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The League of Friends of Bridgnorth Community Hospital

Shropshire, West Midlands

A long table with people sitting on either side and craft materials on the table

The League of Friends of Bridgnorth Community Hospital is a charitable organisation, run solely by volunteers, which raises funds to support the care and wellbeing of patients, former patients, their relatives, carers and staff who are in or attending Bridgnorth Hospital. They also support the Hospital’s work within the community of the South East Shropshire Locality area, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust (SCHT) and the work of services provided by other NHS Trusts under Service Level Agreement with SCHT. Funds are raised from donations, legacies, income from the 100+ Club, the profits from the League of Friends Coffee Shop, and fundraising activities such as coffee mornings.

The League of Friends Coffee Shop is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who serve refreshments and locally made cakes. A Butterfly Cafe for people with memory loss and their carers is held in the Coffee Shop on the first Friday of every month with an informal ‘Talking Tables’ get together held on the third Friday of each month. A Knit and Natter group meet in the Coffee Shop every Tuesday afternoon and supply baby and toddler knitwear to be sold to raise funds for the League as well as making poppies for patients and Remembrance Day projects within the town.

Many thousands of pounds have been raised over the years thanks to the support of the community and local businesses enabling the purchase of such items as state-of-the-art digital X-Ray equipment in 2018 and decontamination equipment for the Day Surgery Unit in 2021. Patients from the county of Shropshire and beyond benefit from services run using this equipment.

1958 onwards

The infirmary has a long history, having been established in the 1830s in Listley Street and Hollybush Road. When it became the state-of-the art new building in Northgate – the hospital we know today – the League of Friends played a pivotal role, not least in funding some of the equipment required for a 21st century health complex.

1958

Initially, the charity was called the League of Friends of Bridgnorth Hospitals, reflecting the fact that it incorporated Innage House, an elderly people’s home with a sick bay and Oldbury Grange Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) Rehabilitation School as well as Bridgnorth and South Shropshire Infirmary as it was then called.

1971

The League relinquished responsibility for the former two in 1971 when the RNIB moved to Nottingham and Coverage Care took over Innage House.

1984

Friends of Bridgnorth Hospital was registered as a charity on 29 October 1984

2018

Purchase of state-of-the-art digital X-Ray equipment in 2018 thanks to community support and fundraising efforts

2021

Purchase of decontamination equipment for the Day Surgery Unit in 2021 thanks to community support and fundraising efforts