Morecambe and Lancaster charity's new bid for support

Morecambe Bay Hospitals Charity and its supporters raise funds to pay for medical equipment and ward improvements including parent beds, iPads and other therapies to make stays and treatment at Royal Lancaster Infirmary more comfortable.

As of January 1 2017 the charity is shortening its name to Bay Hospitals Charity in recognition of the area it supports, along with the motto “supporting life’s journey together.”

On January 12 2017, the charity is also opening a brand new office at Furness General Hospital to complement its existing office at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

Plans for the new office include making it into a ‘operational hub’ - where supporters and volunteers will get together regularly for “Charity Natters” over refreshments to plan fundraising events.

Paula Richardson, head of the Bay Hospitals Charity has previously successfully led an appeal to raise £1m for a scanner at the Royal Preston Hospital and has experience of working at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital as well as Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

She said: “Bay Hospitals Charity is an NHS charity.

“It exists solely to ensure local patients receive the best care and treatment possible from their local hospitals by funding those items that really make a difference to patients and staff.

“In recent years, donations and legacies from local people and their families have averaged at around £700,000 a year. This money has become vital to the trust but with advances in equipment and new research showing that the environment in which patients are treated can have a big effect on how they respond and recover, the wish list coming through from the clinical teams is ever growing.”

Paula, along with her three woman-team of Judith Read and Christine Metcalfe, who are based in the Lancaster office, are hopeful that national initiatives will spur other supporters to come forward.

On Thursday January 12 2017, the new office will open its doors to would-be supporters from 1pm onwards, serving free refreshments.

Anyone interested in becoming a Bay Hospitals Charity supporter and/or volunteer can drop into either of the charity’s offices or call 01524 516064.