Helping breast cancer patients through recovery
Patients recovering from breast cancer surgery are benefiting from specialist post-operative bras funded thanks to the generosity of our supporters.
From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 the charity received 323 applications totalling £1.95m and we funded 260 applications totalling £883,000.
The funding available for the new financial year (26/27) is more limited and subject to available funds, but you can help us grow by raising awareness of the Charity – please let patients know about us and you can also get involved in fundraising. Click here to contact us.
View all our recent impact stories
Every donation we receive plays a crucial role in enhancing care, supporting patients and families, and improving hospital environments. Here’s a look at how your generosity has made a real difference.
What we have funded
It’s inspiring to see so much creativity and dedication in action. From major initiatives such as the HIFU machine and appeals such as Daisy Suite and Twinkling Stars, to smaller, targeted projects such as the AccuVein vein finding device, every idea we fund plays a part in improving care and the working environment. This list includes some of the many applications we have funded during 25/26.
Charity funding helps improve chest drain care across Northamptonshire’s NHS
Thanks to our supporters, we have provided funding for new ROCKET Suction Units, helping to further improve chest drain therapy and enhance the patient experience.
Charity funds advanced cough assist machine to support patients at Kettering General Hospital
Patients who need support clearing their airways are benefiting from a new cough assist machine at Kettering General Hospital, funded by Northamptonshire Health Charity. The machine called the Nippy Clearway 2 is designed to help patients who struggle to clear their airways independently.
Funding opportunities – How It Works
We’re here to help fund the ideas that really make a difference for patients, staff, and services. Every application is reviewed with the Trust to make sure funding has the biggest impact and assessed fairly and consistently in line with the Trust’s strategy and the charity’s expenditure policy and guidance.
Click here to view our Frequently Asked Questions.
Funding eligibility
To be eligible for funding, applications must align with the Charity’s criteria and governance, and fit with the Trust’s processes and ways of working, including care pathways and key governance requirements such as IT, IPC, fire safety, and health and safety.
Projects should always ultimately be for patient benefit. We are keen to support projects that make a meaningful difference for patients and deliver lasting improvements.
Please note that all applications are reviewed in partnership with the relevant Trust before any funding decisions are made.
We also encourage you to read our Expenditure Guidance and Policy documents before applying.
A quick tip before you start your application:
Make sure you’ve got all the information ready and fill in the sections that match the type of funding you’re applying for. This helps us review your request quickly, fairly, and make the biggest impact.
If you’re requesting medical equipment, please include:
- Confirmation of approval from the Medical Equipment Committee
- Where the equipment will be stored
- Training requirements and who will cover the cost (include in your financial breakdown if you’re requesting charity funding)
- Initial consumable costs (include in your financial breakdown)
- How ongoing consumables will be funded
There are many great ways to support and recognise and support staff through reward programmes. amenities and conferences, and it’s clear that teams across all Trusts are already doing fantastic work in this area.
To ensure a fair and consistent approach, we now provide a single lump sum of funding to the Trusts (UHN & NHFT) to support staff-related initiatives, with funding managed internally in line with the relevant Trust priorities and our Charity expenditure guidance.
As a result, we no longer directly fund requests for staff wellbeing, reward and recognition, and development; instead, we will collate your application and pass it to the Trust team. We’ll share their decision-making as soon as they’re available.
Important note: Training can still be supported by the Charity; however, please first check whether it can be funded through the Trust budget before submitting an application and liaise with the relevant Trust teams for guidance. Training funding is managed separately from the funding allocated for wellbeing, development, and reward and recognition. Please make an application through the Patient Pathway fund, as training will benefit patient care.
Click here to view our Frequently Asked Questions.
Environment Enhancements
Before you submit your application, please make sure:
- You’ve spoken with the relevant Trust teams and have their approval.
- You’ve got quotes for the work to be attached to the application, ideally from approved contractors in partnership with the Trust teams.
This helps us process your application quickly.
Before you hit submit
Take a moment to think about how your idea fits with the purpose of the Charity. Does it help improve patient experience, enhance the environment, or support staff wellbeing and development? Remember, it should always have patient benefit at the core.
The strongest applications show a clear need, realistic outcomes, and meaningful impact and it helps if you can show that the relevant Trust team supports your idea.
Be specific and thoughtful with your application. The more detail you provide, the better we can support the most inspiring and effective projects across the Trust!
Please note that, as is the case with the NHS, we have pressure on our budgets and we cannot fund every application – we prioritise with the Trust and according to our policies however, often we can work with the Trust on innovative solutions to make projects happen even if they fall outside of what is possible with Charity budgets alone.
Click here to view our Frequently Asked Questions.
New funding rounds applications
Apply for a grant up to £250
Do you have a small idea that could make a difference? You can apply at any time. Applications are reviewed monthly, at the Charity and Trust triage meeting on the last Wednesday of the month. Decisions are communicated on the first Monday of the following month. Applications submitted in the final week of the month will roll over to the next month’s review cycle.
Apply for a grant between £250-£1000
If your project needs a bit more funding, you can still apply any time. These applications are reviewed between us the Trust and decisions are communicated approximately two weeks after review – please see below for the review dates. Applications submitted after the closing date will be reviewed in the next cycle.
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for Charity Funding Over £1,000 Now Open
Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for charity funding requests over £1,000 are now open. Applications will be accepted for an initial period of up to six weeks, although the process may close earlier if we receive a high volume of submissions. Applications for funding up to £250 and £251 to £1,000 remain open and will continue to be processed as normal. If you have any questions about your application or would like advice before applying, please contact the Charity Team at [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support and patience.
Accessing Charity Funding – Timeline & Review Process
| Application Period | Decision Communicated |
| 1 April – 15 May | 1 June |
| 1 June – 15 July | 1 Aug |
| 1 Aug – 15 Sept | 1 Oct |
| 1 Oct – 15 Nov | 1 Dec |
| 1 Dec – 15 Jan | 1 Feb |
| 1 Feb – 15 March | 1 April |
*Please note: we now provide a block grant to the Trusts to fund requests for staff wellbeing, reward and recognition, and development. Request are made via our system and passed to the Trust team who make the decisions on how to best allocate funding. We’ll share their decision-making as soon as they’re available.
Requests over £10,000 require Sub-Committee approval. The Sub-Committee, chaired by a Charity Trustee and with membership drawn from leadership across the Trusts, reviews applications at the meetings listed below to ensure larger projects get the attention and discussion they need to make the biggest impact.
| Application deadline | Sub Committee meeting | Decision Communicated |
| 1st September 2026 | 28th/29th September 2026. | Oct 2026 |
| 1st Dec 2026 | Jan 2027 | Feb 2027 |
Requests over £25,000 that have been endorsed by the Sub-Committee require final approval from the Trustees. They meet on the following dates:
| Trustee meeting date | Decision Communicated |
| 12th June 2026 | July 2026 |
| 11th Sept 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| 11th Dec 2026 | Jan 2027 |
| 12th March 2027 | April 2027 |