A hospital charity has merged into a larger counterpart to coincide with a new NHS trust.
Southmead Hospital Charity last week completed its merger into Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity.
The union followed the merger of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust to create the Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.
Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity recorded an income of £3.7m while Southmead Hospital Charity recorded an income of £2.1m, according to both charity’s accounts for the year to the end of March 2025.
The merged charity has 39 staff, including the 10 employees that have joined from the SHC. There were no job losses or redundancies as a result of the merger, the BWHC said.
The BWHC supports 13 hospitals while SHC supports three hospitals.
Neither charity was under any obligation to merge, but the BWHC senior leadership team decided it was in its best interest to have one unified charity, the BHWC said.
The new charity is independent of the NHS and includes a senior leadership team of three members with a wider board of 14 trustees.
The merged charity will be led by Katie Walker, chief executive of the BHWC, while SHC director Sally Bennett, who had led the charity since 2024, has left to join the newly formed Bristol NHS Foundation Trust as its senior engagement and involvement manager.
“This is a proud moment, bringing together the work of Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity and Southmead Hospital Charity to now support every hospital across our region,” Walker said.
“For many years, Bristol & Weston Hospitals Charity and Southmead Hospital Charity have stood side by side with our NHS – it’s the most common connector we all have as a population because, when it comes to our health and the wellbeing of those we love, we all want the very best care when we need it most.
“By joining forces we can go further – making every donation have even greater impact, supporting NHS staff to innovate and deliver outstanding care, while ensuring kindness and compassionate care remain at the heart of everything we do.”