Birmingham Hospital Charity welcomes the community for inaugural Iftar Dinner

This Ramadan, Heartlands Hospital Charity was overwhelmed by the response from the community, when it held its first ever Iftar Dinner. The night raised an amazing £93,000, to help children treated at Heartlands Hospital.

The Iftar dinner (18 March), was organised to fundraise for equipment that will help young patients at Heartlands Hospital better understand their treatment and be less fearful. The money raised will now fund a Kitten Scanner, an incredible piece of equipment, that shows children who need an MRI (CT) Scan, how the machine works. The small replica helps to reduce their fear and gives them the chance to understand what to expect through play. All of this means that fewer children will need anaesthesia during the procedure.

The response from the local community was incredible, including, Afzal Hussain, Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands, local groups, businesses, and hospital staff, and is a testament to the important work done by the hospital charity to support patients.

Saiqha Din, Fundraising Manager at Heartlands Hospital Charity said, “I am so grateful to the community for their support. When we took the leap to host an Iftar Dinner, we wanted to put Heartlands Hospital Charity on the map and raise awareness in the local community of what we do. The community’s response is heartwarming, and the money they raised will make a huge difference to young patients treated at Heartlands.

“The Kitten Scanner that we can now fund will transform the hospital experience for children who need an MRI, as well as reduce the stress felt by their families. Hospital is scary enough as an adult, it can be terrifying for a child, especially something as noisy and claustrophobic as a CT scan. Anything we can do to alleviate some of that fear is great, the help that we can give with the Kitten Scanner, is incredible.”

Heartlands Hospital Charity is very grateful to its amazing donors and fundraisers, who have helped to support patients, their families, and staff at Heartlands Hospital. From life-saving equipment to supporting patients’ wellbeing, Heartlands Hospital Charity helps patients and their families by going ‘over and above’ what the NHS can provide as standard.

To find out more about how the Charity supports patients at all four hospitals under UHB Trust, go to our About Us page.