Raising money for a hospital department???

[CAJ1]

Is it possible to raise money by running a marathon for a specific hospital department? If so, how does this work? Do they send forms out to you or do you print your own and give them a cheque at the end?

TIA

[CAJ1]

Thanks very much. I tried phoning them there but can't get any answer any further than reception... must be on lunch!

[Rollo]

Why should it be necessary? The State should be funding hospitals properly!

[CAJ1]

My boyfriends dad was in the neurology department last year and only had a 20% chance of pulling through from a tumour at the top of his spine without being killed during the op or paralysed for life. He survived and is more or less back to normal now. Without the great surgeon and care he received from this department he would have probably died. And yes, the state should be funding them properly but that doesn't always happen and my boyfriend wants to raise money for them as a way of saying thank you.

Plus, next time someone else is in the same position it would be great to think the department may have been able to buy a new piece of equipment to help them keep that person alive.

[Rollo]

Don't get me wrong please. I know the situation, and I am pleased that there are people willing to try to raise extra money.

I just find it sad that this is necessary.

[CAJ1]

It is sad. It would be great if everyone could get treated no matter what class or amount of money they have. We found that people who are able to pay the right kind of money were bumped up the waiting list while the poorer people were left at the bottom. If there were enough funding from the state this type of thing would not be happening. I think it is honest, hard-working people who often come off the worst.

[China Doll]

If you are doing something with a specifici department in a hospital in mind then the best thing to do in the initial stages is to contact the Communications/PR team for that hospital. If you know the main switchboard number then just ask to be put through to them and they can best advise you from there. One hospital I worked for actually had a fundraising director and/or team so they'd be good to talk to as well. Was there any particular hospital you had in mind? (Just being nosy now!)

[CAJ1]

The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, its the neurosurgery department