Of all the moments that are special when working for a Charity, it is certainly the events where donors are celebrated that stand out the most. In a room full of fundraisers who have spent their valuable time giving us gifts and donations, you will also be gifted with some amazing stories.

In our case, working for a Charity that supports two world-class hospitals means we hear from former patients glowing with pride when they tell you they had a double lung transplant or a mitral valve replacement that no other hospital could do, or they are still receiving superb treatment, even though they may be well into their 80s or even 90s.

We are constantly grateful for these stories, including remarkable stories of courage and determination seen in our patients, and an extraordinary level of skill and care found in our staff.

Occasionally, we’ll meet a bereaved family who still stay in touch with the hospitals and the Charity, because they know that everything that could have been done, was done.

This was the case on Wednesday night, at a donor reception the Charity hosted at St James’s Palace. The event was incredibly special, made even more so by HRH Princess Alexandra, who personally spoke with many of our guests. Among them was a lady who had sadly lost her husband. She said she’d had an extra 18 years with him, which meant he had seen three of their children get married, and the arrival of five grandchildren, following a heart transplant at Harefield Hospital.

Charities are fantastic and help change the world for the better. I’m a bit biased, but I think few of them have beneficiaries with stories as extraordinary as those I heard last night.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you so very much to our main event sponsors, Savills and KX Health. A big thank you also to Nyetimber, for providing the delicious sparkling white wine, and to Lavender Green for the most stunning flower arrangement I have ever seen, together with a beautiful bouquet for the princess. 

And thank you to all of the hosts, including our consultants, nurses, and Trustees – and special thanks to Helen Putter, Chair of the Fundraising Committee. I’d like to add a big ‘well done’ to the Charity team who worked so hard to make the event the huge success that it was.

We will be able to share some photos from the event on our website in the coming days. Do check back!

Our event was kindly supported by: