Milestones, marathons and a million-pound pledge – looking back on 2024
19th December, 2024
It’s been an exciting year! Here’s a roundup of some of our achievements over the past twelve months.
This time last December, we were reflecting on our busy 60th anniversary year, celebrating supporting patients and staff at Moorfields since 1963. While 2024 didn’t contain any big anniversaries, it’s still been a year full of growth and achievement for Friends of Moorfields.
Early this year we passed an exciting milestone – we now have over 300 volunteers! All of them have been busy throughout 2024, supporting patients and staff at Moorfields, whether it was by assisting at events, helping to survey patients, or being recognised for their hard work. Our volunteer service was even featured in leading ophthalmology magazine Eye News.
We’re constantly working to ensure that the volunteer service is evolving with the needs of the Trust and helping provide the best possible support to patients – this year our handholding service expanded to even more sites to serve more patients.
Even when it’s business as usual, our volunteers don’t stop. Find out more about how Krystyna connected with patients, Basil gave back, Feeza learned more about a career in medicine, and Eve did everything from making reminder phone calls to baking delicious treats!
Our volunteer service is our flagship project, but there were plenty of other things happening this year too. Former patient Felix ran a marathon to fundraise for us, thanks to play team member Gemma we were able to provide new accessible tablets to help entertain and support young patients, the staff and volunteers at our Health Information Hub supported thousands of patients, we funded a memorial bench for a beloved Moorfields colleague, and we donated £1 million towards a new centre for advancing eye health, opening in 2027.
“2024 has been another extraordinary year for the Friends of Moorfields, which in itself is a tremendous achievement,” says Chair of Trustees Tim Hutchings. “Our volunteers, supported by an outstanding professional team, continue to deliver their services with a high degree of competence. They have done so with a tremendous warmth and a wonderful generosity of spirit. Like my fellow trustees I am incredibly proud to be associated with them. They are truly inspiring people, thank you one and all.”