Author: Trust Charity

Epsom Music Charity will host an NHS Staff Benefit concert, featuring the Salieri Quartet, as part of local Jubilee celebrations on 27 May at midday at the Epsom Playhouse in the presence of Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Mayor Elect of Epsom and Ewell. 

The long established and experienced Salieri Quartet, whose members have played with orchestras across Europe and worked on West End shows, will treat the audience to a relaxing hour of classical favourites such as the Pachelbel Canon along with works from famous and familiar composers like Bach and Mozart to name but a few.  The quartet will then ‘string out’ the entertainment by setting up in Market Square to entertain shoppers and businesses with a more contemporary programme, ranging from Beyonce to Game of Thrones, and where donations will also be gratefully received!

Sasha Phillips from Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity said: “A huge thank you to the Epsom Music and the Salieri Quartet for dedicating their time to organise this event to support our charity; our people and the NHS.  We are very grateful for the effort that has been put into this and would encourage people to come along and support this special day-time musical interlude.”

Lionel Blackman, Trustee of Epsom Music, said: ‘Our charity supports the education and performance of all music throughout Epsom and Ewell.  Many in the music community were sadly affected by Covid in one way or another, and now that events can once again take place, we wanted to take the opportunity to show our immense gratitude to our local NHS.  We are honoured the Mayor Elect can attend, and we hope other people can show their support by getting a ticket and coming along!”

The concert will be for one hour and start at midday on Friday 27 May.  A minimum donation of £10 per ticket is requested which can be made online at www.epsommusic.org and all funds raised will go to Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity.

In March Natasha Flatt will be running the Hampton Court Half Marathon to raise money for St Helier’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who recently saved the life of one of her closest friends and the money raised will be used to save many more. 

Just before Christmas, Dom was put into an induced coma which lasted for over 3 weeks and was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune form of Encephalitis. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain which can have life changing effects and, if left untreated, can lead to permanent brain damage. Without the care from St Helier ICU and their prompt response, it could have caused long term complications.

Dom is now on the road to recovery and to say that all of his family and friends are thankful to St Helier ICU is an understatement.  

If you would like to support Natasha’s challenge please go to: justgiving.com/fundraising/natasha-flatt2

Local community doesn’t play around and donates hundreds of items to Christmas Toy Appeal!

Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity is delighted to announce that it received a HUGE response to its Christmas Toy Appeal, so much so that over 500 items were donated to help young patients over the festive period.

Most contributions were via the Charity’s Amazon Wish List, a carefully selected list of toys, games and other activities compiled by the hospitals’ Play Specialists. And while the majority of people chose to be Secret Santas, quite a few were keen to unveil their identities in order to thank staff for having cared for their own little ones in the past.

Local organisations also got involved by arranging collections among their employees or members including Cobham Scouts, Santander Sutton, Rosebery School, Sutton Synagogue, RWW Plumbing and Heating, Rotary Club Carshalton and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association.

Items donated included plasticine and play-doh, colouring pencils and felt tip pens, stickers, fidget cubes, wooden railways, various craft activities and lots of seek-and-find books (with ‘Where’s the Unicorn Poo?’ proving a particular favourite!) and even a portable DVD player.

Play Specialists Emily King and Kristy Parrack said: “On behalf of our all our colleagues across the Trust’s children’s services, we wanted to say a BIG thank you to everyone who has donated to the appeal. We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of the public, especially when the pandemic continues to make life hard for so many people. Every single item is much appreciated and very welcome and really has helped us to spread some cheer among those children who still had to visit hospital during the festive period. What’s even better is that many of the items will be used throughout the year, so they’re not just for Christmas!”

A grateful mum is running the London Marathon to raise money for the Neonatal Unit at St Helier Hospital as a thank you to the service that saved her twins’ lives when they were born 11 weeks early.

Local Carshalton mother of three, Camelia Garrett, 47, is taking on the 26.2 mile challenge to give something back to the team who cared for her children when they arrived prematurely back in 2003. Camelia said: “The twins are going to be 18 later this year, but I still remember those early days being cared for on the Neonatal Unit like it was yesterday.

“When Etti and Owain were born so early, it was an immensely frightening and distressing time, but the Neonatal Department were absolutely fantastic in every way. Using my London Marathon place to fundraise for the department seemed like the perfect opportunity to give back to them, and to support the wonderful staff who work there now.”

But in fact, some of the staff who cared for Etti and Owain still work in the department and remember caring for Camelia and her children. Fiona Herbert, now the Department’s Administration Manager, said: “I have worked here for 25 years, and still remember Camelia and the twins when I was a clinical member of staff. It’s always difficult when newborns need care with us, so the fact that Camelia thinks of us fondly and is fundraising for the department is really lovely. Of course, we wish her the very best of luck and hope she’ll pay us a visit with her medal!”

Camelia has undertaken a gruelling training regime to get ready for the big day on Sunday 3 October and her aim is to complete the event in five and a half hours. Commenting on her training, Camelia said: “I am sure all of the hard work will pay off! But I couldn’t do any of it without the continued support and encouragement from my family and friends!”

To support Camelia’s fundraising, please visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Camelia-Garrett1.

If you would like to take on a challenge or host an event to raise funds for Epsom and St Helier hospitals (even a specific ward or community service), please visit www.esthcharity.org.uk

Two lucky staff members have each bagged themselves £1000 from playing Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity Lottery for just £1 a week. See what they had to say about winning!

Emma who works at the Woodlands Nursery at St Helier Hospital said: ‘The funny thing was that I was at the hospital cashiers with my friend, and when I saw the Lottery leaflets there I told her that I played it but that I’d not won anything yet. Then a week later, I got home on a Monday evening, and there was a letter with the cheque inside – it was such a lovely surprise! First of all, I used some of it to treat my family to a really nice meal. And then it came in very handy to fix the car when the exhaust fell off! I’m saving the rest for a rainy day.’

Thomas, a doctor at Epsom Hospital, said: ‘I had signed up online about a year ago at £1 every week. I recently returned from a visit to my parents and bereaved aunt in India to find the cheque in my letter box. I was extremely grateful to God for having won this. The travel home had been very expensive with all the COVID testing, multiple cancellations and rebooking at escalated rates. Though this amount didn’t cover it, it helped ease the burden.’

So if you’d like the chance to win £1000 or even the £25,000 jackpot you have to be in it to win it! Sign up today and you’ll be supporting the hospitals and community services at the same time!

Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity is delighted to announce that award-winning Theo the Magician will be hosting a fun interactive online magic show to raise money for the dedicated children’s ward at Epsom Hospital.

Theo the Magician’s magical event will support Casey Ward’s appeal to fund a ‘magic carpet’ for the young patients on the ward. With a mobile projector, motion sensor and interactive mat and lots of preinstalled games and apps, the Magic Carpet provides children with a range of activities for physical, mental or sensory stimulation, from being transported to a virtual seaside, to taking part in a dance off or completing a puzzle.  

And even more importantly for these times, play can be touchless while the mat is easy to clean and sanitise between users.

Well know Sutton resident and member of the prestigious Magic Circle and Equity, Theo Theodoris, normally performs shows all over Surrey and South London, but is currently delighting young audiences using the magic of zoom to bring abracadabra into the room!

His show, exclusively for the Magic Carpet Appeal, will be at 10am on Saturday 10 April. Bookings will remain open until midday on Friday 9 April. The show will last around an hour and will contain tricks, illusions, and games to suit children of all ages.

For your invitation and more information, the Charity and Theo kindly request a minimum donation of £10 for every child who watches the show. Every penny will go towards the appeal.

This won’t be the first time Theo has chosen to support his local hospitals. Back in 2003 he raised a staggering £17,000 for St Helier’s neonatal unit who saved the life of his daughter Elena who was born 10 weeks early and weighed just 2lbs. Since then, he has continued to hold numerous fundraising events for the unit bringing the total, so far, up to £25,000! This includes his Magic Sunflower Competitions and during last year’s lockdown he also chose to donate some of the fundraising to the Charity’s Covid Appeal.

Theo said: “I’m delighted to be able to help entertain the kids with my fun interactive magic show while at the same time helping Casey Ward get this exciting piece of equipment, powered by digital magic! Unfortunately, I know all too well the anguish of having a child who is very poorly and needs hospital care. But I also know that the children’s team at Epsom always know what’s best for their young patients and are fully committed to them. I have no doubt that this magic carpet will make a real difference to the kids on Casey Ward.”

To book your ticket for Theo’s magic show, please make your donation at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/Casey-Carpet (you can do this as a guest). Then email team@esthcharity.org.uk with your contact details and the number of children participating, and their ages. Alternatively, you can donate over the phone by calling the Charity on 01372 735 262.

For more information about Theo the Magician please visit: www.magictheo.com.

Hardworking staff at Epsom and St Helier can now make the most of their breaks or find a moment of relaxation after a busy shift, thanks to a generous loan of two sleep pods.

The two space-age looking pods are designed specifically for twenty-minute power naps, and come complete with a hooded privacy visor and the option to play pre-programmed music or a relaxation guide. This means valued NHS staff are able to rejuvenate their minds and body in the break of a busy shift, or before heading home after clocking off for the day.

Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles said: “Team ESTH always work hard to provide the best care to our patients, but the effort and determination they have shown through COVID-19 has been phenomenal. If anyone deserves to put their feet up for 20 minutes and make the most of a lunch break, it’s our staff!

“Evidence shows that for most people, a short 15 to 20-minute nap can help to reduce the impact of tiredness on people’s ability to function and can improve performance. But more importantly than that, being able to take a moment to relax and recuperate will be a real boost for the health and wellbeing of our staff, which in turn, has a positive effect on patient care and experience”.

Dr Shakil Rahman, Lead Respiratory Consultant at the Trust, has been at the very forefront of the Trust’s response to COVID-19, leading the team who cared for some of the sickest COVID-19 patients. He said: ‘I’ve tried the sleep pod and I can’t believe – even for a poor sleeper like me – how refreshed I feel. I will definitely be using it again and encouraging everyone to try some power naps, especially the junior doctors who work and study incredibly hard. I’ve been so proud of how the respiratory team and all my ESTH colleagues have faced the immense challenges of this pandemic, and I truly think their health and wellbeing has never been so important.”

The sleep pods have kindly been loaned to Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity by the company Restworks for a free two-month trial but – if the feedback from staff continues to be positive the charity could look to purchase them on a long-term basis. The Charity always welcome support from local people and businesses – if you would like to make a donation to this or any other project, please contact the team by email at team@esthcharity.org.uk or call 01372 735262.

For more information about Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity (registered charity number 1049197) visit www.esthcharity.org.uk.

For more information on Restworks, please visit: www.rest.works.