Last year’s campaign saw the exteriors of all three hospital sites, Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI), Bassetlaw Hospital, and Montagu Hospital, sparkling over the Christmas period with 24 festive and dazzling stars.
Since its launch in 2020, the campaign has raised tens of thousands of pounds thanks to local businesses, schools and families, with last year’s campaign raising a grand total of £15,200 in star sponsorship.
Suzy Brain England OBE, Chair of the Board at DBTH, said: “Our Shining Stars has become a special tradition for our hospitals and communities.
“Every star represents a memory, festive cheer and the generosity of our supporters, whose contributions help us go ‘above and beyond’ for our patients and colleagues.
“I’m pleased to see the campaign grow even further this year, reaching into Bawtry for the first time, and I’m looking forward to seeing the stars shining across our sites once again.”
All funds raised are devoted to enhancing patient care, supporting families and uplifting hospital staff through projects beyond NHS provisions.
A highlight of 2024 was the debut of a roving star. Thanks to First Group, one star was mounted on a participating bus, making a mobile statement of solidarity and support.
DBTH Charity is proud to announce their largest star offering to date, with 58 stars available for sponsorship across DRI, Bassetlaw Hospital and at a brand-new location, Bawtry.
Sarah Dunning, Fundraising Manager for DBTH Charity, said: “We’re really excited that for the first time we’ll be taking our stars outside of the hospital grounds, working in partnership with Visit Bawtry and Ziniz Restaurant.
“This is going to be an amazing opportunity and we’ll be working with retailers throughout the month to help raise vital funds for DBTH Charity with a host of fundraising activities, including attending Bawtry’s famous Christmas Light Switch on event on Sunday 30 November.”
Each site will have a dedicated switch-on event: DRI and Bassetlaw Hospital stars will switch-on on Friday 28 November and Bawtry stars will start shining on Saturday 29 November.
The charity will also be hosting a festive Christmas fair at Bawtry New Hall on 29 December earlier in the day before the switch-on.
Sponsorship packages for stars range from £300 to £2,000, with all funds being reinvested into projects at the Trust which improve patient experience.
Ross Jarvie, Chairman at Visit Bawtry (Bawtry Retail Association), said “We are delighted to be part of the ‘Our Shining Stars’ campaign. This gives us an opportunity to combine two of our favourite things: supporting local charities and Christmas!
“We are grateful to the Calzini family for giving us their building frontage. Bawtry is the perfect place for festive shopping and drinks. We look forward to seeing you.”
To apply for a stall at the Bawtry Christmas Fair, please email the charity on dbth.charity@nhs.net. The fair is almost at capacity, so don’t wait to secure your place!
To sponsor a star, visit: https://dbthcharity.co.uk/our-shining-stars-2025/
About DBTH Charity:
Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals’ Charity is the official charity which supports Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals Trust to go above and beyond by providing additional equipment, services and amenities for our patients, visitors and staff which cannot be funded by the NHS alone.
These additional extras would not be possible without the support of our community. With your help, we can continue to work with our Trust to fund innovative and exciting projects that make a difference to our patients, their families and our colleagues who care for them.
Visit the charity website to find out more: https://dbthcharity.co.uk/