Sober For January for Wythenshawe Hospital

A few weeks ago I posted a blog stating that I was planning to go Sober for January in order to raise money for charity.

I’m happy to say that I have now chosen my charity and am currently in the process of beginning to collect donations.

I have set up a just giving page which can be accessed here and I guess all that's left to tell you is why I'm doing this and who I am doing this for...

Why am I doing this?
As I mentioned previously, I’ve always wanted to do something for charity. Although not drinking alcohol may seem like a bit of a ‘cop out’ to some people, for me it presents a great challenge, and I think if you’re raising money for charity you need to do something that will require determination and perseverance, and above all will be as hard as hell!

31 days – plus new years’ eve – sober will definitely be a challenge for me. I’m just a typical student who likes to go out a lot, and therefore there will be pressures during this month that I will definitely not succumb to! I also go to watch Birmingham City every weekend – and trust me, you need alcohol in your system to witness that.

But back to the serious stuff...

Who am I doing this for?
I’ve not really spoken about this much and only my family and people close to me know about this. However earlier this year, my grandad was diagnosed with lung cancer.

It has been a very worrying time for the whole family, as he had to have a major operation to remove a third of his lung. Thankfully, he is now on the mend and this is where my chosen charity comes in…

My Chosen Charity
My family and I have decided that all of my donations will go to the Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester.

The hospital provided my grandad fantastic treatment, support and care in the time he had to spend there throughout his operation and I really want to give something back to them to show our appreciation.

At a time when hospitals and its staff are getting criticised and scrutinised at every opportunity, I for one want to showcase a brilliant hospital and raise as much money as possible to help them continue their fantastic work.

What will your donations do?
Wythenshawe hospital prides itself on its brilliant research programmes which your money will help towards. Their research programmes focus on cancer and lung disease as well as cardiovascular, wound management and medical education.

The money will also contribute to improving services provided by the hospital, and also with additional equipment to enhance patient care.

Final Words
I just want to say thank you in advance for your donations. Like I say, no matter how big or how small your donation is, I just want you to know that both me and my family appreciate it and I’m sure the hospital will too.

Whether I raise five or five hundred pounds, I know this money will make a difference to the lives of people just like my grandad and that's the reason I'm doing this.

I also want to say a big thank you to everyone at Wythenshawe hospital for their fantastic treatment and care.

Please give as much or as little as you can, and if you can please post, tweet, facebook etc. this blog or my Just Giving page that would be great.

You can donate here http://www.justgiving.com/natalie-whitehouse or alternatively just give it me in person. Thank you so very much, you're all brilliant.


If you want to know more about the hospital: http://www.nhs.uk/Services/hospitals/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=RM202

If you want to know more about the trust and where your donations will go: http://www.uhsm.nhs.uk/AboutUs/Pages/AboutUs.aspx