For three decades, Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity has been proving that healthcare is about far more than medicine.
As it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the charity is shining a light on the vital role it plays alongside The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, funding the extras the NHS simply cannot.
Since its founding in 1996, the charity has focused on funding projects that go beyond what the NHS budget can provide – enhancing environments, supporting families and adding the human touches that make difficult experiences more bearable.
Over the years, the charity has funded spaces, services and small but powerful touches that put patient wellbeing at the centre and transforms a hospital stay from purely clinical to truly compassionate.
Among its most recent achievements is a vibrant outdoor playground on the hospital’s children’s ward which opened in 2023. Designed to give young patients a chance to play and spend time outdoors, the space offers a vital boost to wellbeing and recovery during hospital stays.
The following year, the charity raised £160,000 to refurbish the neonatal unit, creating a brighter, more welcoming environment for families with premature babies. The redesign focused on creating a calm and homely space to ease the stress of premature birth, recognising that surroundings can play a crucial role in emotional wellbeing.
Perhaps most moving is its long-standing Purple Butterfly in-memory initiative which launched in 2010. Through this fund, four private, en-suite end-of-life rooms were created – spaces that many hospitals cannot afford to provide. The initiative also supports Memory Boxes, offering grieving families a lasting way to remember loved ones.
Beyond major projects, the charity continues to fund thoughtful additions that make a real difference. From counselling services for bereaved families to a “wind phone” in the hospital chapel where people can symbolically speak to loved ones who have passed, the charity focuses on emotional and psychological support.
They have also established pro-bono work from local companies who have supported with seasonal gifts, refurbished ward spaces, and even practical donations like a vehicle for portable X-ray equipment all help staff go the extra mile.
To mark its 30-year milestone, the charity is inviting the community to a special afternoon tea and fashion show on Saturday 4th July at Sitwell Golf Club in Rotherham. The event starts at 3.30pm and tickets are £25 which includes a traditional tea followed by a fashion show with affordable collections available to purchase.
Funds raised from the event will go towards supporting the charity’s Dementia Appeal, which aims to raise £250,000 to enhance the care and hospital experience for people living with dementia in Rotherham and beyond. Tickets can be ordered online at www.therotherhamft.nhs.uk/charity/events or by calling 01709 426 821
