Donate to Gloucestershire Hospitals

For many people in Gloucestershire, hospital care is no longer close to home. The hospitals at Lydney and the Dilke have closed, so residents and visitors now rely more on Gloucester Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital for treatment, tests and urgent care. People feel that change every day. Trips take longer. Families face more pressure and communities across the county need better support. Local News often highlights these challenges and the community’s response.
That is clear at first hand. As a voluntary driver for Lydcare Community Transport, people are taken to these hospitals. Some are older. Others feel anxious and some do not have family nearby when they need it. Many depend on local transport services to get to appointments. Local News, Local Events, Transport Services, Eating Out near hospital visits and support from Local Business all link to one thing: helping people when care is needed.
This guide explains why donations matter, where help is needed, how the wider local community can support and the ways residents and visitors can take action now.

Why donations matter more than ever in Gloucestershire

When local hospital options get fewer, the main hospitals carry even more. Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital are now central to care for many people across the Forest of Dean and beyond. That means more patients, more families coming through, and more pressure on space, comfort, and support that sits outside core NHS funding.
The latest figures make that clear. Gloucestershire Hospitals Charity reported £1.94 million in total income and £2.458 million in total expenditure. In that same period, donations raised reached £1.082 million, up from £639,000 the year before. That’s a big rise. Gifts in wills also climbed strongly to £766,000.
The numbers show something simple. People care, and they’re giving. The need, though, is still high. Donations help improve hospital life for local patients by making the environment better, funding extra comfort, and supporting projects that make hard days feel a little easier.
How travel, time, and stress shape the patient journey
For people in the Forest of Dean, getting to hospital is not always simple. It can mean a long drive, the stress of finding parking, paying for fuel, and trying to fit around appointment times that can change at short notice. It’s not easy. Some people find the trip especially hard because of age, illness, or disability. Others do not have a car at all. In those moments, Transport Services become a key part of getting care.
As a volunteer driver, transport feels like more than going from one place to another. It’s about dignity, calm, and helping someone reach treatment when they have no other way to travel. A hospital trip can easily take half a day, sometimes more, and families are left trying to juggle work, school runs, and caring duties all at once.
Here’s a simple look at the local pressure points many people face:
That bigger picture matters when we share Local News with our community. Hospital support goes beyond wards and equipment. It also includes the reality around care, with all the time, pressure, and planning that can come with it. Donations can help make the patient experience easier, and community transport, along with local kindness, can relieve some of that strain.

Local News and local events can make a real difference

One of the strongest ways to support county hospitals is through Local Events. It works best when fundraising feels local, friendly and easy to join. A coffee morning, village sale, sponsored walk, garden open day, school fair, pub quiz or charity run can all help. Simple stuff. These events do more than raise money because they bring people together and remind everyone that hospital care touches nearly every family at some point.

Ways residents and visitors can donate or help today

On the advice of the hospital charity trust I started a justiving page. You can make a donation as small as £3.00

My page is here https://www.justgiving.com/page/edward-eldridge-1 so please do donate what ever you can

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Support needs to stay visible, simple and local. People give when they understand the need and feel connected to the cause.
Put local support into action now
The need to donate to Gloucestershire hospitals is clear. Since Lydney and the Dilke closed, people across the area now rely on Gloucester Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital for care. That means longer trips, more pressure on families, and a bigger need for patient support across the county. It’s real. Voluntary driving work shows that clearly, and that is one reason it matters so much.
Local giving has already shown real results. Donations have grown strongly, gifts in wills are rising, and Local Events keep bringing people together in ways that turn support into something practical and visible. It all counts. Transport Services help patients get to care. Eating Out businesses, along with other Local Business owners, also have a part to play in building practical support around hospital life.
If you’ve been thinking about giving, please do it now. Even a small amount helps. If donating today isn’t possible, share the message, support a fundraiser, or ask a local business to get involved. Small actions still matter. Every act of support adds up, and in a county where so many people now depend on these two main hospitals, that help can make a real difference for local patients and their families.