Friends Voices

Stories of volunteers supporting the health service since 1949

Friends of St Mary’s Hospital

Foyer display of sales table for the friends

The St Mary’s Ladies Association was founded in 1906 to assist patients and staff at St Mary’s Hospital, and provide patients with a high standard of care, and they changed their name to the Friends of St Mary’s in 1974. The Friends provide equipment for patients which may not be readily available through the NHS. they have also provided amenities for the comfort of patients as well as staff.

Shops and cafes are also run by the Friends throughout the hospital, helping to raise money throughout the year. The Friends also organise several fundraising events throughout the year, with a particular emphasis on Christmas. The main event around the festive period is the Christmas Bazaar that takes place every year. There is also a raffle, together with a carol concert and activities with other local residents, groups and organisations.

Address: Acrow Building, St Mary’s Hospital, Praed Street, London, W2 1NY
Email: imperial.friendssmh@nhs.net
Telephone: 020 3312 6586
Website: https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/get-involved/become-a-friend
Founded: 1906
Members:
Chair:

1968

In 1968, the Friends of St Mary’s Hospital was set up to provide assistance to patients and staff of the hospital to ensure that everybody has a pleasant experience on their visit to the hospital.

2001

The Friends had a cafe, a Western Eye Kiosk, as well as other events. In the cafe, there was a counter, on one side would be the customers, and on the other would be the volunteers who would be serving. If there were any issues between the volunteers, the manager would conduct an interview to work out a solution and resolve the issue.

2010

The Christmas Bazaar takes place every year in the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother wing at St Mary’s hospital. A big part of the Bazar is the Tombola, where people can buy tickets and potentially win a prize. The Bazaar is not only a great way for the hospital to raise money, but it also allows more people to learn about the friends and what they do.

2020

in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic meant the UK was forced into lockdown, this dramatically changed the way things worked with the Friends, and they had to think of new strategies to maintain a presence within the hospital and reach new people. The shop, and the Western Eye Kiosk were closed, so the main income for the Friends had been lost.

2021

in 2021, the shop run by the Friends opened up again Monday – Friday with reduced hours, this was a great step towards normality for the Friends, and allowed them to regain their presence within the hospital.

2022

The Friends recently held a ‘street day’ this where a group of volunteers take to the streets of Paddington, shaking tins and buckets for donations. In this modern world, where technology is prominent, the Friends decided to set up a table with a card machine, to allow people to make donations via card payment. Street days are great for the Friends, as they allow them to reach the wider community, and make them aware of the difference they are making, and this could encourage new potential volunteers to join the organisation.