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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Yeovil Hospital Charity?

Yeovil Hospital Charity is the official charity of Yeovil hospital.

Yeovil Hospital Charity is part of a family of charities that support Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. We work alongside Somerset NHS Charity and Love Musgrove to make a difference for patients in Somerset.

We raise money to fund new projects, buildings and equipment that make a difference for patients at what is often a difficult time. With the support of the community, the charity has funded a huge range of exciting projects throughout the hospital.

What do I do if I want to give a gift to a particular ward or department?

We have a large number of funds that support specific wards/departments, so please just mention if you would like your donation to be allocated to one. Please continue to make cheques payable to Yeovil Hospital Charity for admin purposes, but either in an accompanying note or on the reverse of the cheque, make note of where you would like it allocated.

What kind of things does Yeovil Hospital Charity spend donations on?

We make a difference for patients, meaning everything we do has the patient in mind. Every penny raised is dedicated to improving the patient experience across our hospitals and services.

Hospitals and NHS colleagues are at the heart of our communities, and they are delivering a wide range of life-saving services to a variety of patients. While the NHS is able to run hospitals and safely deliver services, there is a limit to what the NHS itself is able to fund. Many NHS buildings need to be modernised, and the most modern equipment is not always available. Some buildings have changed use many times, and therefore alterations need to be made to make them more suitable for their new purpose.

Sometimes, it’s the small things that make all the difference, but extra funding is often needed to put good ideas into practice and to develop new services.

We fund what the NHS is unable to fund. This ensures that Somerset’s hospitals are exceptional places to be treated, with state-of-the art equipment in the best possible environments. The more donations we receive, the more equipment we can buy and the more improvements we can make. The new facilities, services and equipment that we fund allow NHS colleagues to do more. This is how we are making a difference for patients.

Thanks to your generous and wonderful donations, Yeovil Hospital Charity has been able to fund state-of-the-art equipment, additional services, facilities update, and many more, making a difference for patients every day.

This is just a small selection from the impact your donations have made:

  • Live music performances to reduce isolation, stimulate memories and conversation and improve wellbeing.
  • Specialist chairs for cancer patients
  • Peer support groups for children with long-term conditions
  • Exercise classes for patients recovering from a serious illness
  • Improvements to the gardens and outdoor space at the hospital
  • A refreshment trolley for colleagues working on busy wards who find it difficult to take a proper break
  • Play equipment for children
  • Christmas presents for patients
  • Art and enhancements to the hospital environment
  • Counselling for parents who have lost a baby

I want to make a donation in memory of a loved one who passed away, how do I do that?

Donating or fundraising in memory of someone is a very special and meaningful way to remember them whilst helping others at the same time. We are always incredibly touched and grateful to receive these donations and to be remembered by so many people.

You can support Yeovil Hospital Charity in memory of someone in a variety of ways:

  • Make a donation in their name
  • Collect at a funeral or memorial – you are collecting donations in memory of a loved one at their funeral, please have a conversation with your Funeral Director about how that works and their process for making donations to your chosen charity. They will also need to remember to make cheques payable to Yeovil Hospital Charity if you choose to make donations to a specific fund, which the Funeral Director can inform us of
  • We are here to help make this as easy as possible for you.  Do you need collection envelopes? We can provide them and don’t forget any money donated is eligible for Gift Aid – the government scheme that allows charities to reclaim tax on donations made by a UK taxpayer. Gift Aid your donations, and they will be worth 25% more at no extra cost to you.
  • If you would like to set up a Tribute Fund in memory of your loved one, using JustGiving.com or an alternative provider that will be arranged by your funeral director. This allows you to share memories and thoughts in addition to making donations. You can even keep the fund open and ask people to donate to the tribute fund in honour of your loved one. People often do this on birthdays and anniversaries.
  • Take on a fundraising challenge in their name

If you have any questions or would like more information about how we may be able to support your fundraising, please get in touch with us.

How do I sign up to make a regular monthly donation?

Become a Regular Giver by donating to Yeovil Hospital Charity every month. Regular donations make it easier for us to plan improvements to the hospital. This means that more local people will benefit from a better equipped hospital with better facilities and services.

You can find our donation form here. When completing the form, please select the ‘Make a regular donation’ option.

I’ve heard about Gift Aid, what is it, and how do I make sure it is added to my donation?

Gift Aid is a scheme run by the Government in which it gives us 25% of your donation as an extra if you are a UK taxpayer. However you donate, we will ask you if you are a UK taxpayer and if we are able to claim Gift Aid on your donation, but if we haven’t and you think your donation is eligible, please get in touch and we will send you a Gift Aid declaration form

I’d like to keep up to date with what is happening at the Charity, how do I do that?

Please fill out our short Stay in Touch form here, and choose whether you’d like to hear from us via email or post.

How do I opt out of Communication?

Please get in contact with us and let us know your full name and either address or email address, depending on which one we use to contact you and that you wish to opt out, we will sort it from there.

I’ve had a problem donating on your website, what should I do?

Never fear, technical issues sometimes cannot be avoided. If the problem continues to happen, please give us a call or drop us an email, you can find our contact details here.

The most common issue when entering in card details is that the postcode you’re using doesn’t match the address registered with the card, so where possible, please make sure they are the same.

How do I get materials to support my fundraising?

Check out our Fundraising Toolkit and resources here. If you’ve registered your fundraiser with us here then a member of our team should have been in touch within 5 working days of you registering, and you can discuss with them about what materials we could supply to support you. Otherwise, please do get in touch here.

I’ve got a question that isn’t listed here, how do I get in touch to ask?

Please head over to our Contact page, where our email address, phone number and address are listed. Our office is manned Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm and we endeavour to get back to you as quick as we can.

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