One of the things I do apart from being a Councillor is serve on the Board of our local hospital Trust Pennine Acute, one of my roles there is to serve on the charitable (”endowment”) funds committee.

Pennine Acute’s Charity has today launched a “60 for 60 campaign” to raise money and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS. Business leaders, community organisations and schools from across the north east of Greater Manchester are being invited to put on their thinking hats to raise 60p, £6 or £60 for four local hospitals as part of the NHS 60th anniversary celebrations.

A ‘60 for 60’ fundraising campaign is being launched by the Pennine Acute Hospitals Charity, which raises funds for North Manchester General Hospital, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary and the acute services at Birch Hill Hospital.

Jan Bolton, fundraising manager, said: “We’d like people – or the organisations which they are part of – to raise either 60p, £6 (which is 10p a total of 60 times over) or £60 for our charity. Those funds can be earmarked for specific hospitals in the Trust, and we promise that all donations will all help make a difference whatever the total is! If any big company has 60 employees who want to raise £60 each then obviously that’s very welcome too! And anyone working for a big business should remember to ask if their employers do match-funding, as it is now part of many corporate and social responsibility policies.

“The NHS anniversary is on 5 July, but people shouldn’t feel tied to that date in any way. Fundraising donations for the campaign are welcome either before or after that – we’ll be marking the anniversary with our “60 for 60” campaign all through the year until December 2008.

Donations to The Pennine Acute Hospitals Charity and other related charities can also be received at any of the hospitals’ cashiers’ office or online at www.pat.nhs.uk and click on the fundraising icon. More information on 60 for 60 or fundraising/donations in general is available from Jan Bolton, Charitable Fundraising Manager on 0161 908 4497 or email jan.bolton@pat.nhs.uk

Pennine Acute Hospitals charity raises money for a variety of charitable causes in the four hospitals including better patient and staff facilities and medical research.

Tim