would not be here today.

Charity appeals

Did you know?

It costs approximately 1,000 per day to run a cot for a premature baby in intensive care. Some need only a few days care, whilst others may require a stay of several months Premature babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are vulnerable to a range of problems, including breathing difficulties as their lungs are not yet fully formed Because of their small size, premature babies do not normally have enough body fat to regulate their own temperature and need to be cared for in an incubator to keep them warm Very premature babies (those born before 32 weeks) may be too young to feed and have to be fed via a tube directly to their stomach. Premature babies are also at increased risk of developing infections, jaundice and eye problems.

Newborns

in Need

If you would like to donate to Newborns in Need, go to www.justgiving.com/ newbornsinneedfund For advice, help and further information about fundraising, or other enquiries, contact fundraising@ heartofengland.nhs.uk or call 0121 424 3838.

Registered Charity Number 1052330

Charity news

Kind Hearted donation in memory of Childrens Ward Santa

Solihull patients sitting comfortably thanks to Lions

Stroke patients at Solihull Hospital will benefit from a 2,150 donation from Solihull Lions towards a state of the art stroke chair. The donation, from District 105 M Zone C Lions Clubs International, is a big boost for staff and patients on ward 8 at the Hospital. The chair is fully adjustable, giving patients greater support, increased safety and extra mobility.

Children at Heartlands Hospital received a special Christmas donation in memory of Santa Dan Jones, a Hospital institution who visited the children as Santa for 34 years. Dans grandson Richard Jones held a golf tournament in memory of his granddad, who passed away in 2007, raising a huge 5,000 for the ward. Richard, from Solihull, said: Grandad did so much for the children at the Hospital for so many years, and when you see how it benefits the children at our Hospitals, it makes a big impression on you. We did this in remembrance of Dan, and to mark his legacy. To be able to carry on his work and make such a difference is a big privilege. Chris Morrell, Play Specialist on the ward, said: Santa Dan
Registered Charity Number 1052330

was such a big part of our history and did so much for us, we are thankful for all he did and that his memory lives on in the wonderful donation we have received. Richard and his business partner Steve Dent helped organise the golf event at Staverton Park, Northamptonshire, in conjunction with Dans golf society, the Midlands SPA. The money will be put straight into the ward and directly towards patient care. The ward plan to buy new monitors used to track patients vital signs and will be used on every child that comes into the department.
Main pic: Dan with TV host Noel Edmonds unveiling a 34 years of Santa Dan plaque at Heartlands Hospital in 2007. Inset from left to right: Richard Jones, Childrens Ward patient Callum Davis and Steve Dent.

Rachael Jones, Ward 8 manager, said: Everyone on the ward is very thankful for this donation, the chair makes a big difference for our patients. Its really useful for patients who lack mobility and confidence in movement. It means patients are not in the same position for long periods of time and ultimately will aid their recovery.

Charity news

Grateful parents give something back

A local couple have turned their tragedy into hope, raising a huge 4,000 for the Heartlands Unit where they were treated. Michala and Rob Sheedy, from Sheldon, raised the money in memory of their baby boy, Byren, who was sadly still-born in July 2011 and have provided muchneeded equipment for specialist bereavement Unit, the Eden Suite, where he was delivered. Rob Sheedy, said: The staff on the Eden Suite were absolutely brilliant, in difficult and emotional circumstances. We wanted to do this to show our gratitude and also make sure other families in our situation are given the best possible care. Through Byrens memory, other

families will be able to benefit from the donation and the care Heartlands has to offer. The couple have provided a cold-cot, a special item of equipment which gives bereaved parents valuable extra time to spend with their baby, enabling them to create precious memories of their baby. The money will also go towards more furnishings for the Units rooms including new beds, side cabinets and comfy sofa chairs. Clare Beesley, Specialist Bereavement Midwife at the Hospital, said: We are so thankful to Michaela and Rob for their generosity. The cold-cot is such an important item for our unit, and the refurbishment helps so much because its those little

touches which make a parents stay more comfortable. The Sheedys organised fundraising events with raffles and discos and received donations from friends, family, staff at Jaguar Land Rover and Sainsburys. The Family also received a donation from the Lee Caulfield Friends Association. If you are interested in fundraising for your local Hospital, call the Fundraising team on 0121 424 3838, or email fundraising@ heartofengland.nhs.uk. You can follow Heart of England Fundraising on www.facebook. com/heartofenglandcharity

Charity news

Friends donation is major boost for patients in Solihull

Friends unveil memorial

The Friends of Solihull Hospital have said a big thank you to a true friend, with the unveiling of a memorial bench. The bench was installed in memory of Stella Hall, a longstanding volunteer and former Secretary of the Friends, who sadly passed away in May last year, aged 88.

Patients at Solihull will soon be benefitting thanks to a huge donation which will dramatically improve care for local people.
A massive 87,000 has been raised by the Friends of Solihull Hospital (FOSH) to purchase a piece of machinery known as a laparoscopic camera, which will be used in hundreds of operations every year. Rosemary Parker, Main Theatres Senior Sister, said, We are so thankful for this donation.This machine will mean many benefits to our patients, including smaller operations - resulting in less pain, fewer complications such as infection, smaller scars, an earlier discharge from Hospital, and less time off work following the operation. Liz Steventon, FOSH Secretary, said: This is a significant boost for Solihull Hospital, and is brilliant news for patients undergoing operations, and staff using the machine. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us over the past year, including staff, volunteers and members of the public as we raised this money. Members of the Friends presented the cheque to Hospital staff, in a ceremony at the Hospital attended by Chief Executive, Dr Mark Newbold and Executive Director of Solihull Hospital, Claire Molloy. The Friends spent the past year raising the money, with events including the Hospital Summer Fete, fish and chip suppers and with donations from supporters. The machine will be used within the Day Surgery Theatres at Solihull in a range of surgical cases and specialities, including gynaecology, orthopaedics, urology and general surgery.

Liz Steventon, FOSH Secretary, said: Stella was a major part of the Friends for many years, and she was always on hand to help when things were tricky. She was the glue that held us together in difficult times. She is badly missed, but we all look back on life and contribution with happiness and gratitude. We probably wouldnt be here today if it wasnt for her.

A big thank you to the Fellowship of Shirley singers who raised an impressive 349 for the Friends. The money was raised at the Singers annual Christmas concert at Shirley Methodist Church. The money will go towards the Friends next appeal at the Hospital.

Charity news

Some highlights from 2012

Brave dad Gary raised 1,700 for the Charity with a skydive. 100 staff, volunteers and patients walked from Heartlands to Solihull in the Charitys sponsored walk. Wolves legend Steve Bull helped raise over 7,000 for a specialist baby monitor. In November, staff patients and volunteers were honoured in the Trusts annual Staff Recognition Awards at the Crescent Theatre in Birmingham. For more photos from 2012 and lots more events like these, why not like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/ heartofenglandcharity

Registered Charity Number 1052330

Get in touch

Put the fun back into fundraising!

Are you taking part in a sponsored run or event? If so, we would be delighted if you could raise money for the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust Charity. Why not get in touch with our team who can provide support with ideas for events, raising money and even publicising your activity. For more information, contact the team on 0121 424 3838 or email fundraising@heartofengland.nhs.uk.

If you would like to make a donation, receive information or contact the fundraising team, please get in touch:

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Fundraising Department
1st Floor, Stratford House, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, B9 5SS Tel: (+44) (0)121 424 3838 Email: fundraising@heartofengland.nhs.uk Website: www.heartofenglandcharity.org.uk
Registered Charity Number 1052330 Editor: David Chamberlain Design: Stuart Hudson