More than £220,000 handed out by Sir Tom charity in Shropshire

A total of £222,766 has been handed out by NHS Charities Together, to groups in the county that support those leaving hospital.

Organisations to benefit from the money include a charity supporting the homeless to have better access to GP care to avoid hospital admissions, funding for a local dementia group to provide a support network, and support for priority groups to access community green space to achieve better health and wellbeing.

Those successful in bids to the The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust Charity (SaTH Charity), include STAY Telford, Telford MIND, The Ark in Shrewsbury, Connect for Life, Shropshire Rural Communities Charity, Energise Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, Telford and Wrekin Council for Voluntary Service (CVS), Donnington Community Hub, and Sutton Hill Community Trust.

The awards came after bids were invited from 200 groups, with 28 received. They were then considered by a panel made up of representatives from local NHS organisations, local authorities, HealthWatch and the voluntary sector.

Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Services and lead director for SaTH Charity, said: “We are pleased with the outcome of the bidding process and the opportunity to work collaboratively with third sector organisations that provide such valuable support to our integrated care system knowing that they will make a big difference to the care that we can provide to service users in our local areas.

Important

"No one wants to be in hospital if they can help it, therefore it is very important that we support organisations to avoid or reduce that wherever possible, or help people in their homes when they return from hospital.”

Emily Bell, chair of trustees at Shrewsbury Ark, said: "This grant ensures that the most vulnerable members of our community will have regular access to the healthcare that they need, in a safe and familiar environment.

"It enables healthcare professionals to assess their (often complex) physical and mental health needs from a holistic point of view, with a joined up approach to what happens before and after a hospital admission. In doing so, this grant will not only benefit the individuals who use the service, but it will also help to alleviate the many complex and time-consuming issues that occur when members of our homeless community are admitted to hospital."

Debbie Gibbon, CEO of Telford and Wrekin CVS, said: “The grant will complement the community-based Wellbeing Independence partnership by supporting people to live healthy across Telford.

"The Wellbeing community health programme will reduce pressure on NHS services through its focus on early interventions and communication, supporting discharge into the community and improving people’s health. We will work closely with other partners who have received a grant.”