Join a national outpouring of love to raise money for your local NHS charity

The Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity is urging people to raise a cuppa at the nation’s biggest tea break on 5 July to help raise money for the incredible NHS.

Following a year like no other, the charity hopes as many people as possible will get involved in a national outpouring of love and thanks for the NHS on its birthday by hosting or taking part in an NHS Big Tea at 3pm on 5 July.

Events can be held in person or virtually, in the community, with friends, family or at work. Fundraisers can also show their support by taking five minutes to enjoy a tea break, donating £5 to the charity and tagging five friends on social media to call on them to do the same.

Martin Havenhand, Chairman of The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are thrilled to bring our national past-time of drinking tea and the National Health Service together to celebrate the NHS’ birthday once again.

“This year, we all feel closer to our NHS and the NHS Big Tea is a call for everyone to join a national thank you on 5 July, or whenever date works best for you. By joining the NHS Big Tea you will help make sure the charity can continue to support our NHS heroes and to fund the added extras for our patients.”

Thanks to the support and generosity of the public over the last year, NHS Charities Together has been able to be there for NHS staff, to ensure they can continue with their vital life-saving work, whether through funding counselling and mental health support, or support with practical needs like food, drink and a place to rest.

The Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity has used the funds received from NHS Charities Together to fund a variety of projects and resources, for staff and patients including:

 

• A staff wellbeing garden and woodland walk at Rotherham Hospital
• A goody bag to say ‘thank you’ to Trust colleagues for their hard work and dedication during the pandemic. The bags included a card, a ‘Covid Hero’ badge, a plastic drinks bottle, chocolate, hand sanitizer and a pen.
• A Yorkshire Hidden Gems card, offering discounts and incentives to regional attractions and stores.
• Access to the Trauma Resilience Management Programme for colleagues who need mental health support.
• Access to the Nightingale Frontline Leadership Support Service, managed by the Florence Nightingale Foundation. The service provides nurses and midwives access to peer support and mentoring to help them through the pandemic.
• 14 Samsung tablets and cases to allow patients to video call their families and friends when it really matters the most.

 

All the money raised by the NHS Big Tea for the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity will help to fund the extra special resources, projects and equipment which the NHS would ordinarily not be able to fund and which benefit the patients cared for in the community and at Rotherham Hospital.

Ellie Orton, CEO of NHS Charities Together, which is behind the NHS Big Tea, added: “Many of us have a lot to be grateful to NHS staff and volunteers for following the year we have had. They have been at the forefront of the response to one of the biggest challenges our country has ever faced.

“NHS Big Tea is a chance to show our support for them by joining a national outpouring of thanks this July. For many, this will be an outpouring of joy, celebrating the vaccine and all that it is allowing us to do again. For others, it will be an outpouring of thanks, for everything that our NHS champions have done for us. For some, sadly, it will be a moment of reflection for the loss of loved ones.

“Whatever the emotion, please join the nation’s biggest tea break.”

For more information about how to host your NHS Big Tea or to request a fundraising pack, please contact the charity via [email protected] or 01709 426821. You can donate or set up your fundraising page with Virgin Money Giving here – https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving/nhsbigtea/