Final pledge helps Brighter Futures appeal hit target

Brighter Futures, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s charity has successfully closed its Incubator Appeal thanks to the continued generosity of the local community and a final pledge from the Swindon Islamic Community.

Brighter Futures launched the appeal in March and by Christmas the same year, it had achieved its target to raise £175,000 to purchase five Dräger Babyleo neonatal incubators for the Special Care Baby Unit. These incubators are designed to meet the complex needs of special care babies, creating a special healing micro-environment, whilst providing parents with easy access to their baby.

Over the past ten months, the local people of Swindon and the surrounding area have been actively involved in all sorts of fund raising campaigns, including the Big Give Christmas Challenge, which was a huge success thanks to the Dr Thomas Cranston Wilson Charitable Trust and the Reed Foundation for matching the funds equally. Together, they have given the Trust’s smallest patients the best possible start in life.

Commenting on the appeal, Catherine Newman, Associate Director of Fundraising at Brighter Futures, said: “We’re delighted to have hit the target for our Incubator Appeal just in time for Christmas! We can now replace five of the ten incubators with the new state-of-the-art incubators. We might even be in a position to replace the remaining five with the on-going fundraising plans for 2019.

“It’s wonderful how the whole community has been united to smash the target for this appeal and we are so grateful for everyone’s support with special thanks to Mr Mogul and the Swindon Islamic Community who really got behind the appeal and helped us hit the target.

Mr Mohammed Ishak Mogul, chairman of the Thamesdown Islamic Association and the Swindon Muslim Council said: “I caught wind of the Incubator Appeal on radio one morning, and as part of a predominant community in Swindon, we’d love to help our local community and we want to start with supporting charities that are closer to home. GWH is such a big part of Swindon, caring for thousands of patients, so this is our way of saying thank you for the excellent service.”