8 July 2019

A Charity Fun Day hosted by the Trust which runs Shropshire’s acute hospitals has been hailed a great success.

From left, Karen Breese, Dementia Nurse Specialist; Andrew James from SaTH Charity; Josh Laurent from Shrewsbury Town and Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Governance

Hundreds of people gathered at the Shropshire Conference Centre in the grounds of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) for the annual event, which is held to mark the birth of the NHS.

The fun day, which was preceded by a 5km fun run, was raising money for the charity of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs RSH and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

Money raised at the event goes to SaTH Charity’s Living Well With Dementia Fund and the end of life care Swan Fund.

Staff and patients at RSH who couldn’t make it to the fun day were not forgotten either. The Rapid Relief Team, which ran the barbecue at the fun day, donated food for staff working in A&E, while refreshment stand The Watering Hole took drinks to staff and patients on the wards. Staff members Lottie Barker and Lizzie Harper used their break to take drinks to their patients on the Surgical Assessment Ward.

Top Bananas play to a young fan

At PRH, tea and coffee was laid on for staff who were working and therefore could not attend the event.

Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Governance at SaTH, said: “Our fun day was yet again a fabulous occasion with hundreds of people enjoying all of the attractions on offer.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all the businesses and individuals who donated their time or goods to the fun day to help us make as much money for our charity as possible, and to the 150 runners who took part in the fun run on what was, despite the cloud, another very warm day.

“We do not have a final total yet, but the money raised will do a tremendous amount to help patients and families in our hospitals.”

Lottie Barker and Lizzie Harper collecting drinks for their patients

Karen Breese, Dementia Nurse Specialist at the Trust said: “The money raised from this event can help us do even more work to help patients with dementia, as well as their loved ones and their carers. We have come a long way in this area in a very short time, but there is always more we can do.”

Jules Lewis, End of Life Care Facilitator at SaTH, added: “I want to thank everyone who came to the fun day, took part in the fun run, helped organised the event or who donated to it. This has been a real team and community effort and it just shows what high regard the public hold our hospitals in. All the money raised will go to improve patient experience, which is what we are all about.”