• Ladies Empowerment Circle have raised more than £4,000 over the past 12 months
• The group will host another fundraiser on International Women’s Day (Friday 8 March)
• Funds raised on the day will support Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s Breast Services

A community of women in Bolton are celebrating one year of supporting Our Bolton NHS Charity to help make a lasting and meaningful difference to the lives of patients and staff at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust.

Since March 2023, the Ladies Empowerment Circle has raised more than £4,000 for the Trust’s official charity partner.

Their fundraising events so far include an NHS 75 raffle, a Christmas lunch and shopping event, and on Friday 8 March, the group will add to their impressive list with an event to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Sarah Hulme, a businesswoman from Lostock, Bolton, set up the group to create a network that empowers and inspires women:

I wanted to create an accessible network where ladies feel better when they come away, having spent time in a room of inspiring women where they can access support to overcome any hurdle.

“All of our members have accessed the NHS in some way, but we didn’t realise how Our Bolton NHS Charity helps to enhance the experience of patients and staff.

“The NHS has always been there for me and my family, so this felt like the perfect opportunity to work with the charity and to give something back where we can.

The group’s International Women’s Day event will include a raffle that will raise dedicated funds for the Trust’s Breast Services.

One of our keynote speakers at the event is a young Bolton mum of two who has been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, and is currently having chemotherapy treatment.

“It feels really special on International Women’s Day to raise money for a service that helps so many women every single year by making sure they have all the support they need.

The Ladies Empowerment Circle has helped to raise the profile of Our Bolton NHS Charity amongst its ever-growing membership, inspiring even more women to raise money to enhance patient and staff experiences.

One member, Jenna Atkinson, hosted a fashion show and shopping event in November 2023, raising more than £2,300, which allowed Our Bolton NHS Charity to fund a second medical gaming cart for the hospital’s children’s ward.

Sarah Skinner, Charity Manager at Our Bolton NHS Charity, said:

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, it’s very fitting to mark our first anniversary of partnership-working with the Ladies Empowerment Circle.

“The partnership with the Ladies Empowerment Circles demonstrates how a local business community can work with its local NHS charity by harnessing the unique talents of its members to create social impact in creative and meaningful ways.

Over the past twelve months, donations to Breast Services have been used to fund a new patient garden at the front of the Evergreen Unit, post-surgery bras for woman who have had a mastectomy, and a series of information videos designed to improve patient understanding before treatment.

Funds raised by the International Women’s Day event will contribute to something equally impactful.