01. What areas of the hospital do you support? Expand Leeds Hospitals Charity is the partner charity for all of the hospitals and clinics run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. This includes Leeds General Infirmary, St James’s University Hospital, Leeds Children’s Hospital, Leeds Cancer Centre, Wharfedale Hospital, Seacroft Hospital, Chapel Allerton Hospital and the Leeds Dental Institute.
02. What do you use donations and fundraising for? Expand Money that is donated directly to the charity, or fundraised through events and sponsorship, goes directly to supporting NHS staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and the patients and families they care for. We award millions of pounds in grants every year, funding everything from new pieces of equipment to ward renovations and new specialist staff positions. Everything we fund fits into three impact areas: Tackling health inequalities, driving innovation in healthcare using new technologies and enhancing treatments for rare conditions. Read more: Our funding priorities across Leeds Hospitals
03. How much of the money raised actually goes to supporting the hospitals? Expand In the last five years we have awarded grants of £33.7m to Leeds Teaching Hospitals. This equates to 95% of the total income raised in that same period. We recognise that when people give to the charity, they want to see that money making a real difference to Leeds Teaching Hospitals, so we do everything we can to keep costs low, so there is more money available to award through our grant funding programme.
04. What does the charity do? How do you make a difference? Expand We are a grant giving charity, rather than providing direct services in the hospital. This means we award grants to fund projects across the hospitals. This might be purchasing a new surgical robot, or equipment for the wards, investing in innovative research or funding a new specialist staff member. We also fund smaller projects that can make a big difference to patients and families, things like comfort care packs for families and care bags for patients with learning disabilities. Read more: The difference donations make
05. Why does the NHS need charities? Expand Although publicly funded by the government through taxation, the NHS only has a set budget to work with every year. The UK has an ageing population and people are often living with several long-term conditions, which puts our health services under even more pressure. NHS Charities across the country give an average of a million pounds a day to help our NHS services. Charities have always existed to help health services do more, and deliver even better care, for patients and their families. The first hospital here in Leeds, dating back to 1767, was set up thanks to donations from local businesses. Nowadays, we exist to champion our NHS and give thanks for the great care it provides. We help our NHS staff do more and pay for the ‘added extras’ that the NHS wouldn’t usually fund.
06. Can I donate to a specific area of the hospital? Expand When you donate to us, you can be reassured that your money will go directly to where it’s needed most. However, you can also donate to a specific project or area if we have a live fundraising appeal or there’s an ongoing project in that department. Whenever someone gives us a donation, we’ll take into account their wishes. We often have projects or appeals that we’re fundraising for, and all of these can be found on the Areas We Support page. If you know that a specific ward or department is fundraising for something, please let us know when you make your donation. We support every area of the hospital and can provide examples of specific projects we’ve supported, for example at Leeds Children’s Hospital or Leeds Cancer Centre. Read more: Areas We Support
07. How do I organise a funeral collection? Expand To organise a collection for the funeral or memorial service of a loved one, please contact us on 0113 539 7020. We can help to provide collection boxes and envelopes and provide online funeral notices. Read more: Organising a funeral collection
08. How do I donate in memory? Expand There are several ways you can donate in memory of a loved one who has died. You can create a page on our memorial site, MuchLoved. Visit muchloved: muchloved.org You can also make a donation for a special plaque on our memory path at St James’s University Hospital. Find out more: Donate in Memory of a Loved One
09. How can I pay in cash I’ve collected? Expand The best way to pay in any cash to us is by visiting our office at Trust HQ, St James’s University Hospital, Beckett Street, LS9 7TF. Please note that if you would like to make your donation in person, we need to know in advance - please email [email protected] or call 0113 539 7020 to arrange a visit. PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH IN THE POST.Read more: Donate by Cheque or Cash
10. Can I have a plaque to recognise my fundraising? Expand There are lots of ways we can thank you for your support, from certificates to thank you cards. Due to Leeds Teaching Hospitals being a very busy NHS site, we’re only able to offer donation plaques in rare circumstances and when the donation made is over £10,000. To talk to us about donation plaques, please call our hospital fundraising team on 0113 539 7020 or email [email protected]
11. Can you share my fundraising on social media? Expand We’d be happy to chat to you about sharing your stories or fundraising events on our channels. Please email us at [email protected] or reach out through social media.
12. Can you organise a cheque presentation? Expand We’d love to thank you for your fundraising! To chat to us about the best way to present your donation to the hospitals, please call our hospital fundraising team on 0113 539 7020 or email [email protected]
13. How can I get involved and fundraise? Expand There are lots of ways to support Leeds Teaching Hospitals! You can donate directly to the charity, fundraise through an event or sponsored activity, join our charity lottery or give your time through volunteering! You can also think about leaving a gift to the charity in your will. Read more: Get involved
14. How can I support you through a one off or regular gift? Expand Our ‘Become a Friend’ programme allows you to support the hospitals by giving a monthly donation, via direct debit, to the charity. This is a great, easy way to give, that provides lasting support to our hospitals. By signing up to become a friend, you’ll also get regular updates from us and thank you cards. Sign up here: Give a Regular Gift
15. How does my support make a difference? Expand Donations to Leeds Hospitals Charity helps to transform lives here at our hospitals. Over the last few years, our supporters have: helped to fund equipment that has saved the lives of poorly children funded hardship grants to help NHS staff experiencing financial difficulty supported cancer patients going through treatment paid for innovative research projects, helping to find a cure for rare diseases helped us start building a brand new care centre for patients with MND To hear more about how your donations make a difference, sign up to our newsletter or visit: The difference donations make
16. How can I find out about giving in my will? Expand Thank you for your interest in leaving a gift to the charity in your will. Gifts in Wills help Leeds Hospitals Charity fund pioneering research into rare and life-limiting conditions like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Our new TV campaign, airing on ITV from 1st October, shares Austin’s story to show how legacy giving brings hope to families and drives innovation in care. Find out more: Leave a gift in your Will Or call Sue Baulk our Gifts in Wills Manager on 0113 539 8198
17. Can I donate at the hospital? Expand Yes there are collection boxes based in most reception areas and on wards across the hospital. You can also donate easily by scanning any charity QR code and you can also use our ‘tap to donate’ machines, located in: Gledhow Wing entrance Bexley Wing shop Bexley Wing patient hotel Clarendon Wing entrance Radiotherapy department at St James’s University Hospital St James’s Faith Centre
18. Is the Rob Burrow Centre for MND now open? Expand The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease was officially opened on Monday 3rd November 2025. Building work has been completed less than 18 months after Rob died, by a wide team of dedicated contractors and project leads. Key Dates: Final designs for the centre were published in February 2024. In June 2024, the first spades went into the ground - just one day after Rob's death was announced. In December 2024, the £6.8m fundraising target was reached. On Monday 3rd November, the centre was officially opened BBC Breakfast with a ribbon cutting by Rob's six-year-old son Jackson and consultant neurologist Dr Agam Jung. The new centre stands as a testament to courage and community, having been made possible thanks to a £6.8 million fundraising campaign, led by Leeds Hospitals Charity and supported heavily by Kevin Sinfield and the wider Leeds Rhinos and Leeds communities. More than 17,000 donors have contributed so far, and the charity is continuing to fundraise as part of ongoing efforts to transform lives for people living with MND and to support their loved ones. Main Article: Rob Burrow Centre for MND Appeal FAQs
19. What's happening with the new Children’s Hospital? Expand The Hospitals of the Future Project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to design and build a new hospital on the site of Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) which will include a new home for Leeds Children’s Hospital, a new adults’ hospital and one of the largest centralised maternity centres in the UK. Leeds is part of the government’s new hospital programme, where funding was allocated to building 40 new hospitals across the UK. Following the general election in July 2024, we’re now awaiting a review to be conducted by the new labour government before we can proceed with the programme. Read more: Leeds Children's Hospital Capital Appeal
20. How do I apply for funding? Expand Anyone working at Leeds Teaching Hospitals can apply for funding from the charity. We have regular funding calls throughout the year for themed projects, and opportunities to apply for smaller projects at any time. The easiest way to apply is via our website: Funding Opportunities You can also speak to us about your application on the phone, or just chat to us if you have a great idea you’d like to discuss: 0113 539 7091. If you know of a patient or family member who wants to give to your specific ward or department, please talk to our fundraising team who can support you in the best way to do this: email [email protected] or call 0113 539 7020.
21. How do you decide which applications to fund? Expand We work really closely with Leeds Teaching Hospitals, and a group of independent specialist advisors, to decide which projects we’re going to fund. We look at which projects will have the biggest impact, and which are the most important to the hospital right now. For anything under £10,000, the final decision is made by the charity CEO and internal team. For larger projects, over £10,000 a final decision is made by the Board of Trustees. Read more: How we are governed as a charity
22. When’s the next funding call? Expand We’re excited to be launching four funding opportunities that will be available throughout 2025/26. These opportunities will be open to all staff across all hospitals. Find out more on our website and sign up to our funding newsletter to receive the latest information about funding calls as soon as they become available. Sign up here: LTHT Staff Update Newsletter
23. Is there funding available for just my department? Expand We’re always keen to hear about ideas you have for your ward or department. Please let us know about any projects you might want funding for, and we can let you know the best way to access funding.
24. Can my department fundraise for something specific? Expand Yes absolutely. If you have a great idea, or you know a patient or family member wants to fund a specific project, please come to us and we’ll support you in in developing a fundraising plan. Once a project has been approved, we really encourage you and your colleagues to fundraise for it. Every penny we raise together means we can do more for our hospitals.