Sheffield Hospitals Charity helps secure more than £700k investment for region's good causes

As part of NHS Charities Together’s Covid-19 appeal, money was available to help support projects across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw.

The charity has been selected as the lead organisation for the region, and has helped to secure a grant of £735,129. Working with South Yorkshire Community Foundation, the charity has identified five projects.

The following charities to benefit from the grant are:

The Golddigger Trust – supporting people with mental health needs;

Sheffield United Community Foundation – Fans Fighting Cancer;

Age UK Rotherham – supporting older people to feel less isolated;

Age UK Sheffield – transforming care for people living with dementia, their carers, and the NHS;

Creative Minds - supporting people with mental health interventions and educating providers.

Gareth Aston, chief executive officer for Sheffield Hospitals Charity, said: “We are extremely proud to have been chosen as the lead partner for the area and to have helped bring some much needed investment to some incredible projects and some wonderful charities across the region.

“As a charity we have seen first-hand the way that the nation has rallied round to support our NHS throughout the pandemic and we feel that projects such as these will leave a lasting impact in our communities. We are really excited to see them get up and running and to see the difference that they will make to so many people.

“My thanks go to the South Yorkshire Community Foundation for supporting us with these projects, but also to each of the charities who came forward to apply and who are putting in such amazing work.”

Speaking after making the award, Ellie Orton, chief executive at NHS Charities Together, said: “We have been delighted to work with Sheffield Hospitals Charity to help fund these incredible projects, which we know will make a vital difference to local communities in the area. Across the UK there is a growing need to help vulnerable groups – we have more elderly individuals and long-term conditions to care for, more of us across all ages are waiting for treatment, and more NHS staff are facing burnout than ever before.

“But together we can provide the extra support needed in hospitals, ambulance teams, community and mental health care, and help our health service to go further for everyone.”