Your hospital charity – supporting Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Unwanted
Christmas gifts
are WANTED here!
If you have any unwanted gifts that you would like to donate to benefit your local hospital charity then please pop them into the fundraising office on level 2 at North Devon District Hospital.
We can use these gifts as raffle prizes to fundraise for equipment and services that are over and above that provided by the NHS.
For further information please contact the fundraising team on 01271 311772 or email ndht.charity@nhs.net.
Over and Above’s Christmas hamper was a fantastic success and raised an amazing £2,594 for the Special Care Baby Unit Appeal. The seven luxury hampers were kindly donated from our local North Devon Tesco stores.
The winning numbers were:
1636 – Toys girl hamper
1082 – Toys boy hamper
1128 – Alcohol hamper
1771 – Coffee hamper
1790 – Beauty hamper
2603 – Luxury food hamper
2685 – Chocolate hamper
Hundreds of hospital staff swapped their day wear and took part in the Hospital charity Christmas Jumper Day.
Staff, colleagues, patients and visitors took part in the festive spirit to raise funds for the Special Care Baby Unit. Even the clinical staff who are unable to wear Christmas jumpers as part of our hospital infection control procedures took part by wearing Christmas socks instead!
Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “The hospital is full of festive atmosphere, and the wards and departments are festooned with Christmas decorations to brighten up the unit for our patients, staff and visitors. We have held lots of Christmas fundraisers for the hospital charity and have sold calendars, cards, our amazing jumper day event and we will be drawing the fabulous Tesco Christmas hamper raffle this week.
For the fourth year, each of the Tesco stores in North Devon has donated seven hampers packed with festive foods, toys and drink. This year the charity expects to raise raised around £1,500.
Fundraising Manager Ian Roome said “2015 has been a fantastic year for the Hospital Charity. The opening of the new Seamoor Chemotherapy & Day Treatment Unit in the Spring was by far the highlight of our year, and receiving a royal visit by HRH The Earl of Wessex in September was the icing on the cake. The general public have been amazing and we can’t thank them enough. We wish our supporters a fabulous Christmas and a happy new year, and we look forward to continuing to fundraise for our new Special Care Baby Unit Appeal to purchase much needed equipment for the unit to look after our most vulnerable patients, and supporting the whole hospital departments and services to support our patients in 2016.”
For further information about the hospital charity “Over and Above” contact the Hospital Fundraising Team on 01271 311772 or ndht.charity@nhs.net or visit the website www.overandabove.org.uk
North Devon VW Club raised an incredible £5,750 from their Final Fling event for the new Seamoor Chemotherapy Unit at North Devon District Hospital.
Organiser Jamie Tallin said “The Club wanted to raise money towards new equipment for the chemotherapy unit and we are delighted with the result. It was by far the most money our club has raised from a single event.”
Fundraiser Julie Whitton showed the Club members around the new unit over the weekend so they could see where their fundraising will be spent.
Julie said “The VW Club are an amazing bunch of people who found the perfect way to raise funds while having a great time at the Final Fling Festival at Little Roadway Farm in Woolacombe. The staff at the new chemotherapy unit have a long list of equipment that they would like to purchase to treat our patients in the new Seamoor Unit, and this money will help towards making that a reality.
The amazing handmade quilt made by the Parkham Quilters and the beautiful handmade bag made by Di Blackmore raised an amazing £367 for the Seamoor Chemotherapy Unit. Winning ticket nos were 226 for the quilt and 229 for the bag. Thank you to everyone who took part.
Before
NORTH MOLTON FARMER COLIN CHUGG resisted pleas from family and friends to tidy up his unruly hair and beard until Buttery Shoot Head Gamekeeper Gareth Clarke and fellow farmer Jim Nancekivell suggested the Over and Above’s Special Care Baby Unit Appeal.
The big shave took place at Poltimore Inn at North Molton, and Debbie Tapp was in charge of his shearing!
Among the spectators at North Molton’s Poltimore Inn were Debbie’s 5 year old son Charlie who was treated in the unit, and Gareth Clarke’s 9 year old twins Codie and Jasmine who also spent 3 weeks on SCBU. Gareth Clarke and Leah Jerrett raised more than £400 sponsorship for Colin as Leah and her twin brother Matthew were treated in SCBU some 24 years ago.
Many members of the community supported Colin including Polimore Inn, Bulled’s Village Shop and the local hunt and shoot.
After
Colin raised a magnificent £2,100 sponsorship before the big shave, and on the day he raised an additional £125 by allowing Debbie to remove his eyebrows. Colin is planning more fundraising for SCBU next year – possibly a wing walk!
Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “I hope someone has knitted Colin a hat to keep out the cold. His fundraising is phenomenal. If another 50 people could raise the same amount as Colin before Christmas we could reach our target to provide all the new equipment our Special Care Baby Unit needs to support our sickest and most vulnerable new born babies with urgent medical conditions – that would be the best Christmas present our Special Care Baby Unit could ever receive.”
Photograph: L-R : Debbie Tapp, Colin Chugg, Jane Dart, Gareth Clarke
Exmoor Ramble Organiser Ivan Huxtable and his grandson William with the Victoria Ward staff and their friends at the start of their fantastic walk over the stunning moors. Afterwards they enjoyed delicious stew and dumplings and scrumptious cake at Hinam Farm, near Dulverton. Almost 100 people enjoyed the walk organised by Ivan in aid of the hospital charity “Over and Above” in aid of the Victoria Cardiology Ward and North Devon Hospice.
HRH The Earl of Wessex visited Barnstaple today to officially open the new chemotherapy and day treatment unit at North Devon District Hospital.
Prince Edward was greeted by Mayor of Barnstaple Val Elkins before being led on a 45-minute tour of the Seamoor Unit by Ian Roome, fundraising manager for the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust, and chairman Roger French.
The Prince met patients, staff, fundraisers, volunteers, the project team and others who helped to bring the £2.5million scheme to fruition.
He was also shown and given a slice of a spectacular cake in the shape of a royal crown, made by award-winning NDDH chef Meg Davis.
After a short speech by Mr French, the Prince unveiled a plaque next to the main entrance and declared the unit officially open.
He also gave an impromptu speech of his own to praise the new unit and everyone involved for making it happen.
Children from Pathfield School waved flags to welcome the Prince while Barnstaple Concert Band provided musical entertainment.
Dr Alison Diamond, chief executive, said: “It has been a momentous day for everyone involved and a great honour to welcome a member of the Royal Family to North Devon District Hospital.
“Prince Edward was very complimentary about the Seamoor Unit, the modern environment and the facilities that will make such a positive difference to thousands of patients and their families every year for generations to come.”
Mr Roome said: “The Prince was very warm and welcoming – a lovely man.
“He spoke to all the patients who were receiving treatment and heard how wonderful the new unit was compared to the old one.
“We weren’t expecting him to give a speech but he stood up and thanked all the staff and fundraisers and said how great the unit was.
“He spoke to everyone, including the schoolchildren, the band and bystanders.
“He was really interested in what was going on. It was absolutely phenomenal.”
The unit opened to patients in the spring following a four-year fundraising campaign led by the local community, known as the Chemotherapy Appeal.
The North Devon Cancer Care Centre Trust (NDCCCT) contributed £700,000 while the rest came thanks to the efforts and generosity of individuals, organisations and businesses.
Dr Diamond added: “We would like to reiterate our gratitude to everyone who contributed to this amazing project – staff, fundraisers, volunteers, the project team, the North Devon Gazette and many more.
“Thanks to you, we have a wonderful, state-of-the-art building which offers a fitting and comfortable environment for staff, patients and families, at a time in their lives when they need it the most.”
The Trust continues to raise vital funds to support its services, including the Seamoor Unit, through its charity Over and Above.
For more information about Over and Above and how you can help, call the fundraising team on 01271 311772, e-mail ndht.charity@nhs.net or visit https://overandabove.org.uk.
ADDITIONAL QUOTE ABOUT THE SEAMOOR UNIT
Charlotte Overney, lead nurse and cancer manager, said: “The feedback from patients has been overwhelmingly positive and our scores in the Friends and Family Test are consistently very high.
“Patients regularly comment on the quality of the environment, which is much more welcoming for patients and their families, as well as the high levels of care and support they receive from our staff.
“Many also say how nice it is to be able to have someone with them while they receive their treatment, which wasn’t possible in the old unit.”
INVITED GUESTS
HRH The Earl of Wessex met a number of invited guests during his visit.
The guests included:
ROYAL CROWN CAKE
The royal crown cake is made of Victoria sponge with jam and buttercream filling, coated with marzipan and fondant icing. The entire cake, including the jewels, is edible.
MORE INFORMATION
The Seamoor Unit was designed by architects from David Wilson Partnership, while UK construction company Morgan Sindall completed the build in 13 months with the help of local sub-contractors.
The unit contains a main treatment area named in memory of Jennifer Bonetta, founder of NDCCCT, which contains 14 treatment chairs in an open-plan design as suggested by patients.
There are also separate en-suite treatment rooms, seven consulting rooms for oncology and haematology outpatients, a resource room, a quiet room and a staff meeting room.
When patients arrive, they are met with a hotel-style reception and a large waiting area with a skylight which will be available for support groups to use in the evenings.
Outside, the unit has its own drop-off point as well as a courtyard and surrounding areas for use by patients.
Solar panels, under-floor heating and a sedum roof contribute to the eco-friendly design and the unit’s nomination to become the first building in North Devon to achieve a BREEAM excellence award for sustainability.