Nottingham Hospitals Charity launches new ambassadors in 20th anniversary year
Posted on: 19 Feb 2026
There’s something special about celebrating 20 years of supporting patients, families and NHS staff – and at Nottingham Hospitals Charity, we’re marking this milestone in a very special way.
Throughout our anniversary year, we’re excited to introduce you to our brand-new ambassadors – a group of incredible supporters who are truly passionate about the work we do and about helping others.
Our ambassadors are fundraisers, volunteers, and community champions. They represent us at events, offer a helping hand, and encourage their friends, family and loved ones to get involved. Quite simply, they go the extra mile – and we are so grateful for every single one of them.
We can’t wait to share their stories with you, starting with someone many of you may already recognise.
Meet Rob Jones – our very first ambassador
Rob Jones is a familiar face at the charity and has been supporting Nottingham Hospitals Charity for over a decade, ever since his son Albert was born prematurely.
Rob first began fundraising in 2017, when he and his wife Ruby ran the Nottingham 10k to thank hospital staff for the care their family received, raising £566.
In 2022, Rob took his support even further by completing ten different fundraising challenges in one year in aid of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), as part of the charity’s Hat-trick for Hospitals campaign in collaboration with Nottingham Forest Community Trust.
His challenges included Hyrox, multiple 10k runs, gruelling walking challenges, a cycling simulation and, most memorably, a Nottingham-to-Sheffield walk to watch Forest play Sheffield United. By the end of the year, he had raised an incredible £3,118.
After that intense fundraising year, Rob decided to give something just as valuable – his time. He completed the charity’s volunteer onboarding process and began supporting at events, including one at the Theatre Royal, where he threw himself into the role so enthusiastically that he ended up inside the Robin mascot costume by the end of the night.
More recently, Rob has been volunteering at Hayward House, supporting Day Therapy sessions proudly funded by the charity.
In 2024, Rob faced a life-changing experience when he became a patient at the very hospital he had supported for so many years – giving him an even deeper understanding of the difference the charity makes.
Rob shares his story:
“I first became aware of the charity’s work when our son, Albert, was born prematurely at 35 weeks, weighing just over three pounds. He spent two weeks in the Neonatal Unit, where we immediately witnessed the incredible dedication of the doctors and nurses. While Albert received round-the-clock care, my wife Ruby was being looked after in the maternity ward following complications before and during the birth.
“In 2017, Ruby and I ran the Nottingham 10k on our first fundraising mission to thank the hospitals for everything they had done for us. We raised £566.
“Five years later, I took on a year-long fundraising challenge that required a huge amount of planning. Ten events in total, including Hyrox, 10k runs, gruelling walking challenges, a cycling simulation, and, most memorably, a Nottingham-to-Sheffield walk to watch Forest play Sheffield United. By the end of the year, I had raised £3,118.
“After that intense year, I decided that rather than continue putting my body through the mill, I would give my time instead. I went through the thorough volunteer onboarding process and helped at an event at the Theatre Royal. I threw myself into it, so much so that by the end of the night, I found myself inside the Robin mascot costume! From there, I volunteered whenever I could, at evenings and weekends, loving every moment.
“More recently, I’ve joined sessions at Hayward House. I created a lovely bond with a lady called Wendy – we made Valentine’s Day cards and bookmarks for our loved ones, and then sang songs together with the West Bridgford Social Singers.
“When I left, I said to Wendy that ‘it’s been an absolute pleasure to spend my morning with you’, and she replied, ‘I’ve loved every minute.’”
Deb Morton, Volunteer Development Manager at Nottingham Hospitals Charity, said:
“We are so excited to be launching our Ambassador Programme as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations. Our ambassadors truly represent the heart of our charity – people who have seen first-hand the difference our work makes and want to share that with others.
“We couldn’t think of a better person than Rob to be our first ambassador. His dedication over the years – as a fundraiser, a volunteer and now as someone who has also experienced care as a patient – makes him an incredibly powerful advocate for our work.
We’re absolutely delighted to have him on board.”
As we celebrate 20 years of Nottingham Hospitals Charity, our new Ambassador Programme is a way of shining a light on the remarkable people who make our work possible.
Keep an eye out over the coming months as we introduce more of our ambassadors – each with their own inspiring story and each helping us continue to make a real difference across Nottingham’s hospitals.
20th Anniversary Hub
We're celebrating our 20th Anniversary in 2026 alongside NUH. Find out more about how to get involved.
Read more