2025 newsletter

Friends of King’s - A thank you from the Chair, Jo 

Dear King’s community  

My name is Jo Lloyd and I am the Chair of Friends of King’s College Hospital, one of King’s many wonderful charities (the Friends).  As you may know, the Friends have the great honour of operating the Friends Shop at Denmark Hill and I wanted to thank you for supporting us and to celebrate what we achieved last year.   

Our customers regularly call the Friends Shop an Aladdin’s cave on account of the breadth of items you can find there.  We stock everything from King’s merch to deodorant to reading glasses to stamps to paracetamol to nappies to lip balm, padlocks, lanyards, pocket calculators and Blu Tac.  The Shop was open 360 days of 2024 and processed an incredible 25,635 transactions.  That figure doesn't reflect the numerous browsers who simply visit the Friends Shop to take time out and/or use us as a listening ear or a safe and calming space.  

In addition to operating the Shop, the Friends donate funds back to the Denmark Hill community. These grants are based on applications made to, and considered by, the Friends’ Committee at their monthly meetings.  I am thrilled to share that over the course of 2024 the Friends agreed to give back £38,757 to the Denmark Hill community and of that have already spent the following: 

• £5,940 on the enrichment of patients on the Murray Falconer Ward through the purchase of a Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities (RITA) machine 

• £4,564 on the conversion of a storage room into a wellbeing space in the Camberwell Sexual Health Centre  

• £4,345 on the refurbishment of a Day Room in the Charles Polkey Ward 

• £3,377 on improvements to the Quiet Room and Relatives Room for Liver ITU 

• £3,056 on the renovation of certain areas in the Marjorie Warren Ward  

• £2,339 on a sofa and table for the Endocrine and General Surgery Team  

• £1,470 on a sleeper chair to the Murray Falconer Ward enabling parents and family members to spend the night in hospital in relative comfort  

• £1,058 on a fluid warming cabinet, image projector and projector stand to improve the comfort of patients being treated in the Outpatients Hysteroscopy department  

• £1,000 on distraction packs for the Trauma Team to give to patients 

• £225 on a fridge for the Surgery & Bed Management team  

• £117 on a microwave and sandwich maker for staff in the Charles Polkey team 

• £57’ worth of incentives for a research survey carried out on International Women’s Day the complementary hairdressing service operated by the King’s Volunteers £50 on a prize for the Hydration & Nutrition awards  

• £30 on condolence cards for the Integrated Respiratory team to give to patients 

A further £11,000 carries forward into projects being delivered during 2025, including £9,435 to fund the renovation of part of the Murray Falconer Ward to better meet the needs of their younger patients.  

The Kingfishers are a Sub-Committee of the Friends who focus on fundraising for Denmark Hill’s paediatric patients and families.  The Kingfishers team also enjoyed a fantastic 2024.  Key achievements included: 

• raising around £6,000 in their annual quiz at Dulwich College 

• running a wreath-making day in the lead-up to Christmas that raised £180 

• donating mental health comfort packs containing fidget toys and craft items for adolescents to the Paediatric Emergency Department 

• granting £1,470 towards a second sleeper chair for the Murray Falconer Ward  

• contributing £272 to distraction packs for the Trauma Team  

Thank you so much again for your continuing support and I wish you, your families and friends a very happy and healthy year ahead.  Please email us on kch-tr.friendsofkings@nhs.net if you have any questions or would like to apply for a grant.  More news will follow on plans for 2025.  Keep your eyes peeled! 

Best wishes 

Jo