Did you know that the NHS was initially funded by a charitable donation? Although the NHS is now funded mainly by our taxes and national insurance contributions, it doesn’t always go far enough. An NHS charity provides things that are over and above NHS provision, the added extras that really make a huge difference to patient, care, employee and community experience.
Why do we need to raise money now we are getting a new hospital?
Like everyone, we are super excited to be getting a brand new home. This news might have left you wondering why we need to carry on raising funds and what the purpose of our Charity will be once we have our new hospital.
Simply put, we keep going.
Airedale Hospital & Community Charity exists to support our local community of over 200,000 and the staff that care for them when they need it most. AHCC provides the extras, the nice to have items that are over and above NHS budgets, the little things that make a huge difference to Airedale and its community services.
It is likely that the current Airedale Hospital building will still be here for a few more years whilst the new building is constructed. During this time Airedale Hospital & Community Charity will continue to raise funds and invest in our patients, staff and local community as set out in our objectives. Of course this cannot be done without your unwavering help and we thank you in advance for all your support in the coming months and years.
Our next mission, and one we are already planning, will be supporting Airedale to make the new hospital the best it can possibly be as well as continuing to support the amazing projects and colleagues we work with. We look forward to sharing this journey with you.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further please contact the Charity team on anhsft.charity@nhs.net.
Is there anything I cannot donate?
We are unable to accept gifts of:-
- Tobacco and alcohol products.
- Second hand/used toys and games.
- Used toiletries.
Can I bring second hand toys that my child no longer plays with?
Unfortunately not. For health and safety reasons no second hand toys can be accepted. All toys donated must be in their original packaging and have the relevant safety labels in place.
Can you come and collect my donation?
Our charity team is a small but perfectly formed team. Unfortunately there is often no capacity to go out to collect donations. If you are unable to get your donation to us please do call the charity office to discuss further or consider postal options.
Do you ever refuse donations?
Airedale Hospital & Community Charity monitors income and may refuse income if it has been offered:
- for a purpose that is not consistent with the Charity’s objectives; or
- from a source or on terms that are not acceptable to ANHSFT or its ethical policy; or
- for a purpose that ANHSFT is unable to fulfill.
It is the policy of the Trustee not to invest in or accept money from alcohol or tobacco companies.
Gift Aid
Donating through Gift Aid means Airedale Hospital & Community Charity can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. It will not cost you any extra.
You need to make a Gift Aid declaration for the AHCC to claim. You can do this by filling in a form – please contact the charity via email anhsft.charity@nhs.net or phone 01535 294870 to obtain a copy.
What is the process for making a donation?
Firstly, thank you for choosing Airedale for your donation; it means a lot to our patients, staff and community. We are extremely grateful. If you are visiting our hospital to make your donation in person, please help us by being aware of the following:
- Please contact the charity team on 01535 294870 or by emailing anhsft.charity@nhs.net to let us know you are planning to visit.
- Where possible, please let us know well in advance so that we can plan in your visit around the needs of the patients, and around staff workloads. This is especially important at Christmas, as it is a particularly busy time for donations and visits.
- It is helpful for us if you visit Monday to Friday so we know that we can be here to meet you and say hello. Patient mealtimes are generally between 11 am and 1 pm, and 5 pm to 7 pm so these times should be avoided.
- It is important that we maintain good infection control standards which means you will be asked to use the alcohol gel, wear a mask and maintain social distancing when visiting. There may be areas within the hospital where you will not be able to visit because of infection – the charity team will advise you on the day about this.
- Please do not visit the hospital if you are unwell. If you have had any sort of sickness bug, please make sure you are at least 48 hours clear of symptoms.
- We are happy to take photographs to share providing we have consent from yourself and any patients and staff that are involved.
- We can help with publicity by sharing photos on our social media and sending out a press release to the local media.
I want to give a gift rather than donate money, what can I give?
We get a lot of donations for our children’s ward and departments, which are always very welcome. However, would you consider donating to our elderly care wards? Older people can have long stays in hospital and some may have few or no visitors if they have no family living locally. Suggested gifts include: toiletries, jigsaws, colouring books (and pencils/crayons), books, magazines and board games.
How to set up a JustGiving page
It’s quick and easy to create a fundraising page for Airedale Hospital and Community Charity on JustGiving.
Just follow the steps below to create your page:
- You will first need to create your own personal account if you haven’t already. Log into your account and click ‘Start Fundraising’. At this stage, you should also select that you are fundraising for a registered charity.
- Next, search for the cause you want to support.
- Then, you’ll need to state whether you’re taking part in an event, celebrating an occasion, fundraising in memory or doing your own thing. If you can’t see your event listed, select ‘Add your own’ at the bottom of the page and provide some more information about your activity.
- Next, you’ll need to choose your web address – this is the link you’ll be sharing with friends and family when asking them to donate.
- Click ‘Create your page’.
- Job done! Your Fundraising Page is now set up and ready to accept donations. Get sharing about your fundraising efforts – social media is a good place to start sharing with family and friends.
My child would like to fundraise for AHCC, how will the Charity support them?
Our young fundraisers are extremely important to us and we therefore promise –
- We will make sure you feel safe, included, encouraged and supported.
- We will always put your wellbeing first.
- We will make sure you are respected and treated fairly.
- We will give constructive feedback and never criticise.
- We will encourage you to follow our acts of kindness rules and be kind and considerate.
- We will lead by example.
- We will make sure that all children have the same opportunities and support to succeed.
- We will always ask for parental consent to take pictures and videos.
- We will always encourage you to have fun and enjoy your #teamairedale experience.
Do you have an Amazon wish list?
We do!
You can find our hospital wish list here.
How can I sign up to your mailing list?
We have a quarterly newsletter to keep you up to date on all things AHCC as well as other email communications with exclusive information and invites.
To sign up, please email anhsft.charity@nhs.net.