Leeds Hospitals Charity news

Leeds Bear Hunt!

We’re delighted to officially announce the launch of Leeds Bear Hunt, an exciting public art event, which will take place in Summer 2023 and raise money for Leeds Children’s Hospital. Leeds Bear Hunt will see Leeds Hospitals Charity, team up with art trail experts Wild in Art, who have been delivering world-class public events across the globe for ten years. More than 50 giant Bear sculptures will hide in plain sight on the streets and in the parks of Leeds for ten weeks. Decorated by local and national artists, designers and illustrators, the Bears will form a family-friendly trail for visitors to discover and enjoy. The Bear sculptures are inspired by the Bear from the awardwinning TV animation and best-selling book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and have been commissioned and created just for Leeds.

The free public event is set to benefit the whole community, with hundreds of thousands of Leeds residents and visitors expected to join in the fun.

Lord Mayor Charity Partnership raises over £125,000

During his year as the Lord Mayor, Councillor Asghar Khan chose to support Leeds Hospitals Charity, with a particular focus on raising awareness and funds for renal and diabetes services, a cause close to his heart. The Lord Mayor has raised over £125,000 for Leeds Hospitals Charity over the past year. This incredible feat has been made possible thanks to an array of exciting events hosted by the Lord Mayor, and the people of Leeds getting behind his fundraising efforts. An Eid Mulin Dinner marked the end of the Lord Mayor’s successful partnership with the Charity, raising more than £21,000 on the night. The fundraising dinner was held at Aagrah Midpoint Suite in Bradford, it was inspiring evening complete with special guests and entertainment, including some powerful stories and an emotional minute’s applause for NHS workers. Councillor Asghar Khan was determined to fundraise until the very end of his term in office, and also held a series of Park Run takeovers across Leeds for his last weekend as the Lord Mayor.

Charity funded Research Facility carries out groundbreaking research to help children like Jack

10-year-old Jack has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He is part of a drug trial at the Leeds Children’s Hospital Clinical Research Facility, funded thanks to a gift in someone’s Will. The research at the facility provides one glimmer of hope to find better treatment and ultimately a cure for little boys like him. The only way doctors at Leeds Teaching Hospitals can help Jack and other children like him is through research. By leaving a gift in your Will, you can help us continue to fund vital research at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. Find out more by visiting the Legacy page of the Leeds Hospitals Charity website.

Superstar fundraiser Jacqui Drake reaches £300,000 fundraising milestone

Jacqui has stage four malignant melanoma, she first set up her fundraising appeal ‘Jacqui’s Million’ in 2016, with the ambition to raise £1 million for Leeds Hospitals Charity to support people living with cancer across our region. Despite being clinically vulnerable, Jacqui continued to fundraise throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and thanks to her efforts has recently surpassed the £300,000 fundraising mark. Jacqui, who won the Kate Granger Award for Outstanding Contribution at the Yorkshire Choice Awards, said: “It’s such an honour and privilege to help other cancer patients and to raise awareness too of this terrible disease. People’s generosity and continued support of my appeal ensures that we can provide cancer patients with specialist equipment and patient comfort care while on treatment.”