About Us
The Friends of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital is a voluntary organisation and registered charity (UK Charity Number 1016883) which supports the work of the hospital for the benefit of patients, their families and staff.
What we do
The Friends works closely with the hospital to supplement and enhance the services provided to patients by the hospital and its own volunteer department.
Our services include the Friends Library and Library Trolley, Shop Trolley, Staff Lunch Trolley, and Friends Shop. We run fundraising Book and Bric à Brac sales, a Grants Scheme for hospital staff, and a Hair Salon which is open to staff, patients and the public. We also licence small commercial traders to operate in the hospital. More information on all of these can be found via the website’s main menu.
From 2018-21 the focus of our fundraising was on creating special ‘Butterfly Rooms’ for patients at Chelsea & Westminster and West Middlesex Hospitals who need end-of-life care. You can learn more about this important project here. In 2022-23 our fundraising focus was the hospital’s ‘Best For You’ child and adolescent mental health project, which you can read about here.
For our latest annual report and accounts click here: Friends of Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Annual Report and Accounts 2023.
Who We Are
Friends Staff
Lucy Doig (Charity Manager)
Richard Rooney (Library Services Coordinator)
Management Committee
Mrs Hilary O’Neill (Chair)
Ms Virginia Morck (Vice Chair)
Ms Sara Munds (Co-Vice Chair)
Mr Andrew Goodwin (Treasurer)
Mr Tom Brown
Ms Isabel Davies
Lt Col Charles Dawnay
Mrs Pippa Diggle
Ms Beata Kivinen
Mr Nigel Massey
Ms Elaine Pinkster
Ms Becky Riffel
Mrs Rita Spackman
Honorary Vice Presidents
The Dean of Westminster
The Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Lord Mayor of Westminster
Lady Victoria Borwick
Lady Barbara Bossom
Mrs Pippa Diggle
Our History
The hospital opened in 1993 on the former site of St Stephen’s Hospital. Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust serves not only its local community but also patients from a wider area who are attracted by its reputation as a centre of specialist expertise in areas including children’s services, maternity, burns and HIV.
The Friends formed when the hospital opened, and was supported entirely by voluntary contributions from the public.
Almost 30 years on, the charity continues to provide care, comfort and support to patients of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital through its services, and generally to support the hospital’s charitable work.
