M&S stores across Birmingham have been raising funds for NHS Charities Together over the last few months and customers have already raised over £129,625.06.
All money raised for NHS Charities Together goes towards helping local communities, and NHS Birmingham Community Healthcare (BCHC) Charity is one of a number of recipients of a recent donation.
The Charity supports Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which provides high quality community and specialist services throughout Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region. Part of the funds received went towards purchasing electronic items for patients, such as TVs to help reduce anxiety, and iPads, to enable them to contact loved ones during their hospital stay. BCHC also recognised the need to provide sufficient levels of distraction and entertainment for patients who were unable to visit the community rooms in their hospitals and supplied over 900 games and activities, including jigsaws, colouring books and board games. The Charity also secured over 400 sets of M&S pyjamas during lockdown, providing patients much-needed home comforts.
To help boost morale and improve the wellbeing of NHS colleagues going above and beyond to provide essential services, and who were dealing with many challenges during this period, BCHC supplied over 4,000 self-care items such as snacks, hand cream and relaxation aids which included mindfulness colouring books and eye sleep masks.
M&S’s partnership with NHS Charities Together, has so far raised over £7.8m* across the UK for NHS good causes.
Donations from M&S have been raised through a number of initiatives, including the retailer’s Rainbow Sale (where 10% of each purchase, excluding VAT, is donated to NHS Charities Together), limited edition NHS Charities Together Bags for Life, M&S’s All in This Together T-shirts and through one-off donations at the till points. Throughout August, customers will continue to have the opportunity to donate to NHS Charities Together.
The charity provides the extras that enhance the care provided by Birmingham Community Healthcare and its 5,000 staff across the city. Fundraising is critical to enhance the experience for the wide range of patients from adults, children and young people, to those requiring rehabilitation or living with learning disabilities.
Stores across Birmingham that have contributed to the fundraising include: M&S Birmingham, M&S Moseley, M&S Mere Green, M&S Longbridge, M&S Sheldon and M&S Solihull.
