How your money has been spent
Charitable Trust Funds are used to deliver a wide range of activities to provide comforts and benefits to the users of our services and would not have been possible without the generosity of the donors to the Charitable Trust Funds.
Examples of where donations were spent
2024-2025
Artwork at children’s ward and Acorn Centre
£4,557 was utilised from The Antrim Artscare Fund to transform the children’s ward and Acorn Centre with new artwork. The new artwork depicts a colourful jungle and woodland for imaginative minds and has created a more welcoming and friendly environment for children and their families.
Bereavement booklets
£1,890 was utilised from The Dixon CTF to print Regional Trust Bereavement Booklets for distribution by the District Nursing Team. The booklet provides a compassionate and sensitive resource to those who have lost loved ones and enables signposting to further services to aid them in bereavement.
Access to art to enhance health and wellbeing
£575 was utilised from the Dalriada OT fund for service users in Community Mental Health Team, Ballymoney to access art provided by Arts Care, who are advocates in making all forms of art accessible to service users in community. The power of arts will enhance the health and well-being of the service users who avail of this service.
Exercise and gym equipment for use by patients of the Macmillan Unit
£342 was utilised from the Trust Wide Palliative Care Fund to purchase exercise and gym equipment for use by patients of the Macmillan Unit. Exercise training through aerobic and resistance have been shown to be effective in managing the symptoms and improve quality of life of patients receiving palliative and end of life care. The purchase of this equipment has optimised the exercise interventions available to these patients.
Counselling for patients
£1,944 was utilised from the Antrim Chemotherapy Fund to pay Cancer Focus for Counselling Service. The demand for counsellor support has been rising and this service will ensure patients in the Northern Trust and their families receive timely support to help them adapt to the diagnosis of living with cancer.
Support for online broadcastting by Antrim Hospital radio
£965 was utilised from the Antrim Facilities Management Fund to support online broadcasting of Antrim Hospital Radio. Antrim Hospital Radio is now available as a free app via the App Store and Google Play, or online, making it accessible to everyone whether they are in the hospital or not, and wherever they are in the world.
Storytelling workshops for service users
£125 was utilised from the Trustwide General Fund to pay for Victoria McFarland t/a Tale Time Stories, who facilitated storytelling workshops in The Base, Newtownabbey. Through these workshops the service users had the opportunity to express themselves through creative activities which has greatly increased their confidence.
Sensory projector for Drumross Adult Centre
£5,895 was utilised from Magherafelt Adult Centre Fund to provide a Sensory Projector for Drumross Adult Centre. Creative Activity Group Ltd supplied and installed the projector which provides comfort to the service users in the adult centre through sensory integration into activities which facilitate and improve communication, encouraging movement and engagement.
Sydney Go Flat Critical Care chair
£7,670 was utilised from the Antrim ICU Adult Fund to procure a Sydney Go Flat Critical Care chair from Evolution Healthcare. The chair allows staff in ICU to move patients who may be too weak to stand from their bed. The chair will benefit critical care patients by aiding rehabilitation as quickly as possible.
Kiln for pottery workshop at Pavestone Centre
£3,825 was utilised from the Community Care Fund to purchase a new kiln from Ulster Ceramics Limited for the pottery workshop at Pavestone Centre, Mountfern complex. Service Users at the facility make pottery products and the new kiln has allowed them to glaze and fire with improved cost effectiveness. The activities with clay helps build confidence, promoting health and well-being for the service users. The new kiln has facilitated experimenting with the product development which has given service users an opportunity to enhance their skills.
Electrical stimulation machines for use by community stroke teams
£886 was utilised from the Community Rehab Stroke Fund to purchase two Functional Electrical Stimulation machines for use by the Community Stroke Teams within Northern Trust. The machines have been provided by SAEBO UK Limited and are used to treat stroke patients. Results have seen patients having increased motor function, reduced spasticity, and strengthening of weakened muscles.
‘Home from hospital’ boxes for patients
£144 was utilised from the Trustwide Palliative Care Fund to produce ‘Home from hospital’ boxes for patients who have been discharged from hospital. ‘Home from hospital’ boxes are for those who do not have anyone at home to help with shopping or meal preparation.
Monitoring and paging system
7,775 was utilised from the Causeway Elderly Care Nursing Fund to purchase a technologically assisted central monitoring and paging system to assist in the reduction of patient falls. Typically all Stroke patients are considered at risk of falls by virtue of their diagnosis. Falls are one of the most common secondary complications after stroke with patients experiencing longer stays in hospital, and more likely to experience functional decline. This investment allows staff to remotely monitor patients in a central location and enhanced patient experience has been noted
Laparoscopic simulators
£4,804 was utilised from the Causeway Hospital General Fund to purchase Laparoscopic Simulators from Inovus Ltd for the Surgical Team in Causeway Hospital. The expenditure has provided onsite gold standard training equipment, allowing surgical registrars to expedite and enhance their skills and knowledge base. The simulators allow the user to perform a full range of simulated surgical procedures, with performance data logged. The investment in this equipment has resulted in enhanced outcomes for patients who have undergone Laparoscopic procedures.
2023 – 2024
Maghera Day Centre CTF – £2,310
£2,310 was utilised from the Maghera Day Centre CTF to purchase a greenhouse for the service users at the day centre. This will enable service users to participate in horticulture activities. This helps improve their mental health and wellbeing through stimulation and also improve dexterity through planting and potting.
Causeway Maternity CTF – £2,520
£2,520 was utilised from the Causeway Maternity CTF to purchase a new born stimulator, Brayden baby CPR Manikin and a premature baby manikin stimulator. This equipment will be used to provide high quality simulation training for staff including the intubation of a 25 week old, training in the care and handling techniques for infants requiring multiple medical interventions and ventilation and chest compressions, which are key elements of infant CPR and which have far reaching consequences, beyond just survival, in the care of new-borns.
Holywell Nurse Education Development Centre – £2,086
£2,086 will be utilised from Holywell Nurse Education Development Centre for Decider Skills training and for the purchase of seven trainer manuals ‘The Decider Life Skills Manual UK’. Decider training has been approved by the British Psychological Society for clinical leads who work across inpatient mental health services. The training uses Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to teach the skills to recognise thoughts, feelings and behaviours, enabling service users to monitor and manage their own emotions and mental health more effectively.
Pavestone Centre General CTF – £380
£380 was utilised from the Pavestone Centre General CTF for a six-week beginner archery course for clients, facilitated by Awaken Potential. The course was for those who attend the leisure quest service in Pavestone, for leisure activities that benefit clients’ confidence, self-esteem, wellbeing and recovery.
Causeway Paediatric Diabetes CFT – £758
Causeway Paediatric Diabetes CFT utilised £758 for diabetes products for children including Hypo Wallets (glucose kits for managing low blood sugar levels on the go) and SPlbelts for carrying items in a comfortable and discreet way. These products are used for children to ensure their insulin pump device does not become disconnected or fall off, benefitting the child and family, reducing anxiety and concern. It increases their confidence in insulin pump treatment and ability to continue with this treatment.
Holywell Hospital General CTF – £2,935
£2,935 was utilised from the Holywell Hospital General CTF for professional weekly tuition of the Dr Thomas Brown ‘Reach of Stars Choir’ conducting and accompaniment at choir performances and provision of tracks and lyric sheets. The choir is made up of service users from Larne Adult Centre, Anchor House, Rhub, Drumross Adult Centre and Hawthorns Adult Centre. The initiative promotes health and wellbeing, encourages interaction and inclusion within the community and gives service users a huge sense of pride, self-confidence and achievement.
Causeway IDA Hamilton Bequest CTF – £1,555
£1,555 was utilised from the Causeway IDA Hamilton Bequest CTF for a recliner motor static seat chair for the Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ballymoney to improve the environment for patients who regularly come in for lengthy treatments in clinics.
Whiteabbey/Moyle Artscare Group CTF – £2,048
£2,048 will be utilised from the Whiteabbey/ Moyle Artscare Group CTF for art therapy workshops for clients over a period of eight months. This therapeutic activity enables service users to express themselves through art and helps relieve anxiety, promoting positive health and wellbeing.
Antrim Neonatal Unit CTF – £15,000
£15,000 was utilised from the Antrim Neonatal Unit CTF to provide additional services to premature infants and their parents. The Trust’s Neonatal Unit has a longstanding contract with Tinylife (a premature baby charity for Northern Ireland) to deliver support services to families with premature infants. Additional resources have been delivered through support groups, gym sessions, a baby massage course, a home-based growing child programme, breast pump loans, neonatal visits and one-to-one support sessions.
Dixon Trust Homefirst CTF – £6,440
£6,440 has been utilised from the Dixon Trust Homefirst CTF for the purchase of the Hello RITA (Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities) package in Lisgarel Residential Home in Larne. RITA is an interactive digital system that allows staff to engage and interact with people living with dementia. It uses interactive touch screens which allow individuals to relax with music, watch archive news footage and view old photographs, to help spark memories and start conversations with their loved ones and carers. The system is also capable of facilitating virtual visits which helps in offering a calming background when relatives leave the hospital.
Community CTF – £510
£510 has been utilised from the Community CTF for the delivery of fishing activity sessions at Moorbrook, for clients who attend Pavestone. The leisure activity helps clients to build their confidence and self-esteem, develops new interests and social interaction, and promotes health, wellbeing and recovery.
