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Schools Newsletter

Thank you to Nurseries, Schools & Colleges

Welcome to the first 2023 edition of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity news. Here you will see the incredible support we have received from Nurseries, Schools and Colleges over recent months!

We’ve had sponsored runs, choir performances, festive support, delivered NHS Careers Sessions (including 2 SEND Schools) and lots more!

Between October 2022 and February 2023 we have received an absolutely amazing amount of donations totalling nearly £24,000, from our local Nurseries, Schools and Colleges!!

Firstly a huge thank you to Challney High School For Girls and Putteridge High School for organising sponsored runs in October 2022 and raising incredible amounts of money for the L&D Hospital.

Challney Girls raised nearly £8,400 for our Breast Cancer Unit – bringing the schools total since supporting us in 2018 to over £37,600! This would not happen without the incredible passion and drive from Miss Ponsonby and Miss Dolan, the whole school and their wider community. As well as this they also chose to support two of our Appeals for Good Causes Week in February raising £2897.77. I was recently invited to a radio show on Inspire FM hosted by Miss Nic Ponsonby to talk about the charity and incredible work Challney Girls do to support their local community – it was a pleasure to be part of the show!

Staff and students from Challney High School for Girls Staff from Challney High School for Girls

Miss Hannah Hayes with Yr 11 student Alfie from Putteridge High School, who was the inspiration for their fundraising, after a long battle with Leukaemia he proudly rang the bell in October 2022! They raised an absolutely incredible £10,151.35 for the L&D Cancer Unit!

Miss Hannah Hayes with Alfie

Thank you so much to all involved!

A huge thank you also to Beechwood Park School who fundraised and purchased gifts to the value of £1,800 for our Children’s Ward, as well as Luton Sixth Form College who donated just over £500 which enabled us to purchase gifts for two Elderly Wards for Christmas Day. Harlington Upper School also donated £153.94.

Chiltern Academy and Downside Primary sang at festive songs at Curry’s Luton and The Ferrars Academy sang in the local community, Tots Academy and High Beeches Primary School took part in Jolly Jumper Day and Chalk Hills Academy donated gift hampers.

Earlier in 2022 we also received donations from Challney High School for Boys (£1,237.97) and Friends of Roundwood Primary School (£1,327) for our Children’s Critical Care Room Appeal.

On behalf of the whole Charity Team, I would like to thank each and every person who made these incredible donations possible, including staff, friends and families who support the children’s fundraising efforts, especially given the difficult times so many of us are facing currently. We really do appreciate you and all you do help to make a difference to your local hospital.

If you’ve read this and are inspired to get involved, I’d love to hear from you! I can support your fundraising with us, it’s a great way for students to learn new skills, gain confidence and a sense of pride by supporting their local community. We can also do joint fundraising with the school where the donations are split between your school and the hospital. For more information, email Sabine.hazell@bedsft.nhs.uk or call 07870 856 981.

Exciting appeals for 2023

Sky Panels showing hot air balloonsChildren’s Emergency Department Light Panel Appeal

Bring light to children receiving Emergency Care at the L&D! We are raising £23,000 to install interactive optical panels which will help make the space less scary and less clinical and relieve their feelings of anxiety and fear.

A huge thank you to the following who have already supported this appeal: Lealands High School: £770, Chiltern Academy: £770, Challney High School for Girls £1,448.88 and Luton Sixth Form College: £128.75

Visit our Sky Panels Appeal page for more information.

Little Feet Appeal

The charity are launching an exciting new fundraising appeal for Maternity Services. Our vision is to create a space that improves the maternal journey for maternity patients, their families and visitors, as well as facilitating staff wellbeing.

The Maternity Team at the L&D support more than 5,000 mothers and babies each year.

The journey you take with Maternity Services can be one of the most important hospital experiences. Pregnancy is not just exciting, but can also be very scary and unknown. We feel the surroundings is an important part of this journey and can make a huge difference alongside the care you receive.

We will be fundraising in total £80,000 for this appeal. Visit our Little Feet Appeal page for more information.

If you wish to support these or any of our appeals or would like further information please get in touch!

NHS Careers – how can we support your students?

A piece of art made of children's hand prints with the words we are each unique and beautiful, but together we are a masterpieceDid you know we deliver NHS Careers Information sessions? These are interactive classroom sessions where students can hear about the hospital and the huge range of careers available within the NHS, usually lasting around 45 minutes.

Sessions are delivered to primary all the way up to college students and we tailor our sessions to the needs of the school.

We have delivered sessions to lots of local schools including Slip End Village School, Chiltern Academy, Cardinal Newman, Chalk Hills Academy, Mark Rutherford School and Bedford College.

We have also recently delivered tailored sessions to two SEND schools; Woodlands High School and The Chiltern School with fantastic feedback.

Chiltern School logo Woodlands logo

I hope you have enjoyed reading this edition and look forward to working with you in 2023.

With best wishes,

Sabine Hazell