Love Your Hospital, the dedicated charity for Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, held the Eyeconic Ball on 17 June at The Grand in Brighton with the aim of raising funds for patient facilities and new equipment for the unit.

Western Sussex Eye Care | Southlands, due to open on 27 June, is part of a multi-million-pound investment by the trust and will provide access to some of the best assessment and surgical facilities in the country. Ophthalmology specialists from the Trust have been working with patients, architects and developers to create new and more patient-centred facilities at the hospital.

Amanda Tucker, head of charity for Love Your Hospital, said the night had been a great success.
She said: “As this was Love Your Hospitals inaugural ball, we have been overwhelmed by the positive comments both on and after the evening, not to mention the significant support we received in putting this event together. We are beholden to our clinical staff, the local community and a number of key Individuals whom without their input this event would never have been possible.

“All the money raised will go to support the Love Your Hospital ‘Our Vision, Your Sight’ appeal which supports our clinical teams in delivering outstanding eye care, and will make a difference to thousands of local residents living with limiting eye conditions.”

Local singing group, PZAZZ, who are mainly made up of staff from St Richard’s Hospital and supporters of Love Your Hospital, entertained guests during a champagne reception before dinner.

Masoud Teimory, Ophthalmology Consultant for the Trust, thanked all for attending the ball and said he hoped the unit will act as a catalyst for improvement in eye care in West Sussex and beyond.

He said: “The shared vision of my colleagues at all levels at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has resulted in us being able to offer the highest quality eye care while utilising the latest technology at our new unit in Southlands.”

Members of Western Sussex Hospitals executive team were also in attendance at the ball including the Trust’s Chief Executive Marianne Griffiths. She spoke to guests about the need to provide patients with the best-quality eye care in the UK as one of only five acute hospital trusts in the country to be awarded the health watchdog’s highest rating of outstanding.

Fellow guest speaker, Jamie Fitzjohn, who was diagnosed with an inherited eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa when he was just 18 years old is now a County Councillor for Chichester South, and the only registered blind semi-professional ice hockey coach in the world. He spoke about the anguish of coming to terms with his gradual sight loss and determination to not let him define his life.

He said: “After diagnosing my eye condition, the consultant told me three things would happen. I would never drive a car, I’d never have children and I’d be blind by the time I hit 30. Afterwards, I went to a very dark place. A year later, I woke up one morning and decided this condition wasn’t going to beat me. This new unit provide patients young and old with a support system and access to people who actually care and can give them guidance after diagnosis.”

Eight-piece band The Blunter Brothers played Classic funk, Motown and Soul into the wee hours and main sponsors of the event were Kier Construction and Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited.

To date the charity has raised more than £57,000 for the #OurVisionYourSight appeal.

To find out more visit www.loveyourhospital.org/vision

Image: Buzz Photography

Kelly Manderson, Lisa Manderson, Sandra Walker, Hannah Woolgar, Patricia Nicolasora and Amanda Bolt took part in the cycle challenge in aid of Love Your Hospital to raise funds for clinical equipment needed on the eye care unit. They joined more than 15,000 cyclists in the annual event, covering a 54 mile route from Clapham Common to Brighton sea front, in scorching temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius.

Kelly said: “We got underway early at 5 am, enduring two punctures and one broken gear shank along the way so it was quite eventful. We were also cycling in pretty extreme heat, but it felt a great team achievement to complete the ride for our St Richard’s patients, some of whom cheered us from the side lines at various points along the route.”

Now in its 42nd year, the London to Brighton Bike Ride is British Heart Foundation’s flagship event and Europe’s oldest charity cycling event. Over the years it has seen hundreds of thousands of cyclists pedalling over 41million miles.

The team raised more than £200 and donations are still being gratefully received at
www.justgiving.com/TeamSRHEyeClinic

Neal Marsh, 48, of Littlehampton, vowed never to put himself through the torment of training and sleep deprivation again after first breaking the world record of rowing non-stop for 80 hours in 2014.

On hearing the title had been broken by a 20-year-old German man by one hour and one minute, Neal pledged to take on the challenge again for Love Your Hospital, the dedicated charity of Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in aid of a new respirator for the Bluefin children’s ward at Worthing Hospital.

Neal set up camp inside Worthing Hospital and started rowing at 9am on Monday 10^th April officially breaking the record on Thursday 13^th at 6pm. He then carried on to officially log a final time of 83 hours.

Afterwards Neal said: “This row was harder than the last one. I was battling a cold and the first two nights of rowing were more difficult than I had anticipated. We struggled to get the nutrition right at first, but with a great team around me, I managed to keep going.”

“Towards the end, I was physically wrecked and had a few moments where I wasn’t sure I could carry on. I had a mental block of about two hours on the last day and when I came round an hour before breaking the record, I kept asking what I was doing rowing in the hospital and why there were lots of people around me!”

Neal’s mum, Janet, who was present to see her son break the record said “I was a little worried about him towards the end. He was talking in whispers and clearly quite disorientated, but he did it and I’m so very proud of him.”

Visited by patients and staff at the hospital who stopped by to donate and offer him words of encouragement, Neal was also joined by the Chief Executive of the trust, Marianne Griffiths who accompanied him on the backup rower in a show of support.

Neal said: “Raising the money for the respirator has been a wonderful achievement, but I’ve also felt emotional about how everyone at Worthing Hospital got behind me. Some people came through regularly to see how I was doing and I felt a real sense of community during this challenge.”

The Worthing Rowing Club member is no stranger to taking on extreme challenges. In December 2013, Neal was skipper for the Team Atlantic Splash Crew who attempted the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge – the world’s toughest rowing race. Sadly, their craft was damaged in a storm and the team had to be rescued five days in to the event.

Becky Holcroft, Paediatric Matron, said: “The paediatric department are so very grateful that Neal undertook this incredible challenge of rowing for four days to raise money for Bluefin ward. Our patients and staff on the ward would like to congratulate and thank Neal on this amazing achievement.”

Amanda Tucker, Head of Love Your Hospital, said: “Neal’s dedication to this challenge has been phenomenal. He really captured the hearts of our patients, staff and visitors who cheered him on from the side lines. The funds raised will enable our children’s ward to buy a new respirator which will be a real benefit to patient care in the future. We’re so thankful to Neal and everyone involved who made this special challenge possible.”

JSPC Computer Services, Freedom Leisure, Storm Fitness Academy Ltd, Simmons Signs and Protectfully sponsored Neal’s world record attempt.

To make a donation to Neal’s fundraising page, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Rowing4health

But their old jeep was tired so when a very special mini Rolls-Royce arrived at its new home this week it was an instant hit with children, families and staff alike.

St Richard’s patient, Hari Rajyaguru in the driver’s seat with Love Your Hospital,
trust Chief Executive, Marianne Griffiths, Children’s Day Surgery staff and the team from Rolls-Royce