Welcome and thank you for your interest in The Friends of the Royal United Hospital.
We are a family of volunteers, ex-volunteers and a number of paid staff, all working together to provide support to the patients and staff of the RUH in Bath.
A history of The Friends of the RUH
The organisation was created in 1957 as a group of volunteers who wanted to dedicate their spare time to help the hospital. One of the founder members was Margaret Berry (Dame Mary Berry’s mother). Since then we have evolved our services and now provide the Friends of the RUH Shop and The Café at B18, as well as assisting on the wards and public spaces, and, tending to the hospital’s gardens.
FRUH is an independent organisation; it is not a department of the hospital. We are governed by the Charity Commission, and we hold Charitable Incorporated Organisation status.
As a Charity we have to have a specific formal purpose, which is:
‘To preserve and protect the health of patients of the Royal United Hospitals Bath by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities, support services, and equipment not normally provided by the statutory authorities.
The Royal United Hospital Bath is sole beneficiary of the funds we raise.
Retail trading is our primary source of income, accounting for 99% of the money we receive and all surplus funds being donated to the hospital. The retail services are provided by a mix of paid staff and volunteers, as this allows us to donate as much money as possible to the RUH.
The Convenience Shop in the Atrium is open seven days a week and stocks a wide range of merchandise including sandwiches, ready meals, newspapers, soft drinks and nightwear, as well as a wide range of sweets and snacks.
The Cafe at B18 is a consistently popular refreshment stop for both RUH staff and visitors to the hospital. The Cafe team specialise in providing an extensive range of homemade sandwiches, rolls, and cakes which sell out very quickly. We also supply expertly made hot drinks and chilled beverages.
All net profits from the FRUH retail areas and monies from fundraising are spent supporting patients at the RUH.
The Charity awards grants to support projects at the RUH and works closely with the RUH senior management to target areas that will provide the most benefit to patients and the hospital. In addition, the Charity funds two staff roles to provide the administration and recruitment of RUH volunteers.
The charity is managed by the Chief Executive and 8 trustees who are unpaid volunteers. Each Trustee provides us with a wealth of professional experience to assist in the proper governance of the charity. This involves dealing with policy, legal matters, finance, staffing, health and safety, liaison, and coordinating with the RUH.
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£150k toward Intensive Care Unit Equipment that provides support in their critical hour of need.
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£125k towards a new Ultrasound room in the Breast Care Unit.
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£100k toward Robotic Surgery equipment for less invasive procedures and faster recovery.
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£30k to refurbish waiting rooms in A&E specifically to support patients with mental health.
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£17K Sit to Fit chairs to improve patient flow through the ED.
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£15k Soundbites to support a musician in residence to perform on wards across the hospital, including having instruments on the Children’s wards
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£10k for emergency toiletry packs for those who arrive at the RUH without essentials.
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£7k for a new bladder scanner in Charlotte Ward to reduce wait times.
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£7k towards digital wall/calendar clocks for dementia patients located throughout the RUH
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£5k for a mobile phone charging and safe keeping unit for patients arriving in A&E
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£55 for Tooth Fairy Bags for children who have needed in surgery for tooth removals.