New Eye Hospital in Sunderland to benefit from £220,000 donation
Profits from cuppas and café favourites will help pay for extras for patient care thanks to a charity appeal set up to boost the North East's newest hospital.
STS Charity is the dedicated charity for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. As part of its work to raise vital funds to enhance care, facilities and patient experience it has set up the Vision Appeal. This is to support the new Eye Hospital due to open in Sunderland city centre this summer.
STS Charity is now celebrating a major fundraising milestone after Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) donated £220,000 to the appeal, raised through its volunteer-led retail sites.
Funds raised through the Vision Appeal help pay for improvements that go beyond standard NHS funding, ensuring patients, visitors and staff benefit from the very best possible environment, equipment and experience when the hospital opens its doors.
It will support enhanced equipment including motorised examination chairs that aid patients with mobility issues; specialist kit that helps to diagnose and treat a number of eye conditions quicker and additional furniture that provide extra comfort and improve the environment for patients visiting the new hospital.
RVS will operate an expanded café at the new Eye Hospital, approximately double the size of the current café at Sunderland Eye Infirmary. There will also be an additional ground floor coffee shop. Profits made in Royal Voluntary Service cafés help support the NHS and the charity’s work and raise funds for projects like the Vision Appeal.
These new welcoming spaces will be run by a team of dedicated staff and volunteers, providing refreshments and a friendly presence for patients, visitors and hospital staff.
Catherine Scott-Jones, STS Charity Fundraising Manager, said:
“This incredibly generous donation from Royal Voluntary Service is a huge boost for our Vision Appeal. The new Eye Hospital is already a landmark development for our region, and support like this enables us to go even further.
“This support means we can invest in enhancements that genuinely improve patient comfort, care and experience as well as transforming treatment for a wide range of eye conditions. We’re extremely grateful to RVS for their generosity and ongoing commitment to supporting our patients and communities.”
Royal Voluntary Service has a proud and longstanding history in Sunderland, with volunteers supporting local people since 1939. It was first known as the Women’s Voluntary Service.
Volunteers have played an important role in the community over the decades and continue to support NHS services and patients today.
Chris Gray, Executive Director of Retail at Royal Voluntary Service, said:
“Royal Voluntary Service has supported people in Sunderland since the first World War, and we’re absolutely thrilled to continue our support for generations to come, through this donation and expanded RVS spaces in the new Eye Hospital.
“Funds raised through our shops and cafés help to create a more comfortable environment for patients, visitors and hospital staff, where our friendly and welcoming volunteers provide support every day. We’re incredibly excited to be part of this new chapter for local healthcare.”
There are currently 10 RVS volunteers supporting the Sunderland Eye Infirmary café, with plans to recruit an additional 12 volunteers ahead of the move to the new hospital.
Brian Williams, RVS Retail Volunteer in Sunderland, said:
“Volunteering is such a great way to give back to the local community. You meet so many lovely people when they come into the café, and it’s really rewarding to be able to chat with them and offer them a friendly face – especially at what might be an anxious time for them. It’s the small moments that can make a big difference to someone’s day, and I’d encourage anyone who might be considering volunteering to just give it a go.”
Royal Voluntary Service believes in volunteering for all and mobilises volunteers across Britain, who help people across the country each month in hospital, at home and in the community.
To learn more about Royal Voluntary Service, visit www.
Information about STS Charity and the Vision Appeal can be found at www.
