Exmouth Fundraisers Donate £6K Hoist to Local Hospital

When essential equipment breaks in a hospital, patients suffer. But in Exmouth, England, a community partnership made sure that didn't happen.

The League of Friends of Exmouth Hospital and Exmouth Freemasons joined forces to raise £6,000 for a new patient hoist after the old one broke. Staff needed the equipment to safely move bedbound patients who can't stand or bear their own weight.

The replacement arrived quickly, and Ward Matron Jade Dyer says it's already making a huge difference. "Without this piece of equipment, we simply wouldn't be able to safely move or reposition bed-bound patients," she explained at the equipment's official presentation.

The donation went to the hospital's Doris Heard Ward, where grateful staff now have the tools they need to provide dignified, safe care. League of Friends Chairman David Bassett thanked the Sun Lodge Charity Association and Rolle Lodge Charity Group for their support, saying they were "delighted to enhance patient care, support staff wellbeing, and strengthen community health services."

The Ripple Effect

This £6,000 hoist is just the latest example of what happens when a community commits to caring for its neighbors. The League of Friends has raised nearly £3 million for Exmouth Hospital since 1952, including £250,000 for a major surgical ward refurbishment in 2022.

In 2025 alone, their donations topped £75,000. That money bought new waiting room seating for the Minor Injuries Unit, a clinical ice machine, garden maintenance, and artwork for hospital corridors created with the Exmouth Photo Group.

These aren't flashy projects that make headlines. They're the everyday essentials that make healthcare work: comfortable chairs for worried families, ice for injuries, gardens for healing, and equipment that keeps patients safe.

When hospitals lack funding for basics, communities can either complain or contribute. Exmouth chose contribution, and their patients are better for it.