The Royal College of Nursing

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is using The Patron’s Lunch to celebrate those that have raised money for the RCN Foundation, an independent charity supporting the nursing community.

Her Majesty The Queen has a long association with the Royal College of Nursing even  before she was made Patron of the College in 1953. Her association with the College began in 1944 when she became President of the Student Nurses Association, in this role she opened the library at the College in 1945 and attended the Premier of ‘The Lady with a Lamp’ in 1951 which formed part of the fundraising appeal to raise money for the College’s Educational Funds to promote post registration education among nurses.

These funds are now managed and administered by the RCN Foundation and in honour of The Queen’s association with the Royal College and as part of the Colleges centenary celebrations we have chosen to invite those that have raised money for us to The Patron’s Lunch. Attendees include:

Robert Sowney, Chair of the Foundation – Robert has a long association with the RCN and has been
Chair of the Foundation since it was set up in 2010. Recently Robert was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement award in the RCN Northern Ireland Nursing Awards

Professor Dame Betty Kershaw DBE, FRCN is a past President of the Royal College of Nursing. Dame Betty has regularly donated to the Foundation and has set up a bursary to support health care assistants.

Sabina Gerrard is a nurse lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, she has encouraged her students to run fundraising activities each year to celebrate nurses day and teach the importance of supporting their colleagues.

Carol Evans, in an extreme challenge to raise money for the Foundation went to Canada to take part in an activity filled week of challenges with sponsorship money coming to support the Foundations work supporting those in need.

Cecilia Anim is the current President of the Royal College of Nursing. Cecilia approached the Foundation when she was appointed with the objective of supporting the Foundation’s work with nurses overseas. Cecilia has used her platform as President to raise money to support global nursing in fragile states.

Find out more by visiting:- www.rcnfoundation.org.uk