Meet our Trust Charity Teams

#HelloHumber

This International Day of Charity, we thought it would be great to introduce you to some of the members of our Trust Charity Teams.

Our Trust Charity, Health Stars, work in collaboration with the local Hey Smile Foundation. You can find out all about what each of these teams do on their websites, but we like to say that they ‘add that extra sparkle’ to our NHS services, as they allow us to go above and beyond for our staff and patients.

 

Kristina Poxon, Fundraising Manager for Health Stars

What does your daily work look like?

My role is to work with patients and staff to identify the enhancements that go over and above what the core NHS can provide within our Trust services. I then work behind the scenes to turn these wishes into a reality to be able to ‘add sparkle’ to the services and the patents care journey.

 

What is your favourite part about your role?

My favourite part of my role is building strong relationships with both patients and staff and being able to see first-hand the difference that we can make as a charity.

 

What inspired you to work in the charity sector?

I wanted to be able to make a difference!

 

What is one thing you have learned this year in your job role?    

Every day is a learning day, and no day is the same.

I became a Domestic Abuse Champion for the Trust and was able to diversify my own life experiences alongside my role with Health Stars, I learnt so much through this opportunity and feel I have been able to develop as an individual through its learnings.

 

What would you say to anyone aspiring to work in the charity sector?

Charity work is extremely rewarding!

Your colleagues are equally passionate about making a difference and together you can achieve great things that have lasting effects on people’s lives and experiences. No day is the same, and there are so many opportunities to grow as an individual and within your role.

 

Andrew Barber, HEY Smile Foundation CEO

What does your daily work look like?

At Health Stars, my role is to provide strategic direction for the Trust on all things Charity. And supporting the investment into the Trust from private donors and funders.

 

What is your favourite part about your role?

I love helping to connect the dots, people who wish to make a difference and those which need an enhanced service within our NHS. 

People love the NHS but it cannot always afford to invest in new equipment, buildings and innovative posts.

 

What inspired you to work in the charity sector?

I wanted to work in a role which invested in changing people’s lives for the better. Not just the patients but also NHS employees who strive to provide the best possible service every day for people in need.

 

What is one thing you have learned this year in your job role?

You cannot do anything without looking after yourself first. In the last year we all worked tirelessly to support frontline services and our communities, and at times forgetting about our own basic needs and our own families. 

 

What would you say to anyone aspiring to follow a similar career path?

A great network of contacts is vital across all sectors, spend time listening to everyone in the organisation and understand motivations from the bottom up. As being able to motivate people, not just yourself, every day is the key to success.

 

Victoria Winterton, Head of Smile Health and Lead for Health Stars

What does your daily work look like?

My day to day involves working with exceptional people to make a difference to the lives of our patients and staff. 

 

What is your favourite part about your role?

My favourite part of my role is seeing the people I work with grow and develop, they push themselves to achieve more every day and it inspires me so much. 

 

What inspired you to work in the charity sector?

Our world is growing, changing and improving all the time and I knew I wanted to be a part of that and make a difference, I wasn't sure how I would do that and to be honest I fell into the charity sector but it's been the perfect fit. 

 

What is one thing you have learned this year in your job role?    

How resilient and up for change we all are. We've adapted as a result of the pandemic in ways I would not have thought possible previously and it's been a fantastic achievement. 

 

What would you say to anyone aspiring to work in the charity sector?

If you want to finish work each day knowing you've made a difference, this is the path for you. Always ask the question, challenge the status quo and think big. 

 

Bibhash Dash, BAME Wellbeing Coordinator for Hey Smile Foundation

What does your daily work look like?

My role is to coordinate our Dost project which is a Befriending, Wellbeing, and Signposting service for our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities in the East Riding, Hull, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire areas.

We receive and respond to referrals from communities and external organisations and work to reduce the health and wellbeing inequalities that have exacerbated the impact of Covid-19 on our BAME population.

 

What is your favourite part about your role?

Seeing an outcome emerge out of a seemingly hopeless situation. Some of our most vulnerable communities have little to no access or information about healthcare and wellbeing services so to achieve even the smallest of outcomes sometimes puts a massive smile on their faces and that's worth its weight in gold!

 

What inspired you to work in the charity sector?

My parents. As doctors in India, they inspired me with the charitable work they did to help the most vulnerable. I wanted to follow in their footsteps and use my knowledge and skills to make an impact and hopefully inspire my own kids.

What is one thing you have learned this year in your job role?    

Keep an open mind.

 

What would you say to anyone aspiring to work in the charity sector?

This isn't a typical 9-5 job, so most days you must be prepared to go out of your comfort zone. The job satisfaction is second to none that I've ever experienced and that makes it all worthwhile.

 

Jude Wakefield, Whitby Hospital Appeal Co-Ordinator for Health Stars

What does your daily work look like?

The purpose of my job is to support our Fundraising Manager in raising funds to provide enhancements, that that go over and above what the core NHS budget can provide, for the newly refurbished Whitby Hospital. This can be through arranging fundraising events, supporting others wishing to arrange fundraising events or submitting grant applications.  

 

What is your favourite part about your role?

The favourite part of my job is seeing successful fundraising events come to fruition and the financial impact of the funds raised. 

 

What inspired you to work in the charity sector?

My inspiration came from supporting Whitby Hospital as I am part of the local community and wanted to make a difference.

 

What is one thing you have learned this year in your job role?    

Fundraising is difficult, especially during a pandemic!

 

What would you say to anyone aspiring to work in the charity sector?

Make sure the charity you choose to work for is one you truly believe in. It would be easy to become disillusioned if you were not passionate about the cause.