Wonderful Gloria Nichols’ fundraising for Broomfield Hospital’s Renal unit helps dialysis patients

Gloria Nichols, a patient at Broomfield Hospital’s renal unit for over 11 years, has raised £15,000 for an additional dialysis machine, enhancing care for both staff and patients.
Gloria (pictured centre) said: “I wanted to fundraise to help the renal unit get the latest model which makes for a better patient experience. It’s great to see it in action and is helping make a real difference to patient care.”
Gloria organised her fundraising campaign with support from her own Rotary Club (‘Brentwood Breakfast’ and ‘Shenfield and District’) as well as other Rotary Clubs from district 1240, Kidney Care UK, and from other generous individual donors.
Linda Lio, Head of Broomfield Renal Nursing (pictured far left), expressed her gratitude for Gloria’s fundraising efforts, which allowed the purchase of an additional dialysis machine. Her donation complements the NHS’s purchase of the same machines across all Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust Renal units.
She said: “The new machines have standardised our training across all sites, strengthening our workforce. More importantly, they provide our patients with a significantly improved dialysis experience. These advanced machines offer enhanced monitoring capabilities and reduce complications such as sudden drops in blood pressure, contributing to a calmer and more comfortable treatment process for our patients”.
Surplus funds from Gloria’s Broomfield Hospital campaign are set to help even more renal patients, supporting their wellbeing through regular raffles and annual day trips.
Last year, a trip to Felixstowe gave patients and their carers a day out, with one lady, who hadn’t been out in four years, finding immense joy in the experience. This year, the group will visit Broadstairs in late March, further enriching the lives of those living with kidney conditions.
Lucy Thomas-Clayton, Director of Charities and Voluntary Services at Mid and South Essex Hospital’s Charity, said: “It is lovely to recognise Gloria’s amazing fundraising and support for our renal patients. Gloria’s determination in raising such a large sum of money in just one year really does go to show the strength of our supporters. We cannot thank her enough for all that she continues to do for our renal unit patients.”
Well-known for her fundraising efforts, in addition to being the president of her local Women’s Institute, Gloria’s an ambassador for Mary’s Meals; an impressive initiative that feeds over 2.5 million under privileged children and has also provided several blood pressure monitors to hospitals in Sri Lanka.
Gloria’s efforts continue to make a lasting impact on the renal unit and its patients, demonstrating the power of community and compassion.