Introduction
Newcastle Hospitals Charity is the official charity of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, supporting patients, families, NHS staff and communities connected with hospitals and specialist healthcare services in Newcastle upon Tyne and the wider North East of England.
The Charity raises and distributes funds for initiatives that go beyond core NHS provision, helping Newcastle Hospitals enhance patient care, introduce innovative medical equipment, support staff wellbeing, improve hospital environments and advance clinical research.
Its work covers major services and facilities including:
- Royal Victoria Infirmary.
- Freeman Hospital.
- Great North Children’s Hospital.
- Northern Centre for Cancer Care.
- Institute of Transplantation.
- Renal Services Centre.
- Cardiothoracic Centre.
- Great North Trauma and Emergency Centre.
Newcastle Hospitals Charity funds hundreds of projects each year, ranging from small patient-comfort initiatives to multimillion-pound research and healthcare infrastructure projects.
During 2024–2025, the Charity committed more than £9.5 million to over 700 projects across Newcastle Hospitals.
For more information, visit the official Newcastle Hospitals Charity website.
History and Background
The tradition of charitable support for healthcare in Newcastle dates back well over a century.
In 1886, Newcastle solicitor John Fleming donated £25,000 to establish a hospital for sick children in memory of his wife.
The resulting Fleming Memorial Hospital officially opened in September 1888 and served children for approximately 100 years before its work transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in 1988.
The modern Newcastle Hospitals Charity was formally created through a Declaration of Trust dated 16 July 1996 under the name The Freeman Group of Hospitals NHS Charity.
A Supplemental Deed in 1999 changed the organization to The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Charity, registered charity number 1057213.
Further governance changes took effect in 2016, when charitable funds associated with Newcastle Healthcare Charity were brought together under the current Newcastle Hospitals charitable structure.
Today, the organization operates publicly as Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
Mission and Purpose
Newcastle Hospitals Charity aims to make a positive difference for the patients, staff and wider communities served by Newcastle Hospitals.
Its mission is to help the hospitals go further by supporting:
- Compassionate healthcare.
- Innovative healthcare.
- Medical research.
- Education.
- Patient experience.
- Staff wellbeing.
- Healthier communities.
- Medical technology.
- Improved hospital environments.
The Charity’s current five-year strategy covers 2021–2026 and focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of patients, staff and communities while supporting innovation, research and education.
Strategic Priorities
The Charity’s strategic aims include:
- Delivering excellence in patient and visitor experience.
- Supporting staff health, wellbeing and professional development.
- Funding major developments.
- Supporting clinical research and healthcare innovation.
- Working with public, private and voluntary-sector organizations to address health inequalities.
- Building strong relationships with supporters and volunteers.
These priorities allow the Charity to invest in areas that complement NHS-funded healthcare rather than simply replacing statutory healthcare expenditure.
Governance and Structure
Newcastle Hospitals Charity is governed through a sole Corporate Trustee, which is the Board of Directors of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
There are no separate individual charity trustees. The NHS Foundation Trust Board collectively carries responsibility for ensuring that the Charity meets its legal and regulatory obligations.
The Corporate Trustee is responsible for:
- Protecting charitable assets.
- Approving charitable expenditure.
- Ensuring compliance with charity law.
- Managing risk.
- Monitoring financial performance.
- Ensuring funding aligns with charitable objectives.
Newcastle Hospitals Charity Committee
A dedicated Charity Committee supports governance and oversight.
As of 2026, Philip Kane serves as Chair of the Charity Committee.
Committee members include individuals with senior experience across finance, governance, communications, healthcare and NHS leadership.
The Committee helps oversee:
- Charitable funding.
- Financial management.
- Strategy.
- Grant approvals.
- Risk.
- Fundraising performance.
- Impact.
Charity Leadership
The operational activities of Newcastle Hospitals Charity are managed by a professional charity team.
Teri Bayliss serves as Charity Director.
The Charity team works across areas including:
- Fundraising.
- Grant management.
- Partnerships.
- Communications.
- Events.
- Corporate giving.
- Trusts and foundations.
- Major gifts.
- Legacies.
- Volunteering.
This professional structure enables the organization to manage both major fundraising campaigns and hundreds of smaller hospital projects.
Funding and Grants
Newcastle Hospitals Charity raises money from a wide range of sources.
Funding mechanisms include:
- Individual donations.
- Community fundraising.
- Corporate partnerships.
- Trusts and foundations.
- Legacies.
- Major gifts.
- Sponsored events.
- Challenge events.
- Workplace fundraising.
- School fundraising.
- Charity appeals.
- Restricted charitable funds.
Fundraising activities include participation in events such as the Great North Run, community challenges and workplace campaigns.
Trusts and Foundations
Grantmaking trusts and charitable foundations are an important source of income.
Newcastle Hospitals Charity builds relationships with local, regional and national funding bodies to support healthcare projects.
One example is funding connected with the development of a Sensory Garden at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
The Charity also receives significant grants for major healthcare and research infrastructure projects.
Legacy Giving
People can leave gifts to Newcastle Hospitals Charity through their wills.
Legacy gifts can support areas such as:
- Cancer care.
- Children’s healthcare.
- Special care baby services.
- Research.
- Specialist hospital departments.
- Patient facilities.
During 2023–2024, the Charity received 68 legacy donations, demonstrating the importance of gifts in wills to its long-term funding model.
How the Charity Allocates Funding
Charitable funds are awarded to projects that advance the objectives of Newcastle Hospitals Charity and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Funding can support:
- Patient welfare.
- Staff welfare.
- Medical equipment.
- Clinical research.
- Hospital improvements.
- Innovation.
- Education.
Approved grants are formally recognized once funding conditions have been met and the recipient has a reasonable expectation of receiving the award.
Major Funding Themes
Newcastle Hospitals Charity organizes much of its grantmaking around strategic funding themes.
These include areas such as:
- Patient care.
- Patient experience.
- Staff wellbeing.
- Research.
- Innovation.
- Community health.
- Healthcare environments.
The Patient Care funding theme includes projects that improve clinical outcomes or make treatment and hospital experiences more comfortable for patients and visitors.
Research Funding
Clinical research is a major area of Newcastle Hospitals Charity funding.
Research proposals are reviewed by the Joint Research Executive Scientific Committee, a volunteer-led committee involving clinicians and academics from Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University.
Research applications are evaluated according to factors including:
- Scientific quality.
- Clinical impact.
- Value.
- Feasibility.
- Potential benefits for patients.
The Charity supports projects at both the Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital.
Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Research
The Charity also supports research involving:
- Nurses.
- Midwives.
- Allied health professionals.
One initiative is the Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Researcher Development Institute.
The program responds to barriers that clinical professionals may face when attempting to conduct research alongside frontline healthcare responsibilities.
Support can help healthcare professionals gain:
- Research experience.
- Protected research time.
- Academic development.
- Clinical research skills.
- Opportunities to improve patient care through evidence.
Major Programs and Initiatives
Newcastle Hospitals Charity supports a large and varied portfolio of healthcare initiatives.
Major areas include:
- Cancer research.
- Children’s healthcare.
- Patient welfare.
- Hospital environments.
- Arts in healthcare.
- Staff wellbeing.
- Social welfare advice.
- Medical research.
- Specialist equipment.
- Volunteer programs.
Sir Bobby Robson Foundation
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is a fund within Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
It was launched in 2008 after Professor Ruth Plummer asked former England football manager Sir Bobby Robson for help raising £500,000 to establish a new cancer drug trials centre.
The fundraising target was achieved within just seven weeks.
In February 2009, Sir Bobby officially opened the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre.
The Foundation has continued after Sir Bobby’s death, supporting innovative cancer research and treatment across the North East and Cumbria.
Sir Bobby Robson Institute
One of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s largest current projects is the planned Sir Bobby Robson Institute.
The approximately £30 million cancer clinical trials centre is being developed at Freeman Hospital alongside the Northern Centre for Cancer Care.
It will bring together teams delivering early- and later-phase cancer clinical trials.
By August 2026, the campaign had raised more than £28 million, including a £1.25 million grant from the Wolfson Foundation to Newcastle University.
The new Institute is scheduled to open in 2028.
Great North Children’s Hospital Fund
The Great North Children’s Hospital Fund was established in 2016 by Dr Mike McLean and Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
Its purpose is to help improve the experience of children and families receiving treatment at the Great North Children’s Hospital.
Funding supports:
- Medical research.
- Clinical services.
- Equipment.
- Technology.
- Arts.
- Music.
- Hospital décor.
- Child-friendly environments.
The Fund raised £944,000 in 2022 and has reported average annual fundraising of more than £500,000.
Arts in Healthcare
Arts and creativity form part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity’s approach to improving patient wellbeing.
Supported initiatives can include:
- Music.
- Storytelling.
- Visual arts.
- Dance.
- Creative workshops.
In 2024, the Great North Children’s Hospital Arts Programme partnered with Seven Stories to provide storytelling sessions for patients.
In 2026, a partnership with Dance City brought dance and movement activities directly into hospital wards.
Patient and Family Support
The Charity also finances practical support for patients and families.
One funded initiative provides direct social welfare advice for families through Citizens Advice Gateshead.
The service helps families navigate challenges that may accompany serious illness, including:
- Benefits.
- Financial hardship.
- Housing.
- Employment.
- Welfare support.
This reflects recognition that illness can create financial and social pressures beyond purely medical needs.
Counselling and Complementary Support
Newcastle Hospitals Charity has partnered with organizations such as Coping with Cancer North East to support counselling and acupuncture services.
These services provide additional emotional and wellbeing support for patients facing cancer and other serious health challenges.
Hospital Environments
Charitable funding is frequently used to improve hospital environments.
Projects may include:
- Ward refurbishments.
- Family spaces.
- Sensory facilities.
- Gardens.
- Comfortable waiting areas.
- Specialist furniture.
- Child-friendly environments.
These investments can make hospital stays less stressful for patients and families.
Staff Health and Wellbeing
NHS staff wellbeing is another important funding priority.
Charitable support can finance:
- Staff wellbeing initiatives.
- Professional development.
- Rest spaces.
- Training.
- Psychological support.
- Research development.
During 2024–2025, approximately £1.9 million of Charity funding was directed toward staff health, wellbeing and development.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
Newcastle Hospitals Charity supports hundreds of projects annually.
Its 2024–2025 Impact Report recorded funding commitments of more than £9.5 million across over 700 projects.
Funding during the year was broadly distributed as follows:
- Approximately £6.8 million to enhance patient experience and hospital environments.
- Approximately £1.9 million to improve staff health, wellbeing and development.
- Approximately £1.1 million for major developments, clinical research and innovation.
Improving Patient Experience
Patient-focused charitable funding can cover relatively small projects as well as major capital improvements.
For example:
- A small donation can fund dementia-friendly resources designed to encourage communication.
- Larger grants can purchase specialist equipment.
- Major campaigns can transform hospital departments.
This wide funding range allows the Charity to respond to both everyday patient needs and long-term healthcare priorities.
Supporting Children’s Healthcare
The Great North Children’s Hospital is an important beneficiary of charitable giving.
Funding helps provide services and experiences beyond standard NHS provision, including:
- Specialist equipment.
- Research.
- Family support.
- Play.
- Arts.
- Storytelling.
- Comfortable environments.
These initiatives aim to reduce anxiety and make difficult hospital experiences more manageable for children and families.
Supporting Cancer Research
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is one of the Charity’s strongest examples of how public fundraising can translate into medical research infrastructure.
The Foundation initially financed a cancer drug trials centre and is now working toward the substantially larger Sir Bobby Robson Institute.
This progression demonstrates how long-term charitable investment can support:
- Clinical trials.
- Experimental cancer treatments.
- Research infrastructure.
- Specialist staff.
- New therapies.
Partnership Working
Newcastle Hospitals Charity regularly collaborates with:
- Newcastle Hospitals.
- Newcastle University.
- Charitable foundations.
- Community organizations.
- Businesses.
- Arts organizations.
- Patient groups.
- Volunteers.
Partnerships allow the Charity to combine medical expertise, philanthropy, community knowledge and external funding.
Fundraising and Community Participation
Members of the public can support Newcastle Hospitals Charity in many ways.
Fundraising opportunities include:
- Sponsored challenges.
- Great North Run.
- London Marathon.
- Workplace fundraising.
- School fundraising.
- Celebration fundraising.
- Community events.
- Donations.
- Legacies.
The Charity asks fundraisers to follow responsible and safe practices aligned with the UK’s Code of Fundraising Practice.
Why Newcastle Hospitals Charity Matters
Newcastle Hospitals Charity plays an important role because NHS charitable funding can provide opportunities that go beyond essential publicly funded healthcare.
Charitable resources can help hospitals:
- Test innovative ideas.
- Improve patient environments.
- Support staff.
- Accelerate research.
- Purchase advanced equipment.
- Develop new services.
- Address health inequalities.
The Charity therefore acts as an additional source of innovation and improvement alongside mainstream NHS funding.
Conclusion
Newcastle Hospitals Charity is the official charity of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an important source of charitable funding for healthcare, medical research, patient experience and NHS staff support in Newcastle and the wider North East.
Its formal history dates to 1996, while charitable support for Newcastle hospitals can be traced back to the nineteenth century, including John Fleming’s landmark donation for a children’s hospital in 1886.
Today, Newcastle Hospitals Charity funds initiatives spanning:
- Patient care.
- Cancer research.
- Children’s healthcare.
- Medical equipment.
- Clinical innovation.
- Staff wellbeing.
- Hospital environments.
- Health inequalities.
- Arts and wellbeing.
During 2024–2025 alone, it committed more than £9.5 million to over 700 projects across Newcastle Hospitals.
Major initiatives such as the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, Sir Bobby Robson Institute and Great North Children’s Hospital Fund demonstrate how philanthropy can support both immediate patient needs and ambitious long-term healthcare developments.
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