KCHC-AR-2023 Final Signed - Flipbook - Page 31
Strengthening
Building support
ourfor
infrastructure
the best care
Shining stars at the Great Hospital Hike
The 2022 Great Hospital Hike was particularly poignant
as it took place at the end of the national period of
mourning for the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
While it is primarily a walk of celebration, we had
already adapted it to enrich the experience of those
who wished to walk in memory of loved ones.
Among those wearing stars of remembrance, we were
delighted to welcome a 50-strong team from Holiday
Extras, raising funds in memory of Evie Dove who died
last year at the age of 13. Together the team raised
more than £8,000 through the Hike, inspired by a
wider fundraising effort in which they have “walked,
run, cycled, swam, raffled, quizzed, custarded and
comedied” their way to raising more than £50,000 to
take care further. Team leaders Matt Paxton and Simon
Hagger said, “We are determined to do Evie proud, to
let her family know how much we love them, and to do
everything we can for other families who are unfortunate
enough to need the support of the wonderful
King’s College Hospital.”
Bringing people together
Last year’s annual report featured the stories of Elena
Betts and Evie Dove, whose families and friends have
continued to raise funds in their memory during
2022/23, aiming – like the Dobsons – to improve
facilities for staff and families on children’s wards.
During the year, we brought these bereaved families
together with the family of Jake Rice (P30) to initiate a
major project at King’s. Working in close partnership
with them and King’s clinical and facilities teams, we
have drawn up exciting plans to make best use of the
funds they have raised. We are now eagerly awaiting
the completion of the work in 2023/24.
Leaving a lasting legacy
We would like to recognise all those
who leave a gift to King’s in their
Will. During 2022/23, we received
£1.2m from legacies and
endowments that will transform
our capacity to make the best
care possible at King’s.
Supporting families who have lost their baby
at King’s
We are deeply grateful to families who respond to
the immense grief of losing their baby at King’s by
raising funds in their memory. One family alone
raised an incredible £13,000, while others took on the
London Landmarks Half Marathon or held birthday
fundraisers, raising nearly £20,000 between them for
our fund to support families who have lost their baby
at King’s.
In addition to the funds raised by these amazing
supporters, we have made several grants during
2022/23 to help develop bereavement services across
both maternity and neonatal care. From funding new
furniture for the postnatal care bereavement suite
to memorial casting for parents to treasure, we are
intent on helping King’s go further to support families
through this most difficult time in their lives.
King's got my
husband through
treatment for cancer and Hep
C, enabling him to have a liver
transplant. Since then I've done the
London Landmarks Half Marathon
(twice!) and am training for the Great
Hospital Hike. We don't have family
- when we die, everything will go to
the liver transplant team so others
can benefit from their research.
Barbara Deacon
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