A new £6m helipad on the roof of Sheffield Children’s Hospital, will help reduce delays for children who need urgent critical care from across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
Thanks to the generosity of the public, charities and local businesses supporting The Children’s Hospital Charity, the new helipad will be installed at the hospital, which is one of just five dedicated Major Trauma Centres in England.
The £6 million funding target includes a donation of £50,000 from The BNA Charitable Trust and Westfield Health who donated a total of £95,000 towards the helipad.
National charity HELP Appeal donated an incredible £2,818,500 in total – the largest contribution to the Helipad Appeal. Robert Bertram, Chief Executive of the HELP Appeal, said:
“We’d like to thank our supporters – from those who donated to people who took on massive challenges and time out of their busy lives to raise money for our lifesaving work. Without these heroes, our donation to Sheffield Children’s wouldn’t have been possible.
“We were hugely touched by the stories of brave Freddie, courageous Rio, and many more young patients, who had to wait to cross a busy road after landing in an air ambulance in Weston Park. We want to ensure the patients of Sheffield Children’s who need lifesaving care, are able to access it immediately and a helipad at the hospital will make this possible.
“The £2.8 million we have donated is one of the biggest we have ever made because having a rooftop helipad situated above its Emergency Department will truly be a game changer.”
Schoolchildren from Beauchief, Sheffield, raised funds of £220 with a cake sale at their school and The Children’s Hospital Charity also gained £100,000 from the Persimmon Homes Building Futures campaign, following a public vote for the prize.
Wadsley Women’s Institute raised a total of £2,600 for the helipad throughout the pandemic, selling afternoon tea packages for the local community to enjoy at home as well as hosting a band concert in aid of Sheffield Children’s.
John Armstrong, CEO of The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We couldn’t be happier to reach our target and we would like to thank everyone involved, from our Helipad Heroes who raised money through bake sales, to our corporate partnerships, grant-making bodies and charities that have worked incredibly hard to raise the money.
“The helipad is one of the largest projects the Charity has ever appealed for, and we’re overwhelmed by the generosity of supporters both locally and across the country. We’re excited to watch the build take place and are excited for its opening at the end of 2023.”
To find out more about The Children’s Hospital Charity and its work supporting Sheffield Children’s Hospital, please visit their website.
