How we help
We are proud to work alongside Whittington Health NHS Trust, enhancing the quality of care and improving the experiences of patients and staff by funding projects that go above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.
Making a difference to the lives of over 500,000 people across north London, our goal is to make a real and positive difference to every patient, their families and all our colleagues.
Donations help to fund projects and programmes that have a positive impact at Whittington Hospital and across over 40 community sites. We support projects in the following areas:
• Enhancing patient care and experiences
• Sustainable improvements to the care environment
• State-of-the-art equipment and technology
Our impact
The difference that the Charity makes is all thanks to the incredible people that we work with. From dedicated staff who come to us with ideas for projects, to our fundraisers, and even the patients and their families who inspire the work that we do every day, we're proud to tell the stories of the many people who make Whittington Health Charity what it is.
Enhancing patient care and experiences
Sing for your Lungs
Sing for your Lungs is a long-running project providing weekly singing sessions for people with long-term respiratory conditions. Led by experienced music therapists, the sessions feature singing, vocal exercises and postural work and many attendees have seen improvements in their symptoms. The importance of this work has only increased since Covid-19 – and we can only deliver it thanks to our donors.
A space for exercise and community for those with Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s Walking Football is a long-running group, run in partnership with Arsenal Football Club and funded by Whittington Health Charity. The weekly group provides a space for people of all ages and abilities with Parkinson’s disease to exercise, socialise, and receive support. Click the photo to see the team on Match of the Day!
Donor support has enabled us to grow the group and expand the impact that football can have.
Sustainable improvements to the care environment
Artwork across the Trust
Working with partner charity Paintings in Hospitals, Whittington Health Charity funds the loan of high-quality artworks for staff, patients, and families to enjoy. Throughout the main hospital site, the collection of pieces brings interest, colour and calmness.
The counselling room in the early pregnancy unit is used to give women and families difficult news, often after an early pregnancy scan. Perhaps their pregnancy sadly isn’t viable, or their unborn child has been diagnosed with a serious illness. These families now have a comfortable and safe space where they can process the news, receive counselling to help them come to terms with the diagnosis, and rest privately.
The staff room on the labour ward is a quiet place away from the busy ward where staff can take a break, rest and prepare and eat food. This multi-functional space is restful but functional and durable. With modular seating, a dining space and kitchen area, the new design helps staff to relax and switch off, returning to the delivery suites restored and refreshed.
Transforming maternity and neonatal facilities
Working with our local community partners, award-winning design firm House of Grey, we’ve transformed three rooms across our maternity and neonatal intensive care wards.
The family room provides a tranquil, dedicated space for families with very sick babies requiring dedicated round-the-clock care in our neonatal intensive care unit. During this time, parents and siblings need to remain at the hospital for days and weeks on end, for hours at a time. The refurbished family room is now a welcoming, homely space, suitable for adults and children to spend time on site, close to their baby.
This project has set a new benchmark for the standard of environments across the Trust, and we are so thankful for the support of donors and suppliers who have brought this project to life.
Clinic 4c
The time spent in a waiting room waiting to hear life-changing news can be agonising. Together with Gynaecologist, Mr Narendra Pisal, who raised funds by running a marathon, the Charity supported the improvement of the Clinic 4c waiting room.
Working with arts charity, A Space Between, staff came together to create bespoke artwork that now hang proudly on the walls. The space has been transformed from a clinical and characterless room to a warm, relaxing space where patients can have a moment of calm.
Staff wellbeing
Supporting staff through the menopause
Women of menopausal age are the fastest growing group in the workplace. At Whittington Health, with 77% female staff, how we support this growing cohort matters. Donor support allows us to fund monthly sessions for staff to come together, share experiences, remove stigma, and hear from experts on topics such as nutrition, mental health, exercise, HRT, and alternative treatments.
We know that well-being leads to well-doing and we aim to help create a well-supported and happy work force to manage the unique challenges of growing demand on NHS services. One of the many ways the Charity supports this is through the creation of a staff choir.
Once a month, staff from across the Trust gather for a session led by a professional choir teacher. The singing sessions are open to all and allow staff members to connect and relax. Please see the video for a sample of their talents!
Staff choir
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we are there for our staff members across all our hospitals, where and when they need us.
State-of-the-art equipment and technology
Cutting edge Parkinson’s technology
Parkinson’s disease can greatly impact the day-to-day life of patients. The Whittington Health Charity has funded the purchase of cutting edge Parkingson’s KinetiGraph (PKG) devices, which monitor Parkinson’s patients’ movements and allow doctors to remotely assess their condition in a pioneering project to revolutionise NHS care. For patients with mobility difficulties, these devices dramatically improve their quality of life – providing a thorough review of their health and ensuring they get the care they need from the comfort of their own homes.
Accuvein Devices
Currently, more than half of children coming into the Whittington Hospital will require blood tests and/or cannulation, equating to more than 20,000 young people each year. Locating children’s veins is a particularly difficult task, as they are often distressed and struggle to stay still, but also because their veins are smaller and hidden.
The Charity has funded the purchase of Accuvein devices, which painlessly allow children’s veins to be identified, enabling blood tests, injections, and cannulation to be carried out quickly, without repeated efforts, reducing the distress experienced by young patients.
Improving and promoting access to health services
Improving the experience of young people with sickle cell disease
For young people with sickle cell disease, managing symptoms, frequent hospitalisations, and treatment can be challenging. Support from Whittington Health Charity has enabled a workshop event at London Zoo, bringing together the Whittington Hospital sickle cell team and children with sickle cell disease and their families.
The event featured the ‘Tree of Life’ workshop, which uses storytelling techniques to create a safe space for young people to talk about the challenges they face. The day was an opportunity for service users, their families, and the wider medical team to gather, share information, and build community.
Sensory Bags for children and young people with autism
The emergency department can be a stressful environment – unfamiliar experiences, bright lights, and loud noises make it particularly challenging for young people with autism. Based on feedback from service users, the Charity supported the creation of ‘sensory bags’, filled with calming and distracting toys, activities, and items to improve the experience and decrease the stress of attending the emergency department for people with autism.
Urgent Assistance Fund
Often, our smallest grants can make the biggest impact. The Charity created its Urgent Assistance Fund – a programme of small grants – to quickly respond when the need arises.
This past year, we have purchased gifts for young people completing their cancer treatment, bought equipment for an elderly patient that allowed them to comfortably return home, and purchased specialist pads for a young person dealing with incontinence whose family could not afford them.
Whittington Health Charity works with staff from right across the Trust, offering grants to support a range of different projects. We love it when staff and patients come up with ideas and are passionate about making them happen. For more information about how Trust staff can work with us, please visit our staff support page.