University Hospitals Birmingham Charity

University Hospitals Birmingham Charity is the official charity supporting University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, serving as the umbrella for Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, Heartlands Hospital Charity, Good Hope Hospital Charity, and Solihull Hospital Charity. It also operates Fisher House for military patients. Established to provide enhancements beyond NHS statutory funding, its mission centers on improving patient, family, and staff experiences through compassion, excellence, and innovation, with guiding principles of well-being, dignity, and transformative impact. Distinctively, it responds rapidly to emergent needs, as seen in its COVID-19 support for staff mental health via rest spaces and counseling.

The charity funds a broad range of hospital-led initiatives, prioritizing critical care, health inequalities, research in cancer, neurology, transplantation, and rare diseases; state-of-the-art equipment like CyberKnife; ward refurbishments, peaceful gardens, mental health spaces, and anxiety-reducing activities for children and adults. Beneficiaries include premature babies, military families, older adults, and staff, with notable projects like renal/transplant research, specialist diagnostic centers in deprived areas, and rehabilitation for community integration.

Eligibility is strictly limited to staff from the four specified hospitals in Birmingham and the West Midlands; external charities or organizations are ineligible unless partnering directly through Trust staff. No income thresholds apply. Applications require initial phone contact with the Grants Team, followed by a form submission ahead of quarterly board meetings (deadlines: 25 April, 25 August, 31 November 2025; decisions within two months). Grants range from a few hundred pounds for small projects to over £50,000 for major capital, equipment, or research efforts.

It excludes core costs, unrestricted external funding, and projects outside these hospitals. Uniquely integrated with iconic facilities like the UK's principal trauma center and military hub, it champions donor-led, flexible impact while sustaining NHS excellence.