Published on: 21 December 2023
As Christmas approaches, the League of Friends at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have been busy preparing donations for patients using Derbyshire Healthcare’s services, including mental health, learning disabilities and children’s services.
The Trust’s League of Friends is a charitable organisation, run by volunteers, who plan to deliver chocolate boxes to various wards today along with a festive performance from carol singers.
Pauline Gregory, Chair of the Trust’s League of Friends helped to make these donations possible, and she said: “We send gifts that have been donated to inpatients every Christmas. It is something the League of Friends have always done to help spread festive cheer.
“It began when we realised that there would be patients who had no relatives and so would not receive any gifts for Christmas. From this point on, the League of Friends decided they would help give a small gift for Christmas.”
The numbers of gifts have varied over the years, with this year’s donation including a purchase of 300 chocolate boxes being given to patients on wards at the Trust’s hospital units in Derby and Chesterfield.
Mark Powell, Chief Executive at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re pleased to hear our patients will be receiving some gifts this Christmas to make their time with us a bit more special.
“We hope our gifts spread a bit of Christmas cheer across the wards in readiness for Christmas.
“The charity have worked with us over the years to support the care we provide for our patients and it is important to point out that they are very much part of our hospital family, so a big thank you to the brilliant League of Friends for their kind donations.”
