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Royal Papworth Charity, now based in Cambridge, supports the world-renowned Royal Papworth Hospital and marked its 30th anniversary with a celebration at the hospital on July 15.
The event took place in the hospital’s atrium and included a cake-cutting ceremony with staff and a former heart transplant patient in attendance.
Dr Jag Ahluwalia, chair of trustees at Royal Papworth Charity, said: “The need for charitable support in healthcare is as important now as it was 30 years ago and I am confident that our brilliant charity will continue to help by funding projects that go above and beyond what the NHS can provide now and in the future.
“My grateful and heartfelt thanks to everyone who supports the charity.”
Over the past three decades, the charity has funded projects including research into heart transplant techniques, counselling for critical care staff, advanced medical equipment, and support for transplant patients to attend the British Transplant Games.
One of the most significant projects has been funding research into donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplantation.
This technique allows hearts to be donated after the donor’s heart has stopped, increasing the number of organs available for transplant.
In the UK, up to 350 patients are on the waiting list for a heart transplant at any given time, but only around 200 hearts are available each year.
Darren Utting, 55, from Wymondham in Norfolk, received a DCD heart transplant in 2024.
Nine months after surgery, he completed the Run Norwich 10k and raised more than £1,700 for Royal Papworth Charity.
Mr Utting said: “Next month, I have the biggest honour of walking my daughter Fran down the aisle when she marries her fiancée, Harry.
“I thank my incredible donor for wanting to donate their organ(s) and their family in their moment of grief for honouring those wishes.
“They have changed not just my life, but they have given Fran the opportunity to have her dad walk her down the aisle.
“That is a life memory that I may never have got to see.”
The charity also helps transplant patients participate in the annual British Transplant Games.
Last year, Team Royal Papworth won 49 medals and retained the title of ‘best heart and lung hospital team’.
Ann Thompson, British Transplant Games team manager, said: “It’s about personal achievements and shared experiences with other transplant recipients.
“It’s about remembering their donors and acknowledging the care provided by staff at Royal Papworth Hospital and the support of their loved ones.
“For some, taking part has helped them realise how much is achievable thanks to this life-changing transplant.
“Just a few years ago, many could not walk 100m, let alone run 400m or 800m, cycle 10k or play pétanque, table tennis or more.”
Looking ahead, the charity will continue to support the Clinical Research Facility at the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute.
Located next to Royal Papworth Hospital, the centre is Europe’s largest hub for research, education, and clinical care.
Krystyna Grant, managing director of Royal Papworth Charity, said: “We could not celebrate our 30th year without saying a special thank you to Royal Papworth staff.
“Every day our supporters tell us about the excellent care and treatment they have received.”
The charity has contributed £1 million to the research facility, which has launched around 40 studies since opening two years ago.
To mark its 30th year, the charity plans a programme of events and fundraising challenges.
This will include inviting supporters and regular donors to take part in special activities such as the Ely Cathedral carol service and a 30th fundraising challenge.
About the Royal Papworth Hospital Charity
- Royal Papworth Hospital Charity exists to support the ground-breaking work of Royal Papworth Hospital.
- The charity plays a vital role in ensuring the hospital continues to provide the highest standards of care, whilst also driving forward new ways of treating heart and lung disease.
- Heart and lung diseases remain two of the biggest killers in the UK and it is estimated that 3.5 million men and 3.5 million women in the UK are currently living with cardiovascular disease.
- Pioneering medicine and innovative surgical advances supported by Royal Papworth Charity have not only transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients but also helped shape cardiothoracic medicine internationally. This has been made possible through the generous funding of our supporters.
About Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Papworth Hospital is the UK’s leading heart and lung transplant hospital, treating more than 50,000 patients each year.
- It is based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus where it has been located since May 2019 in a new state-of-the-art building, which was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
- Since performing the UK’s first successful heart transplant in 1979, Royal Papworth Hospital has continued to be a world leader in heart and lung transplantation. It is the biggest adult cardiothoracic transplant centre in the UK and leads the world in the pioneering field of DCD heart transplantation.
- The Trust is currently rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Quality Care Commission (CQC) from an inspection carried out in 2019. In doing so it became the first hospital Trust in the country to receive the top rating of ‘outstanding’ in each of the five main domains that the CQC assesses.
- Royal Papworth Hospital has been named as one of the top NHS Trusts in the country for inpatient care, according to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inpatient Survey 2024
- For more information, please visit www.royalpapworth.nhs.uk.
