Pictured: ELHT&Me Fundraising Manager, Denise Gee
Philanthropy and the generosity of the local population played vital roles in the creation of hospital care here in East Lancashire.
Blackburn Union Workhouse (later Queens Park Hospital) was established by representatives from 24 local townships in 1864. Burnley Municipal Hospital was built thanks to a group of philanthropists in 1877 and charitable giving was the lifeblood that made healthcare for those in need possible in both towns.
When local Hospitals were founded in the 19th century, they relied almost entirely on charitable donations to cover day to day running costs. Down the years, our hospitals have continued to accept charitable donations and legacies and today ELHT&me, the official charity of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, manages donations that support all areas of our work.
The work of ELHT&me enhances the physical environment of the hospitals for patients, staff and visitors. Through fundraising the Charity is able to fund projects which touch the lives of the thousands of people cared for by the hospitals and local community services each year.
Helping patients have the best experience possible while receiving their medical care is really important to us. While we are not directly involved with patient treatment, recent donations to ELHT&me have enabled a new play area for the Royal Blackburn Children’s Ward and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Burnley General.
ELHT&me is a charitable fund for every ward in the hospital providing a facility for patients and their relatives and friends to make a contribution towards improving the ward environment for both patients and staff.
Sometimes this means improving the waiting areas or simply providing someone to talk to. At other times it means Special Purpose Funds that are specifically for the purchase of additional and/or specialist equipment that otherwise may not be purchased, such as the robotic surgery fund which supports patients having state-of-the-art robotic surgery for various cancers.
Every patient has different needs and wishes, so we work hand-in-hand with wards and departments to provide those little extras that make inpatient and outpatient visits more pleasant.
We aim to create a legacy for East Lancashire, one in which we work in partnership with local communities, businesses and individuals to ensure we all benefit from the very best hospitals – and high quality care – we all deserve.
A brighter and healthier outlook for all.