Charitable Purpose
The charitable purpose was originally set out in 1979 and since then the understanding of haematological disorders has developed and treatment has become more specialised but the purpose remains relevant today.
The Trust is established for the relief of persons suffering from leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related disorders.
We meet this purpose by supporting some individual patients with unusual costs such as travelling, funding new patient or diagnostic equipment that is not available from NHS funds.
Most recently the Friends have supported an expansion of the ambulatory and day care services by funding additional treatment chairs and associated equipment enabling more patients to be treated on a day basis and allowing them freedom to go home for much of the time whilst they are having treatment.The Friends also continue to support the specialist Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service with their work.
The Friends also collaborate with the ‘Hug on a Tray ‘ team of fundraisers whose work enables patients to have free bedside patient TV services.
A total of £63,592 has been approved in support of the Department in 2025 with a selection of items below:
- Recliner chair
- Staff meal
- Furnishing telephonic consultations room
- Part costs for European Haematology Association congress Milan
- Replacement probe for bladder scanner
- ECG Machine
- North Transplant Meeting travel costs
- Rise/recline chair
- Bladder scanner
- Attendance at CAR-T Manchester
- Haemophilia Physio attendance at imaging referral and interpretation course
- Haemophilia dynamometer
- Renew Star of the month
- Attendance at American Society of Haematology [part costs]
- Steps for shower chair
- Bleeding disorders course
- Venesection chairs Ambulatory and Day Care
Individual Patient Requests
Sometimes a patient may need to travel to another Centre for treatment or may be having other unusual costs linked to their treatment which they are struggling to fund. When assistance is not available via the NHS then patients may be supported by the Friends.
Such requests for assistance would usually be made by the Clinical Nurse Specialist, who is working with the patient, to the Honorary Secretary. Where there is some urgency for a decision the Trustees will consider the request by email rather than wait for a meeting of Trustees.
Patient in weighing scale chair funded by the Friends
Departmental Requests
In 2014 the Trustees decided to open the process for applying for funds to staff within the Department of Haematology.
Twice a year in March and September, the Chairman writes to the Head of Department asking for the letter inviting bids for funds to be widely circulated within the Department. The Trustees then consider the bids at their meetings in April and October.
Nurse with ECG machine
Patient TV funding
From 2019 the Friends have been collaborating with the informal fundraising group, Hug on a Tray, over the funding of the patient bedside TV. Whilst the Leeds Hospitals contracts with Spark to provide these services it is expected that patients will pay for the access to TV.
For the past 8 years the Hug on a Tray team have managed to raise funds such that for most of the time patients have not had to pay for the basic level of service.
To comply with Charity Commission guidelines the Friends have taken on responsibility for managing these costs by establishing a separate specific TV account.
The Hug on a Tray team have raised significant sums of money and have secured funding for the annual costs some time ahead. In spring 2025 funds were allocated to upgrade the old bedside units to I-Pads with an improved range of services.
If you wish to support this specific aspect of the Friends work, donations should be made to the Friends TV account or via the Hug on a Tray website: hugonatray.org
Laboratory staff with the new electronic
pipette funded by the Friends.