Wigan GP Practices Donate £9,500 to charity

As a result of the squeeze on charitable giving during the pandemic, a group of seven GP practices based in the Wigan area have stepped in and raised £9500 for a total of 9 charities across the North West over the past 6 months.

The surgeries, all part of SSP Health, the largest federated GP network in the North West, saw GPs, nurses and staff taking part in a number of fundraising activities over the festive period and beyond to raise money for the vital local charities which included The Brick Homeless charity, Willow Project, Derian House Children's Hospice, Blind Veterans UK, Wigan and Leigh Hospice, The Christie Hospital and Cancer Research.

Amy Wallwork, Interim Practice Manager for the Nelson Street Surgery which raised £2,700 said, “Despite the pandemic and the difficulties it presents, we felt it was vital to support the charities close to our heart to enable them to continue with their essential services and everyone was incredibly supportive and more than happy to get involved.”

SSP Health, which prides itself on providing essential healthcare services in the heart of the community, offered to match any funds raised by the practices ensuring that any money raised would have a significant impact where it was needed most.

Dr Shikha Pitalia, GP and Founder of SSP Health said “Our staff do an amazing job every day and we applaud them for their additional efforts in raising this money for their chosen charities. At SSP Health, community is at the heart of everything we do and that’s why we agreed to match any monies raised to ensure we continue to really help those that need it most”

Across the North West, 16 GP practices in the SSP Health Network raised more than £13,000 for over 20 charities in just a few months in 2021.

For more information on SSP Health or to find your local practice visit www.ssphealth.com