Fundraisers | Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends

Here are a selection of some of the fund-raising events that people have held on behalf of the Charity.

One Million Miles campaign

We need you – people of Bedfordshire and further afield, to walk, swim, run, row, cycle or even rollerskate One Million Miles to raise funds towards a new CT scanner and a new Children’s A&E at Bedford Hospital.

FIND OUT MORE

Christmas Tree Festival

This was the 20th year that the Festival has taken place in St Paul’s Church in the centre of Bedford raising funds for the Church and the Bedford Hospital Charity & Friends. It is now a firm favourite by those who see visiting our historic and beautiful St Paul’s Church lit by trees, decorated by so many community groups, schools and firms, as the start of Christmas.

Tina Fooks

Tina, a Primrose patient, raised over £800 for the Primrose Car Renewal Appeal by walking 64 miles of Hadrian’s Wall in four days.

Crane Fund for Widows and Children

Here we see Gordon Beeden and Mike Hurst (representing The Hospital Charity) receiving $5000 from The Crane Fund for Widows and Children.

Ciro Ciampi’s 40th

Three events in three days over the 23-25 September 2016 – The Sharnbrook 10th Anniversary & Ciro’s 40th Birthday Fundraiser Ball, Ciro’s 40th Birthday ExtravaGANGSTER & Charity Funday Sunday with Supercar Dreamrides – raising £11,435 for the Primrose Unit Bedford Hospital.

Extra Mile Challenges

In September 2016 an intrepid team of four cyclists covered 500 miles across the Vosges, Black Forest and Switzerland to Lake Geneva. They raised money for the Challenge Cancer Appeal and raised over £2,150.

Marathon runners

Over the years, our London Marathon runners have raised huge sums of money for the charity. They are organised by Chris Cottam and the income each year is well over £20,000.

The Ampthill Bikers

Last year we rode the London to Brighton off road 70 mile challenge with one of our friends, Chris Gray, who was undergoing treatment for stomach cancer. Despite his diagnosis, he cycled 70 miles from London to Brighton to raise money for the Primrose Cancer Unit and Bedford hospital as a thank you for treating him.

Sharman Law LawNet Challenge

Sharman Law decided to take part in the 2016 LawNet Challenge which is open to all firms of solicitors who are members of the LawNet organisation. From this firm Mel Lawrence, Philip Elliott, Jonathan Copper, Anna Jenkins, Ann Pryer, Helen Broom and Philip Botterill took part and on 14^thMay 2016 set off to attempt the daunting task of climbing around the Glyder Loop in Wales.

Starbucks

March 2019 saw the start of a new and exciting fundraising partnership with the new Starbucks, Goldington Road, Bedford. Starbucks Bedford have specifically identified that they wish to help raise money for the children’s ward, Riverbank at Bedford Hospital.

Rhymes & Reasons

This delightful book contains photos of the twenty tiles depicting nursery rhymes which decorate the walls of the Victoria Ward at Bedford General Hospital.

Tough Mudders

Three young Bedford men have donated £1,097 to The Bedford Hospitals Charity to help buy specialist equipment for patients of The Primrose Cancer Care Unit at Bedford Hospital to be given chemotherapy by intravenous means. The Primrose Cancer Care Unit was funded almost entirely by the local community who raised £2 million of the £2.5 million cost in support of the Charity’s Primrose Appeal.

Extreme haircuts

The four staff at McNally’s Barbers, the well known business in Bower Street, have been presented with a certificate expressing the thanks of The Bedford Hospitals Charity and The Bedford Hospital NHS Trust for their fundraising event in aid of The Primrose Cancer Care Unit at Bedford Hospital.

The Sikh Community 1

The Bedford Hospitals Charity has recently received a very generous donation of £8,000 and two of £1,000 from within the Sikh community in Bedford, all in support of the Charity’s £750,000 Challenge Cancer appeal.

The Sikh Community 2

The large white Sikh gurdwara in Queen’s Park has become a familiar feature of the Bedford skyline and the members of the gurdwara play an important part in the activities of the whole community.

Sikh community 3

On 25 July 2015, the Sikh community again supported us with their Family Fun Day at Priory Country Park. The 5k/10k Walk raised money for Nepal Earthquake victims and our own Challenge Cancer Appeal. The result was a very generous donation of £3004 being given to our Vice Chairman, Gordon Beeden.

Tuesday stall

On Tuesdays, we have a stall at the hospital selling all manner of items, many of them donated, to raise money for the current appeal. The stall is located on the main corridor of the hospital near to the entrance to the Swannery Restaurant.

Waitrose evenings

In November 2014 and July 2015, Waitrose in Goldington Road kindly hosted Cheese & Wine Evenings on behalf of the Charity. Waitrose Partners invited us to try delicious cheese and sample wines chosen to complement them.

The Polish Community

Every January all communities throughout Poland have events to raise money for equipment in Polish hospitals. In 2017 and again in 2019 Bedford’s large Polish community decide to support Bedford Hospitals Charity as well.