Grand Opera House donates £8,765 in bucket collections to York Hospital charity

Customer experience manager Lauren Atkins, left, deputy customer experience manager Laura Castle, ticketing and sales manager Beth Scott and York Teaching Hospital Charity community fundraiser Joe Fenton with the Grand Opera House bucket collection cheque in the York theatre’s auditorium.  Picture: David Harrison

THE Grand Opera House, York, is to donate £8,765 to the York Teaching Hospital Charity from bucket collections held at performances in 2019.

The donation will go towards “helping to fund the extras to improve healthcare facilities above and beyond the NHS making patients feel better”. 

Joe Fenton, the hospital charity’s community fundraiser, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank-you to the Grand Opera House and to everyone who generously donated at the bucket collections held across 2019.

“The incredible amount that has been raised is truly inspiring and will go a long way in improving the staff and patient experience across our hospitals. 

“The money will be used benefit a number of wards, including the Children’s Ward, Dementia, the Renal Unit and our Maternity Bereavement Suite, so thank you for your fantastic support.”

Clare O’Connor, theatre manager at the Cumberland Street theatre, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have contributed nearly £9,000 (£8765.17) to numerous departments – Renal  Unit, Children’s Ward, Dementia Appeal and Butterfly Appeal – in the hospital over the past 12 months, in conjunction with the wonderful York Teaching Hospital Charity.

“Without the very generous donations of our audience members, and the time kindly given by volunteers for collections, we wouldn’t have achieved so great a figure, which means so much to all the staff at the Grand Opera House.”

Clare continued: “The patients and relatives who use these departments at York Hospital will benefit greatly from these funds, which will improve their experience during a difficult time, and we look forward to more successful fundraising over the next 12 months. Thank you.”