It’s no secret that the NHS are going through tough times in terms of funding and resources. That’s why, Chuf’s support is vital for children and families receiving treatment at the Children’s Heart Unit and regional hospitals across the North.
Our top up support, means that they and the medical staff who care for them, have access to the services and equipment they need, when they need it.

Introducing Chuf’s Seven Appeal, supporting the seven pieces of equipment that will save lives in your community.

This new and important campaign aims to raise urgent funds for seven new additional machines totalling £650,000, which will support the Congenital Echocardiography team at Newcastle Hospitals Trust, who are depending upon Chuf for the purchase of this equipment as there is no NHS funding available to meet this demand.

The service has had no increase in Echo machines since 2015, however the service has seen a large increase in the number of clinics across both the Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) and paediatric patient population. As a result, there are no longer enough machines to provide to both cardiac physiologists and consultants, therefore reducing capacity within the team.

The Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital sees the most complex cardiac cases from all across the UK, the new machines would maximise capacity within the team, improve staff training, speed up discharge of patients which can in turn quicken admission and surgical intervention, and decrease the amount of time a patient has to spend in an outpatient clinic. Meaning Heart Heroes can resume their lives as soon as possible.

The additional resources would also mean that one machine could be placed permanently at the Royal Victoria Infirmary hospital so that there would be no need to unnecessarily move machines between hospitals for vital scans, and can also be used within the delivery suite when a rapid scan is required to assess whether a newborn has a cardiac problem, speeding up the process should they need to be taken to the Freeman for specialist care.

How to get involved:

Seven Commitments for Chuf

Set yourself a fundraising challenge and make seven commitments across 2024 for Chuf’s Seven Appeal, and know that you will have a direct positive impact on the lives of the children and families receiving treatment on the Children’s Heart Unit. Together, with Chuf’s support, you could:
• Challenge yourself for Chuf: Whether you like to run, swim, cycle, or do something more daring there is a charity fundraising challenge for everyone. Some popular challenges include the Great North Run, Three Peaks Challenge, Dragon Boat Race, Sky Dives. Rest assured the CHUF team will be there to support you every step of the way and we can provide you with a fundraising pack to support your efforts.
• Attend Chuf Events: Each year Chuf runs a number of annual events, in 2024 you could get involved in Chuf’s Seven Appeal Golf Day, Chuf Toddle, Chuf’s Christmas Party.
• Plan your own Event: Alternatively, to the above, you can always plan your own event. We have created a special fundraising pack containing all of the information you will need, and we also have loads of inspo over on our socials!
• Have a Heart 2 Heart for Chuf: Whether you’re at home or in the office, reconnect with friends and family in a way which will positively impact on your wellbeing as well as enable Chuf to positively impact Heart Heroes and their families. We can provide you with lots of help and support, a raising funds ‘in aid of Chuf logo, poster templates, press release templates, letters in support of your fundraising and much more.
• Wear Red for Chuf: Support Chuf during #HeartMonth by setting up a fundraiser, encouraging people to wear red for Chuf, donate and raise awareness.
• Volunteer for Chuf: There are a range of volunteering opportunities available at CHUF from helping out at our events, to assisting us with office administration. Support our Seven Appeal by lending an extra pair of hands!

Corporate Support

Teamwork makes the dream work! Your support could be instrumental in funding the seven new machines urgently needed for The Children’s Heart Unit, improving the lives of those living with heart conditions, and by working with Chuf on this campaign, you will get to see where your money has been spent, and the real impact that it has on the lives of our beneficiaries.

We work with a wide variety of organisations in lots of different ways, from Charity of the Year partnerships and sponsorship opportunities to one off fundraising events, our team can offer guidance and support to find the best way for you to raise funds.
We want to understand your business needs – get in touch and chat to our Corporate and Trusts Fundraising Manager Alicia.

More information
Get in touch: info@chuf.org.uk
More info on how you can help: https://www.chuf.org.uk/get-involved/