Press release – June 7 2018

2018/039

First year Junior doctors training at Hereford County Hospital are looking beyond themselves to say “thank you” for the support and training they are receiving.

Their initiative, called “Beyond Me,” seeks to raise awareness of the hospital’s charities and to bring members of staff at the hospital together to raise money for a common goal.

This is the first year of their “legacy project” – which will see first year Doctors in training take time out from their studies on an annual basis – and will set a pattern for future intakes of Junior Doctors.

“We’re hoping that our ‘Beyond Me’ motto will resonate through the hearts of all those who hear of our initiative,” said Foundation Year 1 Junior Doctor Yvonne Nsiah, who is one of the group members launching the project.

“It’s a way of showing that we are grateful for the time we have spent here, that we appreciate all that our senior staff members have taught us, and that we hope to incorporate the Beyond Me culture in our practice so that we become and remain a good reflection of Hereford County Hospital,” added Yvonne, who has teamed up with fellow Junior Doctors Manu Nair and Tavlene Banwaith to launch the project.

With the project now launched, they can reveal that they have chosen St Augustine’s Hospital, in the Muheza District of Tanzania, to raise money for this year.

They are calling on colleagues, and friends and even patients, to join them as they take part in the Furlong Fury, a gruelling obstacle race due to take place at Hereford leisure centre on Sunday, June 24.

The event is a 5k challenge which takes participants over (or under) more than 20 obstacles – from cargo net crawls to mud baths.

“It’s going to be tough, but it will be so worthwhile. The Hereford-Muheza Link society has been in existence for 33 years and has provided so much for its community through the proceeds raised in previous years for projects run by the hospital,” said Yvonne.

This has included outreach from the hospital to train medical staff all round the world, including a number of staff members from the hospital in Muheza who have gained valuable learning experiences having spent time at Hereford County Hospital.

The team of trainee Doctors has been registered as The Legacy Project: St Augustine’s Hospital, Tanzania. Anyone can join the team for the Adult Fun Wave which starts at 11am on the day of the event.

They have set up a GoFundMe account - search for “Muheza”. To find the team. More details about St Augustine’s Hospital can be found by visiting www.teule.or.tz/.

“We’d really love local people to get behind us. You can either sponsor us or join our team – you can find out more details about the event by visiting www.furlongfury.co.uk”

Ends

Pic caption:

The team of Junior Doctors at Hereford County Hospital limbering up for their “Beyond Me” challenge to raise funds for St Augustine’s Hospital in Muheza, Tanzania.

Note to Editors:

Wye Valley NHS Trust is a provider health services across Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust exists to improve the wellbeing, independence and health of the people we serve. We are the leading provider of health care in Herefordshire.

By working closely with our partners, we can make good our promise to deliver a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our families and our friends.

With an estimated annual turnover of around £180 million, we employ around 2,700 plus staff. We aim to build new relationships between our staff, patients, service users and their carers with the wider community.

For further information please contact:

Wye valley NHS Trust communications team 01432 372928 or 01432 355444 x5105.