Charities of the Year
One of the privileges of the President of York Medical Society is to nominate the three charities to receive our annual donations. They all should relate to healthcare; one local, one national and one international.
The society donates £1500 to each charity.
Prof. Paul Blenkiron’s chosen charities
The Joseph Rowntree Theatre
This is a diverse, inclusive, and popular community based theatre run entirely by volunteers. Sited on Haxby Road in York, JRT offers a local home for amateur groups, schools and organisations to perform in a 1935 Art Deco location. It aims to increase participation by those with physical and mental health needs – as well as maintain good health for performers and audience alike. Its ‘Heart for the Arts’ Campaign is raising funds in their 90th year to improve accessibility and disabled access and offer bursaries to enable more people to come to the theatre. Our support will help to build a new Garden Room and facilitate continuation of highly successful events such as the annual York Community Choir Festival.
The British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation is the UK’s biggest independent funder of research into cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the world’s no1 killer, so this charity will have personal resonance for many of us. There are currently more than 7 million people in Britian living with cardiac and circulatory conditions. We are delighted that Prof Bernard Keavney, BHF Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, will be speaking at The Annual Oration on Sat 11th Oct about heart disease, genomics and prevention.
The International Committee of the Red Cross
As a medical society we cannot ignore our humanitarian role, given the many conflict zones around the world – too many in fact. Based in Geneva, the ICRC is a neutral, independent organization. It provides water, food, shelter, medical assistance and protection to people affected by war, armed conflict and other violence.
Dr Tim Hughes has chosen these charities for 2024-25
Local Charity 2024
Treasure Chest Breastfeeding Group
A not for profit organisation in York, run entirely by volunteers and funded by donations.
Treasure Chest aims to promote, support and encourage breastfeeding/chestfeeding in the York area.
We have supported Treasure Chest with a donation and worked together with them to have a “Community of Practice” Breast feeding seminar at York Medical Society on 15th October 2024
National Charity 2024
Parkinson’s UK
We are supporting PD UK with a financial donation and we have Prof David Burn at the Society to give a lecture on Recent Advances in Parkinson’s Disease. We are also supporting PD UK with organising a seminar event at the Society in 2025 and will be supporting the formation of a PD support group at the Society.
International Charity 2024
MSF
An international, independent medical humanitarian organisation
“Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) translates to Doctors without Borders. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff – bound together by our charter. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.
MSF was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, we are a worldwide movement of over 69,000 people.”
We are supporting though a financial donation
