Coronavirus / NHS endowment fund grows as local and national donations come flooding in
MORE than £42,000 has been paid into the NHS Shetland Endowment Fund in response to the Covid-19 emergency appeal with further donations expected to be handed over soon.
Since the start of the coronavirus crisis in early March the Shetland community has been pulling out all the stops in support of the local health service.
Funds raised for the endowment fund can be used in support NHS staff, patients and volunteers above and beyond the government funding a health board receives to provide day-to-day services.
Most of the funds paid into the local heath board’s endowment fund have so far come from the islands’ share of Captain Tom’s record breaking fundraising appeal, in which he raised more than £32 million by walking 100 laps of his garden to mark his 100th birthday.
Most donations made locally to islands based Covid-19 fundraising efforts are not yet reflected in the overall figure.
NHS Shetland finance director and trustee of the endowment fund Colin Marsland said the funds would be spent to support the NHS Shetland staff and the health and wellbeing needs of the wider community.
“We understand there have been other fundraising activities locally that the community has generously supported and we expect that these donations will be received shortly,” he said.
“There will also be further funds received form NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Appeal Fund.”
He said trustees were consulting with staff and others on how the funds can best be used locally.
“The endowment fund trustees met on 1 May in a virtual meeting to discuss the donations and to consider the initial ideas on how the money is to be spent,” Marsland said.
“These ideas include: a staff welfare room, a support line for health and care, and communication devices for patients to interact from their hospital bed with family and loved ones who cannot visit due to Covid-19 restrictions.”
The NHS Shetland Endowment Fund is a member of NHS Charities Together with acts as an umbrella body for over 200 health board charities across the UK.
More than £100 million has been raised by NHS Charities Together over the last seven weeks, and some of these funds have already been distributed to its members including NHS Shetland’s Endowment Fund, with significant further contributions expected in the near future.
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