Generous colleagues at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust – which operates Harrogate District Hospital, Ripon Community Hospital and community services – have raised almost £2,500 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance simply by donating the ‘extra’ pennies from their pay packets every month.
Individual members of staff sign up to a scheme called Pennies from Heaven, where every month their salary is rounded down to the nearest pound with the pennies donated to charity. The most someone can ever give is 99p every time they’re paid, but the overall amount soon adds up. 
A total of £2,416.85 has been raised by staff over the past three years or so. Companies and organisations can choose who they donate to.
Phillip Marshall, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m proud that so many colleagues have signed up to Pennies from Heaven to make a small sacrifice which, when added together, makes a big difference.
“Thank you to all my colleagues who are signed up to Pennies from Heaven. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to help save lives across Yorkshire and I’m so pleased we are able to support them in this way.
“Visiting Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s base was a great way for us to jointly acknowledge the contributions from members of staff at the Trust towards the operation of Yorkshire Air Ambulance. They’ve certainly doubled our enthusiasm to further promote our Pennies from Heaven Scheme so we can increase our contributions to Yorkshire Air Ambulance.”
Helen Callear, YAA’s Regional Fundraising Manager, added: “It was lovely to welcome Phillip and Hillary down to Nostell so they could see first-hand how the money their colleagues donate through the Pennies from Heaven scheme is used to help keep our service operational. We are extremely grateful for their support and I’d like to thank everyone who donates their ‘pennies’ to help raise these vital funds.”
Hillary Levitt, The Trust’s Trade Union colleagues representative and Unison Branch Secretary, said: “I was delighted to be asked to attend a visit to Yorkshire Air Ambulance base along with Phillip on behalf of trade union colleagues. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet with the staff and understand the different roles they perform. Everyone was very welcoming, so enthusiastic and willing to spend their valuable time showing us round.
“I was extremely fortunate to be able to sit in the Air Ambulance and have my photograph taken. I was totally amazed by the interior of the Air Ambulance and the compartmentalisation/storage of all the equipment. All in all, an amazing experience and I will certainly be participating in the Pennies from Heaven scheme at work.”
ENDS
Pictured from left to right are: Dr Jez Pinnell (YAA Doctor), Darren James (YAA Paramedic), Hillary Levitt (HDFT Trade Union colleagues representative and Unison Branch Secretary), Cpt Harry O’Neil (YAA Pilot) and Phillip Marshall, (Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust).
For further information please contact:
Paul Widdowfield, Communications and Marketing Manager, [email protected] and 01423 557470.