Friends of St Mark’s

Who are the Friends?

The Friends of St Mark’s Hospital are those who wish to support the work of this internationally famous specialist hospital. The Friends make a voluntary contribution in a variety of ways, with particular emphasis on the welfare of patients. They get involved mainly by promoting social activities and raising funds, which are used to improve the comfort and well-being of St Mark’s patients.

Friends serving on the Committee are elected as Trustees of the Charity by membership. The Committee meets monthly to conduct business of the Friends, consider requests, and organise future activities.

There is an Annual General Meeting, which all members are invited to, held in late June.

The Friends also produce a Newsletter for its member twice a year, providing news of the Hospital and of the Friends, and including information on past and future events.

What do the Friends do?

Since St Mark’s moved to Northwick Park in 1995, the Friends have:

  • Established a garden at the front entrance as a retreat for patients and staff; ensuring the garden is properly maintained throughout the year.
  • Set up the St Mark’s tea bar, which is run by a team of volunteers, and serves sandwiches, baked potatoes, pasta dishes, hot drinks and snacks (and much more!) daily.
  • Finance the art work display throughout the hospital; loaned works are changed every six months, and some pictures have been bought by St Mark’s Hospital.

The Friends also financed the refurbishment of the patient’s day room on Frederick Salmon Ward, and profits from the tea bar equipped the patients’ Laundry Room on the ward.

Ways of becoming a Friend

The Friends’ annual subscription is a minimum of £5, but they are of course pleased to receive donations of any amount. The subscription falls on April 5th, and if you join after January 1st you will remain a member until April 5th the following year.

If you pay by standing order, your subscription will automatically be collected annually when the order was set up. If you are a taxpayer, giving by covenant is the most tax-efficient way of supporting the Friends of St Mark’s. When you take out a covenant, you make a written promise to donate regularly for at least four years, usually on a monthly or annual basis. Setting up a standing order is the easiest, most convenient way to pay. Under this agreement the Friends of St Mark’s, as a registered charity, is eligible to reclaim the tax which you have already paid on the money you give. This means that the value of your donation is increased by nearly a third at no extra cost to you.

If you would like to find out more about the Friends of St Mark’s, please contact Helen Shorter (Secretary) on friendsofsm@nhs.net.

The Friends of St Mark’s is a Registered Charity No. 258233.