Frequently asked questions

Yes, we have internal restricted funds for all the major areas of the hospitals.

The Giles’ Trust is a fund that comes under the governance of Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity. You can get involved in most of the Charity's events; just let us know you would like to raise funds for The Giles’ Trust when you get in touch. Alternatively, you might want to set something up yourself. If you do, please let us know to see if we can help in any way.

If you die without a will the law decides who gets what and how much of your estate. By having a will in place you can clearly define who should receive any property, personal items and money you have and prevent unnecessary distress at an already difficult time for your family and friends.

Over the course of a year, I support over 820 young cancer patients aged 16-24 whilst they underwent treatment. This can range from bedside teaching of GCSE’s and A-Levels, helping them write their university applications, securing apprentices, navigating student finance… the list goes on! I take a holistic and tailored approach to all my students to help guide them through their future education or careers. It is so important for them to know that their cancer diagnosis doesn’t have to stop their dreams and ambitions; and I’m there to support them with whatever they need.

Leaving a gift in your will is a wonderful act of selflessness and University Hospitals Birmingham Charity is extremely grateful to those donors who consider supporting the charity in this way. Leaving a gift in your will allows you to play a supporting role in helping patients, staff and families long into the future. The money that the charity receives from the wills of donors is used according to their wishes.

You can specify how the Charity should use your gift but it is best to discuss your wishes with the Charity first rather than simply leaving instructions in the will. This ensures the gift can be directed to the area you want to support. For example, a cutting edge piece of equipment required by the hospital today may have been superseded or made obsolete by another treatment in future years.

No. If you are fundraising for us your materials are absolutely free. We simply ask for you to return your collecting tins and buckets once the event is complete

How Heartlands Hospital Charity is supporting cystic fibrosis patients
The hospital Charity is contributing £20,000 to fund the refurbishment of the isolation room on the unit. The isolation room is where many patients spend time, especially towards the end of their life, and that is why the Charity is supporting this renovation. This will create a bright, comfortable and homely space for patients, who may have to spend up to a third of their time in isolation.

Before you proceed with the online will writing site Bequeathed or visit your solicitor it may be useful to consider what type of gift you would like to leave.

• Pecuniary Bequest - A specific sum of money.
• Specific Bequest - A particular item of value, such as jewellery or an antique.
• Residuary Bequest - A share of what is left of your estate after expenses and all other wishes have been met.
• Conditional Bequest - A gift which is passed to charity if the person for whom it was intended dies before you.

Our friendly charity team are here to help with any further questions that you may have, please contact us using the details below:

University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, Fisher House, Mindelsohn Way, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2GN

Call: 0121 371 4852
Email: charities@uhb.nhs.uk
Or contact our designated Wills In Memoriam Fundraiser, Jonathan, at: jonathan.burch@uhb.nhs.uk

Yes, please get in touch with team to discuss a member of staff or representative coming along on the day.

Email charities@uhb.nhs.uk or call 0121 371 4852

It is truly life-changing for these young people. Being able to continue their education and pursue their dreams gives them something to aim for and reassures them their future is not going to be damaged by their diagnosis. The support funded by QEHB Charity, allows them to stay on track and takes the pressure off them and their families at what is already a very difficult time.

If you would like to help young people with cancer receive the care they deserve, please Donate.

If you already have a will but wish to add a gift to a charity there is no need to change the whole will. You simply need to fill in a short form called a codicil which is signed by you in the presence of two witnesses. Your solicitor will be able to help you with this. Do not cross anything out or make changes to your actual will as this may make it invalid.

There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, but a range of treatments can help to control the symptoms, prevent or reduce complications, and make the condition easier to live with.

Patients with cystic fibrosis may need to take different medicines to treat and prevent lung problems, and physical activity and the use of airway clearance techniques can help to clear mucus from the lungs.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition that causes sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and the digestive system, causing lung infections and problems with digesting food.

With most patients, symptoms start in early childhood and the condition gets progressively worse over time, with the lungs and digestive system becoming increasingly damaged.

Although treatments are available to help to reduce the problems caused by the condition and make it easier to live with, sadly life expectancy is shortened.

People with cystic fibrosis will often have recurring chest infections and problems with their breathing, caused by the mucus on the lungs. Mucus building up in the pancreas leads to difficulties digesting food and taking on nutrients, which means that patients with cystic fibrosis need to eat more calories.

Many patients with cystic fibrosis will develop diabetes as the result of changes to the pancreas.

The best part of my job is seeing young people, going through the toughest experiences of their lives, achieving things they didn’t think they could. We liaise with their school and we keep them in line with what their peers are being taught so that they don’t feel like they are falling behind in anything. They don’t let cancer hold them back and it is my privilege to teach them. I love the fact that I can support these young patients during their treatment journey and hopefully make a difference. It’s a fantastic job.

UHB Charity followed by the area you want to support in brackets - e.g. "UHB Charity (CyberKnife)"

The Giles’ Trust wants to support the work of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with its care for brain tumour patients by continuing to fund a Giles’ Trust Clinical Research Nurse. This appointment is enabling the department to support the development of new drugs and treatments. The clinical research nurse delivers therapies to patients where standardised treatment options have failed and able to offer treatments that are not routinely available.

Absolutely! Please call or email the team at charities@uhb.nhs.uk to request a Fundraising Registration Form so that we know how best to support your fundraising.

Gifts to charities are exempt from inheritance tax which is charged at 40% of the value of an estate in excess of £325k. They can also reduce the amount of inheritance tax on the rest of your estate. If you give at least 10% of your taxable estate to charity the inheritance tax rate for the rest of your estate drops from 40% to 36%.

Gift Aid increases the amount of your donation without costing you a single penny. Using gift aid means that we can reclaim tax on donations made by UK tax payers. This means that HMRC will add an extra 25p to every pound you donate, at no extra cost to you!

So, if you were to make a £100 donation to UHB Charity, we would actually be able to receive £125, meaning your donation can stretch even further.

If you have any questions about gift aid please contact the charity team on 0121 371 4852.

Fundraise
Another fantastic way of supporting Fisher House is to fundraise!

One-off donation
This can be made through BACs payment, online on our website or by sending in a cheque (payable to UHB Charity).

Regular Giving - Become a Friend of Fisher House
If you would like to become a Friend of Fisher House, please email the team at charities@uhb.nhs.uk and we will provide the information on how to set up a monthly donation with your bank.

Giving in memory
Donations in lieu of flowers can be suggested at funerals or you can set up a tribute page for a loved one here

Leaving a Gift in a will
A beautiful way to leave a lasting legacy. Please contact us for more information.

Arrange a tour
We highly recommend booking a tour to view Fisher House and see its incredible facilities in person.

Room sponsorship
Sponsorship of a bedroom at Fisher House is a great way for your company to support the house. This costs £10,000 per year with naming rights. For more information on this please contact us at charities@uhb.nhs.uk

I have seen countless patients go on to fulfil lifelong ambitions. I have had students complete their Masters degrees, gain apprenticeships with FTSE100 companies and even become doctors themselves. I am proud of each and every one of them.

There are a number of ways to donate. You can send a cheque to the address below, donate online or call us on 0121 371 4852.

You can also visit us too, but please call to arrange.

UHB Charity
Fisher House, Mindelsohn Way, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, B15 2GN.

Brain tumour research remains underfunded in comparison to other diseases and illnesses funded by the NHS even though brain tumours are now the most common malignancy and cause of death in children.

Survival rates across all ages are only marginally better now than they were 40 years ago. Sadly it has not seen the same kind of medical advances that have been seen with other illnesses, for example with leukaemia and breast cancer.

Investment and research programmes have meant that there has been a variety of research undertaken in the laboratories that look at creating new drugs and treatments for brain tumour patients and, in the hospital, the NHS funds medical staff to care for patients.

However, there remains a vital missing link in enabling those new and potentially life-changing drugs and treatments to move from the laboratory shelf to the patient’s bedside tables. That missing link comes in the form of a clinical research nurse who, at the moment, cannot be funded by the NHS. The appointment of such a post would enable around 65 patients a year to be accepted onto a clinical trial.

These trials potentially have the ability to offer patients new drugs and treatments with fewer side effects, longer life expectancy and an ultimate goal of being able to beat brain tumours.