Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Charity

Last year, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Charity (MYHC), announced its plans for a major re-development of its Radiology Suite at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield. The £6m scheme includes a new MRI Suite and state-of-the-art 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner which has the capacity to produce more accurate imaging and speed up waiting times.

“This is a game-changing piece of technology for the radiology team,” says Amy Stevens, Gifted’s Chief Executive and Director in the North. “As someone who lives in Yorkshire, I know how important it is for local people to have access to the same high-quality healthcare that exists in other parts of the country. So, when we were appointed to help raise the £1.25m needed and improve outcomes for patients, I was delighted.”

Raising sights and saving lives

As one of the smaller hospital charities supporting a local NHS Trust, a major gift to MYHC was classified as anything above £10,000. “It was really important that we used findings from the feasibility study to identify where larger gifts might come from,” says Amy. “Working closely with clinicians and fundraising staff, we’ve been able to develop funding proposals that encourage potential givers to aim high and save lives.”

Sight raising is, of course, a key ingredient in major gift approaches. It’s a tool that often encourages critical leadership at the beginning of a campaign and can also open up opportunities for appropriate donor recognition. At MYHC, it was one of the reasons that helped to secure a benefactor level gift of £250,000 towards the new Diagnostic Suite. “This has made such a difference to the early stages of the campaign,” says Amy. “Not only has it inspired everyone involved in the fundraising, but it also sends a clear message to grant givers that supporting radiology at Pinderfields is a sound philanthropic investment