London Gatwick staff have visited an East Surrey hospital to hand over a cheque of £34,000 raised by airport staff and passengers over the last year.
The money was raised for the SASH Charity (Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust), which became one of Gatwick’s official charity partners in 2020.
Melanie Wrightson, a stakeholder engagement manager of Gatwick Airport, was pleased that donations were helping with necessary advancements at the local hospital.
She said: “We have been delighted to be able to donate nearly £34,000 to SASH over the past year, contributing towards some much needed improvements for patients, family and staff.
“The money has been raised through efforts of Gatwick staff and passengers, from sponsored events such as Run Gatwick and various marathons, to initiatives like providing refurbished laptops in staff in exchange for a donation.”
Beyond fundraising, Gatwick has also supported SASH Charity through staff volunteering their time to help with projects, such as on-site gardening at East Surrey Hospital.
Clinical experts from SASH were invited to Gatwick’s South Terminal departure lounge in October to mark ‘Restart a Heart Day’ and raise awareness of the airport’s partnership with the city.
Raquel Freudenberger, fundraising officer of SASH, is thankful for the cooperation shown by the airport.
She said: “We are grateful for the partnership with Gatwick Airport and their unwavering support which has allowed us to enhance our services for patients, colleagues and visitors at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
“We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Gatwick Airport and their employees for making a difference and showing the impact that a community spirit can achieve.”
Gatwick is the United Kingdom’s second largest airport and flies a range of both short and long-haul point to point services.
In 2019, VINCI Airports, a leading private airport operator, purchased a 50.01% stake in the airport.
Featured image credit: Mike McBey via Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
