Since I became Chair of Airedale Hospital & Community Charity last year, I have seen for myself the fantastic difference your support and donations make to both patients and colleagues in our hospital and community services. As a Trust, Airedale provides health and care services to our local population of over 200,000 people across 700 square miles and a real mix of rural and urban communities. It is from these communities that our supporters and donors have helped us to raise nearly £500,000 over the year and given us donations such as gifts for our patients at Christmas and toys for our children’s unit.
Annual Report 2021-2022
A message from our Chair
Rhys Davies
Read more
Our appeal to raise funds for the added extras in our new Intensive Care Unit raised more than £10,000. The unit will have opened at the time of publishing this report, and we are proud that with the help of our local community we have been able to provide the added extras to make this fantastic space even more special for our patients and colleagues such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) lights and furniture for the relatives’ room. We are delighted that the refurbishment of our Haematology and Oncology Day Unit will commence in the Summer of 2022. This will be the biggest project that the Charity has undertaken to date with the full cost totalling more than £150,000. The new unit will include an additional treatment room, upgraded technology and new chairs which will ensure patients are as comfortable as possible when undergoing chemotherapy. We look forward to sharing the impact of these improvements in the future.
In September 2021 we took delivery of our Pacer train carriage. The Trust submitted a winning bid to receive one of three retired train carriages to use to create a positive environment for future generations. Although an unusual addition to our hospital estate, we are pleased to say that the project has received much interest. We are delighted to have partnered with local business, The Ultimate Group, who have committed time, energy, and resources to complete the refurbishment for our patients and local communities to benefit from. The project aims to be complete by the early Autumn of 2022. We will provide an update in our next annual report but in the meantime, you can keep an eye on our communications to get all the latest news and updates on our website www.airedalecharity.org.
The Trust itself made a significant donation to the Charity to fund wellbeing initiatives for all colleagues across the organisation. This includes psychological support, outdoor spaces, and rest facilities, and much more. We also plan to run a Grant Scheme to enable wards, departments, and teams to bid for funding to support patient experience and wellbeing schemes in their own areas.
Our plans for 2022/23 are ambitious and we hope to raise as much money as possible so that we can make a real difference for everyone who visits or works in our hospital and community services. Our journey would not be the same without the help and support of our trustees and Charity team who continue to work hard for the Airedale community, putting our people at the heart of everything they do. I am truly grateful for their efforts, ideas and the creativity that keeps our Charity going.
I once again am astounded by the generosity of spirit and kindness that has been shown for our hospital and Charity over the last year. As we look forward to the many exciting plans in 2022/23 and beyond, please accept my wholehearted thanks for showing your love for Airedale.
Year overview
429,000
Income
373,000
Donations
5,000
Legacies
13,000
Grants
2,000
Gifts in kind
21,000
Other
15,000
Dividends
284,000
Spend
98,000
Patient welfare
134,000
Staff welfare
3,000
Staff training
19,000
Medical & IT equipment
28,000
Ward environment
2,000
Gifts in Kind (distributed)
Funds not spent in year are retained for future use.
What a wonderful year
2021
The new financial year kicked off in style. We were delighted to welcome Victoria in April. Victoria had never picked up a paint brush before teaching herself to paint during lockdown. Here she is with Consultant Alexandra Danecki and the amazing NHS superhero painting she gifted to the team. Huge thank you also goes to Darren from Indigo Financial Services who with the help of colleagues and friends helped support the wellbeing of our staff. Darren organised and donated hot meals for night staff, brew bags and selfcare items.
The Sunshine Sensory Project was launched in May. The project aims to improve the experiences of children visiting Airedale Hospital for surgery who have additional needs or sensory sensitivities. With the help of grant funding and donations we were proud to provide the Theatre team with a dedicated sensory trolley, sensory toys, and other equipment. Our Charity team grew when we welcomed Ciara to the team to run our communications and marketing.
We zoomed into June with an exciting donation from the Tesla Owners Club. The Club donated a limited-edition child size Tesla to our Theatres department. Children now travel in style from the ward to the operating theatre, making it a fun experience.
The fabulous Airedale community took the lead in July with lots of tea parties, challenges and events taking place for the NHS Big Tea. Kate Lambert walked the Three Peaks to raise money and show her thanks to the Rheumatology Department after her Vasculitis (GPA) diagnosis. Kate and her dad completed the challenge in under 11 hours and smashed their fundraising target, raising over £2,000.
This month saw our super school supporters, St Anne’s and our lovely matron Angie McGarry steal the spotlight on episode two of Jay’s Yorkshire Workshop. We were proud to nominate St Anne’s to receive a handmade item from Jay and the team in recognition of their amazing lockdown fundraising in early 2021. The team out-did themselves with a wonderful rainbow bookcase which now sits in pride of place in the school library. Local resident and neighbour Lynnda Smith held an open day at her house for her neighbours and the local community. Lynnda and friends raised a staggering £1,100 to be used for staff wellbeing at Airedale.
In September we launched our Intensive Care for Airedale Appeal, raising money to purchase the added extras for our new Intensive Care Unit which was rapidly taking shape on site. Challenges of all shapes and sizes took place in September from walking the Three Peaks to participating in the annual Skipton Rotary Club Dragon Boat Race. Wilman & Lodge estate agents took on the huge challenge of walking 27.5 miles to raise money for the Haematology & Oncology Day Unit. The team raised over £2,300 to say thank you for the care a loved one had received.
We celebrated some very special patients in October. A grant from the Asda Foundation enabled us to send our Paediatric Type 1 Diabetic patients on an outdoor activity day. The day included grass sledging, archery, and plenty of food! The children and their families got to make new friends, benefit from peer support and most of all have fun. Our very own ward 5 stroke team embarked on a challenge to raise funds to invest in new rehabilitation technology. The team smashed their target and covered 963 miles through walking, running, swimming and cycling throughout the month. With this help we were able to purchase two upper limb rehabilitation devices for staff to use one on one with patients to assist with recovery.
Derek, a past ICU patient donated £1,000 to the Intensive Care for Airedale appeal. Along with his wife, Sue he wanted to give back to the staff on the unit for their excellent care and kindness.
“We are so very grateful to be able to see how well Derek is doing after being so gravely unwell. It’s great after all the sadness we have suffered to have such a success story.” Heather Driver, Acute Pain Nurse
Christmas is always a busy time, and this year did not disappoint. Our annual Christmas sock day was a huge sock-cess with staff, members of the public and local schools getting involved. Our gift appeal for elderly patients meant that we were able to give a present to over 100 of our patients staying with us on Christmas Day. We were delighted to fund a Christmas packed lunch for all staff as a thank you for their hard work over the year. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone that donated and helped to make the festive season special for our patients and staff.
2022
In January we announced our corporate partnership with HCL Workforce Solutions. Throughout 2022 the team will be taking part in events and organising activities to raise funds for Airedale. “This year, we chose Airedale as our charity to support as we really felt that we wanted to give back to our local hospital where most of our family and friends have benefitted from their services. “It’s especially important for us after the past couple of years with everything that NHS staff have done and continue to do for us throughout the pandemic.” Bryony, Recruitment Consultant, HCL Workforce.
We said a huge thank you to Northern Rail in February for their kind donation of over £9,000 towards our Pacer project. The money will be used to help buy items for the inside of the train such as furniture, books for the library, toys and much more.
It was great to see William when he popped in to see us with his family to present us with a cheque for over £900. William walked the Yorkshire Three Peaks to raise money for the neonatal unit because his brother Thomas spent a month there when he was born seven weeks premature.
Team Airedale
Fionia Wilkinson
Fiona took part in a Total Warrior challenge and raised nearly £800 for the Maxillofacial and Speech and Language departments after the excellent treatment she received following an operation to extract a tumour from inside her mouth.
Alan King
Alan took part in the Great North Run in memory of his dad, Cyril. He raised over £560 for AHCC because the hospital has supported the family through lots over the years.
Aunty Beryl
Aunty Beryl makes the most amazing lemon curd and so we were delighted when, with the help of our friends in the ACCT team, she made a batch and wanted to give 100% of the proceeds to AHCC. Aunty B raised £50 and made a lot of people happy.
Christina Shiels
Fundraiser Christina completed a massive seven-day challenge for her dad, Dennis, who spent
six months at Airedale after he suffered a cardiac arrest. Christina challenged herself to run 10km, cycle 10km and swim 1,500 every day for a whole week. She raised over an incredible £1,400.
Stuart Clarkson
Silsden-based radio broadcaster and journalist Stuart raised £550 with the help of family, friends, colleagues and listeners for his 41st birthday. After a health scare Stuart set up the fundraiser to thank the team who looked after him so brilliantly.
Louise Helstrip and Emma Hopla
Louise and Emma raised over an incredible £1,250 for the AHCC Haematology and Oncology Day Unit by hosting a charity evening.
How we showed our love for Airedale
Hydro Pool
We ‘Made a Splash’ in 2021 by donating nearly £50,000 in funding
to renovate the hydrotherapy pool at Airedale. The pool, which has helped provide treatment for thousands of patients over the years is used by
adults and children with many different conditions, helping them to regain
and improve independence, reduce pain and increase strength and fitness. The team helped to raise funds for the refurbishment with the help of the local community.
Trilogy Lithotripter
We were delighted to fund some state-of-the-art equipment for the Urology Department for the treatment of kidney and bladder stones. Each year the team carry out over 50 of these procedures, around half of which are complex and require specialist treatment.
The Swiss Lithoclast Trilogy Lithotripter cost £50,000 and aims to reduce procedure time whilst enhancing the surgical experience for the patient and staff. The equipment means that patients can be treated sooner and their treatment can take less time. It also provides better outcomes for patients as they can get home quicker.
Quiet Room
In collaboration with the Airedale outpatients team, we were able to fund the refurbishment of the quiet room in the department. The room is an important space that is used by a variety of people. Often, patients use the facility following an appointment where they may have received bad news relating to results, cancer or another life changing diagnosis. The space is now
calm and peaceful and provides comfortable surroundings for our patients and their families.
Vein viewer
The AccuVein Vein Visualisation Viewer was purchased for our Children’s services. The small device is used to easily find veins in children who need a blood test or an IV drip. The vein viewer shines a bright green light to make the veins stand out, helping clinicians to accurately find veins that otherwise difficult to see. This small machine provides huge benefits.
It is recognised that experiencing pain early in life affects neuronal development and impacts the development of coping strategies and pain receptors. This can lead to needle phobias and possibly even long-term negative effects in the future. Benefits are also felt by the patient’s families and staff members as the experience is much less stressful and time consuming.
Sleeping chairs for end-of-life patients
Three recliner sleeping chairs were purchased this year. The chairs are available for use by any families staying overnight with relatives who are in their last days or hours.
The chairs, costing over £500 each, are comfortable and sturdy, ensuring families are well cared for.
Feedback from staff and families has told us that the chairs have been invaluable and have hugely improved experiences for families who have been able to get some rest and comfort and spend more time with their relatives. It has also meant that patients have been able to have comfort and support from their families in their final days.
Virtual visiting
With the help of our supporters, we were able to fund numerous iPads for Virtual Visiting for patients to use while visiting restrictions were in place.
We know how difficult it is to be apart from loved ones but with the help of our staff, patients can video call regularly with their family and friends using these designated iPads. This has allowed patients to keep in contact with their loved
ones while they are in hospital – something that matters the most.
Upper limb rehabilitation devices
With the funds raised by the Ward 5 team, two upper limb rehabilitation devices, which cost £450 each were purchased for staff to use one on one with patients. Using the devices, patients are guided through a variety of games and move or squeeze the handheld device to move or avoid obstacles shown to them on the tablet screen.
Looking forward together
Thanks to you we have been able to show our love for Airedale again this year. With your help our future is exciting.
Some of the key areas of focus for our Charity next year:
Anchor in the community
In our last annual report, we set out our goal to be at the very heart of our community. As one of our strategic objectives, this will continue to be a huge part of our work over the next year. We will continue to use our position to champion Airedale, to help others to the best of our ability and invest in the Airedale community.
Working with you
One of the key elements of our strategy is to work in collaboration. We will continue to work collaboratively with partners of all shapes and sizes including ambassadors and corporate and school partnerships. We will also continue to invest in young members of the Airedale community helping them to grow and flourish.
Working with you, for you, will forever be at the heart of everything we do, making sure that our staff and patients help us make the biggest impact.
Airedale AOK
Our Airedale AOK (Acts of Kindness) campaign aims to inspire our organisations and local communities to be kind to others and to yourself. Airedale AOK has become part of our core offer and will continue to be a focus for the Charity showing that we put kindness at the heart of everything we do.
Investing in Airedale
Several large Charity funded projects will take place over the next year including the refurbishment of our much- loved Haematology and Oncology Day Unit and the renovation of our Pacer train carriage for the Airedale community.
Thank you!
To those we have mentioned and so many others...
THANK YOU for showing your love for Airedale.
