Bright Northumbria is a registered charity and donations make it possible for us to support a number of projects which can make a huge difference to our patients.

Since the charity was formed in 1998 we have been able to use the money for a wide variety of schemes and equipment. For example, providing new diagnostic equipment to fast track results for cancer patients, sleep alarm monitors for the special care baby unit at Wansbeck General Hospital, providing non-slip slippers for elderly patients at risk of falling and the introduction of the Wansbeck Oasis, a restful area for relatives of patients who are at the end of their life. 

We’re always overwhelmed by the generosity of our local communities in supporting our charity. Without your donations we would not be able to trial innovative new equipment, improve the patient environment through the healing arts programme or provide the little extras that can make a real difference to our patients.

We realise how important it is to make every penny count and the charity works hard to make sure that your donations are used wisely. You can be assured that the contributions we receive are used to support the work of our services in our hospitals and the community to deliver the very best of care for our patients. 

There are lots of different ways you can contribute, either through a simple donation, organising a fundraising event, donating in memory of a loved one or leaving a legacy.

The charity's official name is Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust Charity and its charity number is 1083122.

We are hugely grateful to the hundreds of people who take part in fundraising events every year to support Bright Northumbria.

Whether it’s a sponsored cycle ride, organising a social event, coffee morning or cake sale, there are simply hundreds of ways to get involved and fundraise for us.

Every year we also have a number of guaranteed places available for Bright Northumbria in the Great North Run.  These places always get snapped up quickly so give us a call on 0191 2031354 or email brightcharity@northumbria.nhs.uk ASAP to make sure you don’t miss out!

If you would like to fundraise contact us by email brightcharity@northumbria.nhs.uk or give us a ring on 0191 203 1354 and we’ll give you lots of ideas about how you can have fun and even get fit along the way.

Once you have chosen your event or fundraising idea, simply set up a fundraising page on our JustGiving site and share it with all your family friends.

Many people choose to support our Bright charity by making a ‘gift in memory’ and by asking family and friends to remember their loved one in a lasting and meaningful way. You can choose to donate a ‘gift in memory’ to a particular service which helped care for your nearest and dearest and we greatly appreciate any donations, no matter how big or small. Every single penny we get makes a real difference to the 500,000 people we provide care for every year.

Making a ‘gift in memory’ is very simple and we are more than happy to lend a hand if you need some help.  You can either:

  • Donate online with a simple one off donation
  • Give us a call on 0191 203 1354 to discuss your ‘gift in memory’
  • Send us a cheque made payable to ‘Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust Charity‘ to the address below and include contact details so we can send you a receipt:

Brenda Longstaff Head of charity,

volunteering,

arts and international

Unit 7/8 Silver Fox Way

Cobalt Business Park

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE27 0QJ

Collection at a funeral or memorial service 

If you would like to support us through a collection at a funeral or memorial service, many funeral directors will be able to arrange this for you and forward the donations to Bright Northumbria. Alternatively, if you would like to arrange the collection yourself, please give us a call on 0191 203 1354 or email brightcharity@northumbria.nhs.uk.

However you choose to contribute, you can be assured that your kind donation will help us look after the thousands of patients and families in our care.  If you wish to donate to a particular service please don’t forget to let us know when making your donation.

Making a one-off donation is a quick and easy way to make a real difference for our patients.

Every penny goes a long way in helping us deliver everything from extra little home comforts while patients are with us in hospital, to major new pieces of equipment and improving our environments.

Simply click here to donate today. Don’t forget to let us know if you would like your donation to go to a particular service and make sure you share your donation on social media to help spread the word about Bright Northumbria.

Did you know…

£10 could help pay for little homely touches we need to create warm and comforting environments

£20 could help us pay for complementary therapy treatments for patients undergoing treatment for cancer

£50 could pay for an old fashioned record player for our patients living with dementia

£100 could help fund new diagnostic equipment across the trust

Other ways to donate

By phone

Give us a call on 0191 203 1354 to discuss your one-off donation

By cheque

Send us a cheque made payable to ‘Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust Charity’ to the address below and include contact details so we can send you a receipt:

Brenda Longstaff Head of charity,

volunteering,

arts and internationalUnit

7/8 Silver Fox Way

Cobalt Business Park

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE27 0QJ

If you would like to make an ongoing difference to the lives of our patients and their families, you can set up a regular monthly donation through our JustGiving page.

Donating in this way means you will be contributing to a wide variety of ways to support people living across Northumberland and North Tyneside who need our care.

Last year we received over £300,000 through regular and one-off donations from grateful friends and relatives of patients. This is used in many ways including:

  • providing additional comforts for patients during their stay
  • investing in the latest medical equipment
  • enhancing the patient environment using art to create warm and welcoming spaces
  • supporting the professional development of our staff with education and training
  • developing new ways of working using technology to benefit our patients
  • supporting a continuous programme of research to help improve treatments

Supporting our local communities

We care passionately about local people and through the support of our charity have developed a number of important initiatives which we hope will go on to benefit future generations in North Tyneside and Northumberland for years to come.

 

Influencing health behaviour in schools

In 2015 we formed a unique partnership with Newcastle Eagles basketball club as part of their successful ‘Hoops4Health’ programme to promote a healthy lifestyle to schoolchildren across North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Working with the star players, our work engages young people from an early age to get them thinking about their lifestyle choices including the dangers of smoking and alcohol. We’ve been able to stress the importance of keeping fit and promote sport, in particular basketball, as a way to encourage young people to become more physically active.

 

Enhancing our hospital environment

For more than 15 years the charity has worked with universities, design students, our patients and staff to create warm and welcoming areas in the hospitals to provide a quiet space away from the busy ward environment. This has included the Wansbeck Oasis, an award-winning project that has created a home-away-from-home for relatives of patients who are nearing the end of life.

We understand the need to have outside space, to reflect, relax and have quiet time. Our gardens provide this tranquility at many of our sites and include the Teardrop garden at Wansbeck hospital, the Snowdrop garden at Hexham hospital, the Haven garden at North Tyneside hospital and The Retreat garden at the Northumbria hospital.

You can help support all of these fantastic initiatives by simply making a donation today.