In December, a variety of stars, of all shapes and sizes, will be safely secured to the buildings which make up local hospitals within the area, each bearing a special message from their respective sponsor. At night, they will begin to shine, illuminating the immediate area with festive starlight.
This campaign has only been made possible with the support of over 60 local businesses, organisations and families, who have paid from £300 to £1,500 to sponsor a star, and in the process have raised over £30,000 which will be directly reinvested into patient care, treatment and facilities, as well as some Christmas gifts for those staying at the hospital over the seasonal period.
The headline sponsorship has come from furniture retailer DFS, who have, with extraordinary kindness, committed £10,000 to the appeal. A long-held ambition for the Trust, the campaign was given the greenlight after receiving an enormous amount of support and interest from communities in Doncaster and Bassetlaw following a Facebook post detailing the idea in mid-October.
Richard Parker OBE, Chief Executive at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, said: “We have been utterly amazed by the support this campaign has generated in just a handful of days. As a Trust, we have wanted to do something like this for a number of years, and given the challenges we have all faced since March, we felt this was the perfect time to provide a fitting tribute to our NHS heroes, as well as those we have lost to Covid-19.
“We know that this is a really difficult time and this is a very big ask, and as such I want to thank those who have sponsored a star. The kindness shown to the Trust, and the wider NHS, throughout the past few months has been humbling. We can’t wait to cover our hospitals in starlight this December.”
So far sponsors also include a number of generous local families, individuals and schools, as well as the following businesses and organisations: Greencore, Polypipe, DAC Beachcroft, Ye Old Bell, Tusker Director, OLS Ltd, Star Commercials, Doncaster Chamber, the Fred and Ann Green Legacy Fund, Doncaster College, Prospect Hill Post Office, Doncaster Council, National Fluid Power Station, NHS Doncaster and Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Groups, XPO Logistics, NMC Group, HIRD, AMH Accountancy, Quayside Childcare, Parcy and Wheatley, SYS Ltd, Instastop, NHS Professionals, Shallowdale Court Housing 21, The Crucible Trading Company, Companionate Care Team, Marketing Labs and Transave.
Nick Smith, Chief Executive at DFS, said: “The whole team at DFS is honored to be supporting our local hospitals this Christmas. We are so very grateful to our NHS ‘stars’ and we feel this is a wonderful way to pay tribute to the relentless and extraordinary care they’ve given our local community, particularly over the past year”.
For those who have been unable to sponsor a star this year, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital Charity will soon launch a digital fundraiser, where a virtual star can be sponsored for any amount, dedicated and displayed on a dedicated webpage. All funds will be used for the benefit of patients and staff within the hospitals.
The stars will light up the hospitals in Doncaster, Bassetlaw and Mexborough from 2 December, with an official switch-on ceremony to take place virtually. Check https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/dbth-christmas-stars/ and the Trust’s social media profiles on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
If you have any questions about how you can support DBTH, you can contact the Fundraising and Communications Team on 01302 644244 / dbth.charity@nhs.net
