Needless to say, 2021 was not a normal year for Stroud Hospitals League of Friends, but the trustees managed by communicating with each other via extensive email discussions and the inevitable Zoom meetings. In fact, they had a very busy year and it granted in the region of £800,000.
Readers will be aware that the Minor Injuries and Illness Unit (MIIU) and Jubilee Ward are undergoing major refurbishment at the moment. Inevitably this has resulted in a temporary closure and disruption (though a booking system remains at Stroud for the MIIU). The League of Friends has contributed £515,000 to this project, principally to upgrade what would have been standard NHS provision, and it will mean that the MIIU is larger and has a better layout than otherwise. The upgrading of both the MIIU and Jubilee Ward will give many years of service to the community.
The League allocated a further £150,000+ on other items. This included over £50,000 for urology equipment to maintain the high standard of the hospital’s endoscopy department, and they are replacing the ultrasound equipment (£62,000) which the League has provided on a regular basis since 1970 when the service was first initiated. Other purchases include an operating theatre warming mat, a gazebo for Weaver’s Croft, sit-on scales and other items. The maternity hospital was not overlooked either, as £20,000 was contributed towards a refurbishment.
All this was alongside the usual support that the League gives to the maternity hospital to fund their pre- and post-natal yoga sessions and singing groups. The League continues to provide a free respite bed at Horsfall House for those registered with the local GP practices in Stroud and the Five Valleys area.
As a response to Covid, as in 2020, the League decided to allocate some funds to those organisations working in the local community which have provided vital health and well-being services during 2021. It supported 12 organisations with the principal beneficiary being ‘Hope for Tomorrow’. They provide weekly chemotherapy and other cancer treatment from a specialist mobile unit which parks at the back entrance of Stroud Hospital. The League’s grant covers the cost of delivering their Stroud provision and the League is delighted to be able to help in this way. It enables Stroud residents to receive their regular treatment in Stroud rather than Cheltenham, and is a much valued service.
So in total, in the region of £800,000 was allocated in 2021 – a busy year indeed. The League is able to support the two Stroud Hospitals and the community in this way by combining together the donations, large and small, that are made to the League of Friends to enable it to make meaningful difference to the healthcare in Stroud and the surrounding areas. All donations are gratefully received. Please contact info@stroudleagueoffriends.org.uk or visit our website www.stroudleagueoffriends.org.uk
