Saffery Trust funds Heartbeat House room for families of cardiac patients at Southampton Hospital

Following the personal experience of a team member, Saffery Trust Guernsey has committed to sponsoring a room at Heartbeat House for a year, helping provide accommodation for families of patients undergoing cardiac treatment at Southampton Hospital.

The donation follows the announcement of the firm’s annual Client Service Award winners, with two recipients choosing to benefit Heartbeat House as part of their award. Senior Officer Sally Hunt had a personal connection to the charity.

“My dad was flown to Southampton Hospital in critical condition, and my brothers and I travelled to Southampton to be by his side. With no certainty about his survival, or the length of his stay, we couldn’t bring ourselves to leave the hospital. It wasn’t until a nurse asked if we were staying at Heartbeat House that we learned about the charity. Within just a few hours, our check-in had been arranged. The property is right next to the hospital and gave us peace of mind that we were always close to dad, while always having a quiet space to rest,” said Sally. 

Heartbeat House offers completely free accommodation for families, aside from a £50 non-refundable key deposit. The charity also gratefully welcomes donations from guests and supporters.

Sally continued: “We stayed at Heartbeat House for seven days; this would have been unaffordable in a hotel. The rooms were pristine, and the volunteers were so kind. The support provided by Heartbeat House meant we could focus all our attention on what mattered most, being there for dad.”

The donations made through the firm’s Client Service Award initiative covered two-thirds of the cost of sponsoring a room for a year. Upon learning this, Saffery Trust made an additional contribution to ensure the full cost was met, enabling the room to be funded in its entirety for 12 months.

Saffery Trust’s donation forms part of its wider corporate social responsibility programme, which includes support for staff-nominated charities, community projects, and green initiatives.

For more information about Heartbeat House or to make a donation, visit www.heartbeat.co.uk.