Hundreds attend NHS70 Charity Fun Day helping to raise thousands for charity

More than 2,000 visitors, and 500 fun runners, helped to raise thousands of pounds at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust’s (SaTH) Charity Fun Day to mark 70 years of the NHS.

The event on Saturday also saw the unveiling of a stunning heart sculpture, created from obsolete medical equipment by the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry.

The event, held at The Shropshire Conference Centre at RSH, kicked off with a 5km Fun Run with 500 runners, organised by The Dolly Mixtures Running Club. The run was started by BBC Radio Shropshire Breakfast presenter Clare Ashford and Shrewsbury’s Town Crier consort, Sue Wood. The first gentleman across the finishing line was Robert Cartwright, whilst the first lady was Harriet Page.

All runners received medals, T-shirts and bags filled with goodies including replica first editions of the Shropshire Star; Meringue Bars donated by Flower & White and Wenlock Spring water.

As well as live music provided by Get Your Wigle On and Geoff Rogers; there was a Nerf Gun Arena, bouncy castle, Trust memorabilia, mascots from Little Rascals, tours of the Lingen Davies Centre and a free barbecue provided by the Rapid Relief team.

The sculpture, which is situated outside the Ward block at RSH, was unveiled by SaTH CEO Simon Wright and former SaTH midwife Joyce Humphries, who worked for the NHS for 42 years.

All funds raised from the Fun Day will be donated to the Trust’s End of Life Care Swan Appeal and Dementia Appeal.

Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Governance at SaTH, said: “Thank you to everyone that helped make the Fun Day such a fantastic success – from those who helped to organise it, our volunteers, our stallholders, those who donated items for our goody bags and everyone who came along, including our fabulous Fun Runners who did so well in the heat.

“We are still counting the donations, but we think we have managed to raise thousands for our two appeals, which is incredible. The sun shone down on us and it really was the perfect way to celebrate 70 years of such a wonderful institution.”