West Ham United has today made a pledge of support for the Club’s local NHS trusts across East London and Essex, by committing to a range of new positive community initiatives which will help the NHS to provide vital support for patients and staff.

The Hammers are putting their efforts into a dedicated set of fundraising initiatives, agreed in conjunction with NHS experts, and based on their views on how the Club can best support them in dealing with the current global health crisis. The activities will directly benefit Barts Charity – the dedicated charity for Barts Health NHS Trust, and King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity, who support the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT).

This pledge of support comes at a time when the NHS, and the humbling work done by all those on the healthcare frontline, are continuing to tackle the extreme challenge.

West Ham United has historically had close ties with many hospitals across the region, seeing regular player visits to patients and staff over the years – more recently through the Club’s Players’ Project.

Moreover, through its breadth of initiatives, by the end of the 2021 a total of £28million will have been invested across local communities, with the purpose of motivating, inspiring, educating and responding to local need. So far, these programmes have created more than £1.4million of annual savings to the NHS delivered through diabetes prevention, 281 school and educational partnerships and they directly work with up to 50,000 participants in Foundation led initiatives each year.

Now, the Hammers are going even further and worked with both charities to ensure our support is focused on addressing the things that frontline NHS workers need both now, and in the future;

• A commitment to promote their critically important charitable appeals
• Fundraising initiatives for equipment and staff wellbeing
• An initial donation of 1,000 shirts for West Ham supporting patients and NHS staff
• Mobilising the staff at West Ham United and its Foundation to volunteer to support local NHS trusts
• Using the first opportunity at a West Ham match to promote the trusts and support their fundraising, as well as celebrating NHS workers
• Special experiences for patients and their families, and NHS workers, to raise the spirits of those who have been through so much during the pandemic
• Morale-boosting messages for patients and staff.

Barts Charity supports Barts Hospital, Newham University Hospital, Royal London, Mile End, Whipps Cross and the Nightingale Hospital located at the Excel Centre in East London, on standby to treat patients with COVID-19, should it be required.

BHRUT run two hospitals – King George Hospital in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital in Romford – and also serve clinics across outer north east London and run services from Barking Hospital

West Ham United’s Vice-Chairman Karren Brady said: “It is a privilege for the Club to be able to support Barts Charity, and King George and Queen’s hospitals, who are working on our doorstep in East London. NHS staff are tackling COVID-19 on the frontline every day and they are the true heroes in this, sacrificing so much in the process.

“Mobilising the Claret & Blue Army to get behind their appeals means we can say thank you in a number of ways, across a range of activities, and hopefully in the process we can brighten the days of many patients who are also in need of support.

“As soon as we are able to, we look forward to welcoming and celebrating our NHS heroes at London Stadium, giving them the recognition they deserve.”

The King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity is currently running a fundraising appeal focusing on looking after the health and wellbeing of staff at the trust, to ensure they are well-looked after during the pandemic, and beyond.

The charity has also received incredible donations throughout the pandemic, including over 92,000 meals for hardworking staff, sofas for staff wellbeing rooms, and 22,000 items such as toiletries to go into staff wellbeing and survival packs.

The Club will be announcing further activity to support our local trusts in due course, but in the meantime should you wish to support these urgent appeals, donations can be made here: https://justgiving.com/campaign/barts-charity-NHS-appeal and here: https://www.bhrhospitals.nhs.uk/our-charity.