People across the UK are being invited to celebrate 75 years of the NHS this summer – and raise funds for NHS charities by hosting their own NHS Big Tea party.

Whether you get together at home, in the office, at your community centre or even in your school, you can celebrate on the 75th birthday of the NHS – Wednesday 5 July – or any day that week.

Thousands of NHS Big Tea parties are expected to take place across the country, with gallons of tea expected to flow, miles of bunting to fly and cakes galore (eaten in moderation, of course!).

There are so many ways to raise money whilst getting together with friends; collect donations in return for tea, cake and good company, run a baking competition, play a game of guess the number of tea bags in the jar, or you could even get creative and host a quiz. The possibili-teas are endless!

Hosting an NHS Big Tea is a great way to bring communities together around a shared love of the NHS whilst raising money to support NHS staff, volunteers and patients.

A key focus area for NHS charities is supporting NHS staff and volunteers – the beating heart of our health service who often put their patients need before their own. We all know the last few years have been particularly challenging, with NHS staff and volunteers responding to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

With your support, NHS charities can help provide additional support to staff and volunteers, such as dedicated gardens and wellbeing spaces at Southport Hospital to take a break during busy shifts, or helping staff to better support one another through access to peer-to-peer training.

Every penny raised for Southport and Ormskirk Charity will help contribute to key projects supporting local health services in the area including equipment for patients of all ages from new born babies and their parents to the elderly and frail and their carers.

Vicky Heaven, from the Fundraising team at Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals Charity, said: “This year on the 75th anniversary of the NHS, we want to make the NHS Big Tea bigger and better than ever.

“The charity has helped hundreds of patients and their families in the past year in a wide range of areas from developing better facilities for patients with dementia to providing beds for carers and parents to stay closer to their loved ones, we look to help as many people as possible across our sites and all donations, no matter how small, make a big difference.’’

So, grab your teapot, pop the kettle on and let’s get brewing.

If you would like to raise money for Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust then contact Vicky Heaven on 01704 704714.

You can also register your interest in staging an event at: www.nhsbigtea.co.uk