It was revealed at a Southern HSC Trust board meeting held on Tuesday (August 27) that the statutory body has received increased donations from the general public, while investment is also on the increase.
Trust deputy chief executive and director of Finance, Procurement & Estates, Catherine Teggart told fellow board members at the meeting: “We had an increase in our donations by £52,000 to £314,000 at the end of the 2023/24 year.
“And we also had an increase in our investment of £25,000, which [is part of an] overall increase of roughly about £71,000/£72,000, so that income there was an increase, which was good.
“It was great to see increased donations in comparison to the previous financial year.”
The deputy chief executive also revealed that the Southern Trust had spent £781,000 on charitable activities in the corresponding period.
Chair of committee, Geraldine Donaghy welcomed the announcement: “The previous year, we were concerned about the downfall in investment, and this year, it increased by £352,000, which was very good.”
Trust chief executive, Dr Maria O’Kane was anxious to convey her appreciation to all concerned: “Can I just take this opportunity to thank the public for their generosity, because this is what keeps us alive, and it’s a really important source of income for us in terms of supporting staff to look after patients, and also to provide comfort aspects of patient care.
“So it’s just to note our thanks as a team for the donations, it’s really highly appreciated.”