Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity

Meet Jacob, the teacher who put down his whiteboard pen and put on his bike helmet. 💙 When one of his students became a patient at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Jacob was inspired to do something incredible for GOSH Charity. Setting off last year from Great Ormond Street, he cycled over 17,000 miles around the world passing through countries including Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Australia and Canada, all to fundraise for our work. Last week, Jacob finished his year-long journey right back where he started, and so far, has raised over £6,000 for GOSH Charity. “GOSH is an amazing place that does so much for many children and their families, and it was an honour to raise money for such a great cause.” He says. Please join us in thanking Jacob for his incredible effort, he’s definitely due a well earned break. [Image descriptions: 1 Jacob wearing a blue GOSH t shirt standing next to his bike, in front of the Great Ormond Street road sign. 2 Jacob standing in front of a sign saying "90 mile straight, Australia's longest straight road 146.6km" 3 Jacob standing with his bike in front of a large map of Australia.]

Happy birthday to the Play team at Great Ormond Street Hospital! 🎉 Every year, we host a little thank you party for the incredible team who work hard to make things a lot more fun for the patients at GOSH. From messy masterpieces of art to play-dough-squishing, the 60 Play Specialists and Play Workers go above and beyond to support over 25,000 patients and their families each year. They’re a vital part of what makes GOSH so special, and we’re so proud to be able to fund the important work they do. Please join us in wishing them a happy birthday and thanking them for all their work! [Image description: Group photo of the Play Team smiling in the GOSH Charity office.]

“It was comforting to know that he was being treated at GOSH, one of the best children's hospitals in the world.” Julia, Phoenix’s mum. Meet Phoenix, a friendly and smiley little boy who loves nothing more than driving monster trucks with his big brothers. Not long after his first birthday, Phoenix was diagnosed with a brain tumour by the team at Great Ormond Street Hospital. He’ll need at least two years of treatment, and while it’s a tough road ahead he’s taken to it well and is already showing signs of improvement. “It’s been a very difficult time in our lives, but we are so grateful to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at GOSH.” Julia says. To give back to those wonderful staff, Julia put together a team to take part in last week’s Great GOSH Row and raise money to support our work. Not only did Julia’s team achieve the incredible accomplishment of rowing 16 miles along the Thames, but they actually won the entire race! Please join us in congratulating Julia and her teammates for their win, and in sending Phoenix our support as he continues his treatment. [Image descriptions: 1 Phoenix smiling with a biscuit in his hospital gown. 2 Julia's team in their boat on the Thames. 3 Julia and Phoenix smiling on their staircase.]

“We dreamed of the day Harry would ring the bell, and when that day finally came, we were overwhelmed with emotion.” Lyndsay, Harry’s mum. This Sarcoma Awareness month, we’re delighted to say that together with Bone Cancer Research Trust and CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association we’ve committed £800,000 to research into Ewing Sarcoma so more kids like Harry can get back to doing what they love. Harry was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, at just six years old. He needed eight months of treatment, including chemotherapy. But in January of last year, he got to ring the end of treatment bell surrounded by his family. Now he’s back at school and doing what he loves more than anything – playing football with his mates. In fact, Harry’s team recently finished runners up in a local tournament. “We are very proud parents watching him do what he loves best and seeing how strong he is now.” [Video description: 1 Harry ringing the End of Treatment Bell at GOSH.]

“The chaplaincy team would visit Jemimah-Rose, see how she was doing, and say a little prayer for her.” Montelle, Jemimah-Rose’s mum. 💙 You might recognise Jemimah-Rose and her family from earlier this year. Born with an underdeveloped heart, Jemimah-Rose was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital immediately after birth for surgery. Her family thought they’d have to miss out on holding a traditional Nigerian naming ceremony in the hospital, but the charity-funded Chaplaincy team pulled out all the stops to give them a day they’d never forget. With help from nurses, Jemimah-Rose was wheeled to the chapel with all her equipment for a beautiful ceremony, surrounded by her parents, grandparents and pastor. “They went the extra mile and it made her transition as a child very similar to everyone else.” We're delighted to say Jemimah-Rose is now home and making plenty more memories. [Image descriptions: 1 Jemimah-Rose wrapped in a white and pink blanket lying in a hospital bed. 2 Jemimah-Rose in her hospital bed inbetween her mum Montelle and dad Samuel in the GOSH chapel.]

What an unforgettable weekend! Big thanks to Formula 1 and all the teams for giving GOSH patients and their families an amazing experience at the British Grand Prix. From exploring the Paddock to meeting racing legends and celeb stars, it was non-stop fun from start to finish. A special shout out to the F1 teams who welcomed us into their garages and a big thank you to @Silverstone, GL events and The Technical Department for making this possible. [Image descriptions: 1 GOSH patient with Lewis Hamilton. 2 GOSH patient with George Russell. 3 GOSH patient and their family with Charles Leclerc 4 GOSH patient with Keanu Reeves. 5 GOSH patient wearing headphones standing in front of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team logo, holding a racing steering wheel.]

Drum roll please… 🥁 We’re thrilled to announce that GOSH Charity has won not just one, but two, incredible awards. Not only were we named Fundraising Charity of the Year at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising but we’re proud to have been awarded In-House PR Team of the Year at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards too! This incredible recognition reflects the phenomenal level of teamwork, ambition and collaboration at GOSH Charity which sees our teams deliver results and impact that make a difference to patients and their families at GOSH. Well done to all our colleagues whose hard work has been recognised. [Image descriptions: 1 GOSH Charity staff at the National Fundraising Awards. 2 GOSH Charity staff posing with their award at the CIPR Excellence Awards.]

This weekend, we were delighted to be a part of the Pride in London Parade. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our LGBTQIAplus colleagues and show our support for the community. To everyone who waved, cheered, and danced with us, thanks for making it such a special day! 🏳️🌈💙

At Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, we believe that all seriously ill children should be able to benefit from research, including those with the most rare and difficult to treat conditions. That’s why we welcome today’s report published by LifeArc and Genetic Alliance UK that outlines how we, as a nation, can #ChangeTheRareFuture for those living with rare conditions. Here, Aoife Regan, our Director of Impact and Charitable Programmes explains why we joined the Rare Disease Taskforce that helped deliver this report, and our excitement for change.

Move over Club World Cup. This year’s Goals 4 GOSH football match saw former professional footballers, including Eden Hazard and Lianne Sanderson, take to the pitch alongside celebrities like Danny Aarons, for a game of real drama. Now in its fifth year, the event raised an incredible £51,000. That brings the total raised since 2021 to over a staggering £212,000. Thank you to everyone who laced up their boots to take part and to everyone who came to watch. And as always, we’re so grateful to Jamie and Charlotte and the team at Goals 4 GOSH for making it all happen. [Image descriptions: All five photos are from the Goals 4 GOSH football match. They all feature football players wearing either blue or yellow football shirts.]