NHS colleagues Karen and Anita held their annual bake sale and raffle to raise money for breast cancer.
Karen joined the Microbiology team at the Northern General Hospital in 2005 and Anita joined as a secretary in 2017. Having both worked closely with a colleague that had breast cancer, they set about organising a fundraiser.
“We started off with just a small bake sale and getting everyone to wear pink and pay £1 to join in. We’ve kept this going over the years and it keeps on growing. We introduced a raffle which started as three prizes nine years ago, and now we’ve got over 30 prizes – including weekend Tramlines tickets!”
Karen and Anita were aware of Sheffield Hospitals Charity as they both work within Sheffield’s NHS, but first saw the real impact of the charity’s work when the secret garden was completed at the Northern General.
“It made the charity feel so personal to us. You can see directly how funds raised have contributed to something that has made a real difference to staff, patients, and their families,” Anita told us.
Karen added, “It’s been so much better fundraising for Sheffield Hospitals Charity. Usually you raise money, send it to a charity, and off it goes. You never know really whether you’ve made a difference. This way though, we get to see the results first hand and it’s fantastic.”
Last year, the charity arranged for the pair to meet with the breast cancer team from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and hear about how grateful they were.
Karen reflected, “when we met the team, they were overwhelmed that someone in another part of the NHS was raising funds for them. They kept telling us how kind we are. That’s not why we do it, but to know how much someone appreciates what you’re doing is lovely.”
“It’s nice to know what we’re doing does make a difference,” Anita added. “It means a lot to know that you’re doing some good. We always try and beat our previous target, and this motivated us even more to keep going. I love how it unites everyone. We get people from different floors, wards, and even buildings across the hospitals involved, bringing everyone together for such a strong cause.”
If Karen and Anita have inspired you, whether that is to host a bake sale, a quiz night, or get your running trainers on, you can visit our Fundraising page here or contact the charity team who would love to hear about your ideas.
Published: Monday 28th of October 2024