Funds raised through the volunteer-run tea bar at Inverclyde Royal Hospital have resulted in over £100,000 being spent on projects around Inverclyde Royal Hospital in just one year.
An annual summary from Inverclyde League of Hospital Friends, which runs The Helen Wyllie Tea Bar at IRH, showed 26 wards and departments received a share of £101,218 between November 2024 and the same month in 2025.
The funding list included new laptops for the outpatient diabetes team, a standing frame to help stroke patients on their recovery journey, and training equipment for staff.
The largest single amount of funding was £32,000 for a sophisticated Surgical Nursing Anne Simulator for use in clinical training.
Inverclyde League of Hospital Friends Chairman, Peter Hempsey, said: “We help with funding of equipment and other aids which assists with patient care in the hospital wards and departments.
“The Surgical Nursing Anne Simulator has been of enormous benefit to the Surgical Specialist team because it allows staff across the hospital to train on site.
“But we couldn’t provide the funding for items like this without the work of our fantastic volunteers and the support of the visitors, staff and patients who use the tea bar.”
The tea bar’s income also helps fund a patient transport service, run in partnership with the Inverclyde Health and Social Care partnership, which takes Inverclyde residents, without transport, to and from hospital appointments within the Greater Glasgow area.
The charity, which was founded in 1972, has around 80 volunteers of all ages. Since its foundation, the League of Hospital Friends in Inverclyde has funded approximately £2.5 million of equipment to assist patient care at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
Site Lead Louise Watson thanked Peter and the Inverclyde League of Hospital Friends for all the support they have and continue to deliver to the IRH.
