Charity

The Guild is a proud supporter of the Cavell charity in the UK and the Irish Hospice Foundation. Learn about our partnerships and fundraising for these important organisations below.

Our pledge to support nursing professionals

We know how important it is to support nursing professionals when they need it most. That’s why the Guild is a proud sponsor and supporter of Cavell. Cavell supports UK nurses, midwives, and healthcare assistants, working and retired, when they’re suffering personal or financial hardship. This is often due to illness, disability, older age, domestic abuse, and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Read more about their ‘Working with’ programme of which we are a founding member. We also fundraise for the organisation and make donations every year.

Cavell offer a tailored package of support to help everyone who gets in touch. They give emotional support for those in crisis, advice on maximising benefits, signposting to specialist services, one-off grants to quickly relieve financial hardship, and rapid emergency funding for those at great risk.

The need for support

Nurses are the vital backbone of our healthcare system, doing difficult work under great pressure for the benefit of us all.

The Cavell team spoke to 2,500 nursing and midwifery staff in 2022 about how prepared they were for a financial emergency. They discovered that 69% said they were unprepared, with 41% saying they currently had £500 or less in savings to face a financial emergency.

The team also asked people about things they were struggling to pay for. Of those who responded, 30% said they struggled with the cost of food and 14% said they had resorted to using a foodbank to feed themselves and their family.

In 2022, the Cavell Support team saw a 200% rise in those seeking help compared to the previous year. And, in 2023, demand for support remains high with a 44% increase in nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants seeking help..

The difference we make

Cavell awarded £650,000 in grants during 2022 to the nursing and midwifery family. Of the people helped in 2022:

  • 95% were better able to manage their finances
  • 92% reported a positive impact on their mental health

Getting people back on their feet increases their emotional strength and overall well-being, helping them return to or stay in the career they love. And with a shortage of nurses in the UK, this is vital.

If you would like to make a donation to a nurse in need, visit our Just Giving page. #HereForNurses

The Irish Hospice Foundation is a national charity striving for best care at end of life for all. They believe that everyone should receive the care and support they need as they face dying, death, and bereavement.

They work in every county in Ireland and rely on voluntary fundraising to support and maintain this work.

The Nursing Guild’s nurses are often called upon to support individuals with end-of-life care, so we recognise how essential these services are. This is particularly the case for those who cannot access the right care perhaps due to costs or availability of nurses in their area.

Our fundraising is to support Nurses for Night Care

Our fundraising goes towards the Nurses for Night Care service for people dying with illnesses other than cancer. Nurses for Night Care enable people with diseases like dementia, motor neurone disease, advanced respiratory disease, heart failure, and end stage kidney disease to receive expert nursing care and support at night in their own homes in their final days.

It also provides reassurance and respite for families and loved ones caring for someone at home.

To follow our fundraising journey or make a donation, select ‘Donate now’.