North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity is the official charity that supports the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital. The charitable fund helps improve the experience of patients and their loved ones. 

Being in hospital can be a difficult and distressing time for anyone, with the funding raised through the charity we support projects and services that make a real difference.

The funds make a genuine difference for example funding playrooms and toys for the children’s wards, buying additional equipment to reduce waiting times or travel to other hospitals, a place for patients and visitors to relax.

The charitable fund also supports staff wellbeing and development. With your help we can give staff opportunities to participate in anxiety/ stress reduction activities; have the opportunity to participate in physical activity at work, give staff the knowledge and confidence to support their colleagues who are struggling with their mental health. It also enables our staff to access training and support to provide them with additional skills that they might not otherwise have access to.

Funds held by community services were transferred to the Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF) in 2019 prior to the merger of North Cumbria University Hospitals and Cumbria Partnership. The funds are now managed by CCF on our behalf. Donations to community hospitals can also be made to the league of friends for the relevant hospital.

Thank you for thinking of North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity and for considering leaving gift in your will. Thinking about what you might be leaving behind is never easy and we understand that it can be a difficult decision to make.

The charitable fund supports activities that benefits NHS patients receiving care in the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven. For example in 2019/20 a dedicated bereavement suite was created in the Maternity Unit at West Cumberland Hospital to help support those patients who had experienced a loss. The role of the charity fund is to enhance the services available to patients, which is not covered by core NHS funding. 

The charitable fund also has a focus on staff. Staff are crucial to creating valuable services to all patients, as it is staff that deliver patient care. The activities that the charitable fund supports may improve the skills of staff, improve working conditions and improve staff morale.

Legacy giving guide

Before writing a will there are some things you will need to consider and prepare before your meeting with a solicitor or will writer.

Appoint executors

Executors are people who are named in your will and who will look after your estate in the event of your death. They can be family members, friends, professionals or companies (such as banks or solicitors). The person or organisation you appoint should be people you trust to carry out your wishes. If you are appointing family and friends it would be good to discuss your wishes with them first before making them an executor just to make sure everyone is in agreement.

Estimate your assets

List your current assets and any liabilities you have (any loans, debt or other lending to repay) to estimate your estate value. Do not forget any joint ownership will reduce the value of your estate. Gather information about your estate and plan how you could give your solicitor secure access to this information.

Leaving a gift in your will

After considering your family and friends you might also want to consider supporting a cause you care about. If you would like to leave a gift in your will to North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity you will need our address and charity number. Registered Charity Number: 1059946.

North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity
Executive Director of Finance
Cumberland Infirmary
Newtown Road
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA2 7HY

Make sure your will is legal

For your will to be legally valid, you must:

  • be 18 or over
  • make it voluntarily
  • be of sound mind
  • make it in writing
  • sign it in the presence of 2 witnesses who are both over 18
  • have it signed by your 2 witnesses, in your presence

You will need to have two independent witnesses who can watch you sign the document and sign as witnesses. Both witnesses must see you sign your will. Witnesses cannot be beneficiaries of your estate, if they do witness the will your gift to them will become invalid.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Funeral arrangements

You may want to include in your will a donation to your chosen charity at your funeral. If you would like people to donate to North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity at your funeral, the just giving page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/ncuhnhs

Appoint a solicitor or will writer

You will need to choose a solicitor or will writer to complete your will. They will be able to give you any advice around the information you have provided. Our fundraising team cannot give you advice on your will.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my mind?

If you choose to leave a gift in your will and then decide that you would rather give the money elsewhere you can change your will at any time. If you have told us you are leaving a gift in your will and you change your mind please let us know for our records. We understand that things might change and we completely understand if you change your mind.

What happens if I pass away without a will?

If you pass away without a will your estate might not go to the people or places you wish. You would be classes as ‘intestate’. If you do not have any family members to inherit your estate, the entire estate will pass to the Crown. 

If you would like to discuss leaving a gift in your will further or have any questions please contact our fundraising team via communications@ncic.nhs.uk.

Our aim is to make a difference to NHS staff, patients and families in hospital and across the community in ways over and above what the NHS can fund. By choosing to partner and build a relationship with North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity you empower us to invest in new ideas and state-of-the-art technology to support the care of our patients, their loved ones and focus on the wellbeing of our staff.

Partnering with North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity gives companies and organisations a unique opportunity to:

  • Generate positive PR opportunities 
  • Demonstrate to your employees, customers and prospective customers your company’s commitment to supporting your local NHS.
  • Encourage team building and cross team working
  • Boost staff morale.

Retail Partnerships

Many organisations choose to support a charity through their Charity of The Year. We would love for you to choose to support North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity! Our fundraising team will work with you to develop a programme that aligns with your company’s objectives. Our aim is to build meaningful partnerships that will not only create impact, but also allow you to meet your company’s KPIs and CSR goals.

Customer donation activation

If your organisation sells a product or a service, you can ask customers to round up their payment and make a small donation to North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity. This is a great way to raise funds throughout the year and every small donation will make a huge difference to North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity.

Staff fundraising and employee engagement

Employee fundraising is a great way to bring together staff from different areas of your business. From cycling, to baking, to mountain climbing, fundraising can engage and motivate your staff to come together for a great cause. 

Our fundraising team will work with you to create a calendar of events to inspire and unite staff. 

We’d also love to deliver talks to your employees on the difference that their support is making. Please get in touch with our fundraising team by emailing for more ideas at communications@ncic.nhs.uk on how to get your staff involved!

Payroll giving

Payroll giving is a great way for employees to support a nominated charity by making a small donation every month, straight from their pay packet.

Why Choose Us?

Our Reach

  • NCIC has a large social media following - all potential customers who support the work of our trust.
  • Over 6500 staff work for the Trust where we can promote our partnership

Our Size

  • We are a small NHS charity, this means we can give you 1 to 1 support from our existing team.

Your Goals

  • Partnering with a charity can help you stand out from your competitors and increase your client or customer base
  • Becoming a partner can help your business meet its corporate social responsibility goals

Motivate your team

  • We can provide activities and challenges for your staff team to undertake to raise money for our charity. These events are great team building exercises and promote staff wellbeing in the work place.

Thank you for thinking of donating to our charity or fundraising for us. 

You can donate in many different ways. You can use our online payment system or you can:

When you donate to us, please complete this gift aid form.

Just Giving

It easy to get started on Just Giving. Please visit justgiving.com/ncuhnhs and click ‘Fundraising for us’ button on the right-hand side of the page. You will then be asked about your event, what you want to do and what your target is.

Cash and Cheque donations (sponsorship forms)

We suggest that you collect donations from sponsors as you go instead of asking for the donations after. This will reduce the time you spend collecting the donations after the event. For a sponsorship form please contact communications@ncic.nhs.uk

If your supporters write a cheque please ask them to make the cheque payable to: North Cumbria University Hospitals Charitable Fund. Once all your donations are collected you will need to donate the funds direct (please see Donating Funds Direct).

Donating Funds Direct

To donate funds direct to the charity this can either be done by cheque or bank transfer;

Cheque

Please make the Cheque payable to: North Cumbria University Hospitals Charitable Fund

And send it to: North Cumbria Hospitals NHS Charity, Charity Fundraising Lead, NHS Finance, Parkhouse Building South, Baron Way, Kingmoor Business Park, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA6 4SJ

Bank Transfer For information on how to pay by BAC please contact the fundraising team via: communications@ncic.nhs.uk

Gift Aid

If you use the trusts sponsorship forms or the Just Giving Page you will already be giving people to option to opt in to Gift Aid. If someone chooses to make a Gift Aided donation an extra 25p for every £1 given will be added to the donation amount from HMRC. A charity can claim Gift Aid when you make a monetary donation from your own funds and have paid UK Income and / or Capital Gains Tax during that tax year. For more information on eligibility please refer to the government website.

Gifts, donations, legacies to ‘Friends' of community hospitals

  • are specifically for the designated Hospital
  • are managed by local trustees who are aware of local need
  • are subject to minimal overhead costs because the charities are small and run by volunteers
  • can be distributed quickly and responsively if necessary
  • may be distributed proactively, for example when trustees or members of the community suggest ideas for funding, as well as reactively, when hospital staff apply for funds.

We have provided contact details below for the hospital league of friends where they have asked us to include it:

Keswick League of Friends

Dr Eugene Lambert,
Treasurer
Friends of the Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital 
High Gale
Applethwaite
Keswick
CA12 4PL 
admin@friendsofkeswickhospital.org  

Fundraising Guide

If you cannot find the information you need in our guide please contact us: communications@ncic.nhs.uk