Swan Fund raises £18,000 in three years

13 July 2018

A fund set up to benefit patients at the end of their life, and their families, has raised almost £18,000 in the three years since it was launched.

The Swan Fund was set up at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust in July 2015 by End of Life Care Facilitator Jules Lewis.

It was launched with a £500 donation which was collected at the funeral of Jules’s own father, Harold, who passed away at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH).

Since then the fund has grown thanks to generous donations from groups and individuals and has paid for many of the improvements which have taken place at RSH and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford.

Money from the fund has been used to purchase the XCcube system, which allows the dignified transportation of a deceased person to the Swan Bereavement Suite; 13 Swan Rooms, providing privacy and dignity for patients at the end of their life; vouchers for relatives; coping with grief leaflets; Swan Bags and contents for unexpected deaths and much more.

The fund is also support by The League of Friends of the RSH and the Friends of PRH through Swan Memory Boxes, which can be used by relatives and loved ones to keep special items.

Jules said: “Death and dying is very difficult to deal with, even for staff who work in hospitals, but helping patients and their families at their time of greatest need is hugely important to us and the Swan Fund helps us achieve this.

“It always amazes me how many bereaved families donate to the fund at the hardest of times. I always send a thank you card to all the people who donate and we have invited many in to officially open Swan Rooms.

“I would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone for their kindness. All donations are used very wisely to improve end of life care at the Trust.”