The League of Friends of the Bexhill Hospital CIO

16/04/2026

There was a surprise in store for Chris Ashford at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of The League of Friends of the Bexhill Hospital.

After 14 years of devoted service as Treasurer, Chris has just seen his last statement of accounts approved by the meeting – showing that in the last year alone the charity has funded £170,000 worth of hi-tech medical equipment for the benefit of local patients.

To acknowledge Chris’ faithful service, League Chair Nigel Ray and President and Secretary John Dowling presented him with an intricately-detailed scale model of the hospital.

The model had been hand-crafted by newly-elected League Trustee Paul Mahoney. Paul will bring his information technology expertise to the committee. He is one of three newcomers. Retired Orthopaedic Surgeon Barry Hinves will bring his professional expertise and retired banker Peter Blatchly will take on the treasurership. Chris Ashford remains as a trustee.

03/04/2026

Since the millennium, The League of Friends of The Bexhill Hospital have given £12.5m to ensure that Bexhill patients have access to the best-possible medical equipment and treatment.

However, we never fail to keep in mind how we started, and how we have got to the position we are in today.

We are eternally grateful for the support we receive through dedicated volunteers, generous donations and legacies and public awareness of what we do, and more importantly, why.

27/03/2026

The League of Friends of the Bexhill Hospital are again offering the beach hut for carers to use, booking a date on the QR code or link https://form.jotform.com/220712578325051

15/03/2026

The world is at their feet – or alternatively in their hands – for Irvine Unit patients benefitting from rehabilitation care.

The Taj Mahal, Paris, Rome – patients using sophisticated new exercise machines funded by the League of Friends can select the choice of view before them onscreen as they pedal (or hand-propel) themselves to a level of fitness that will allow them to return to their homes.

09/03/2026

We are again offering the beach hut for carers to use, booking a date on the QR code or link https://form.jotform.com/220712578325051

08/02/2026

Yesterday, by kind permission of Julie, Tesco Bexhill Community Champion, and arranged by League Vice-Chairman Molly Dowling, a few of our Trustees spent the day in Tesco Bexhill raising awareness of how the League supports local patients, and has done since 1952.

Thank you to the staff at Tesco Bexhill and those who came to visit our stand.

Did you know? We have provided £12.5m worth of medical equipment and other aids for the benefit of Bexhill patients in the last 25 years alone.

Interested in becoming a member or looking to renew your membership?
VISIT: https://form.jotform.com/Bexhill/bexhill-lof-membership

31/12/2025

27/12/2025

Every good Christmas story should have a happy ending. This one is no exception.

The last time League of Friends committee members were able to undertake their traditional Christmas Morning visit to the Irvine Unit bearing gifts for the patients was before the COVID lock-down.

Since then, COVID, Norovirus and Influenza outbreaks have precluded the personal bed-side hand-over each year.

Sadly, Christmas 2025 looked like being another repeat. However, all ended well.

Colleagues gathered beneath the Christmas tree in the reception area on Monday 22nd December 2025 to receive Nigel (Chair) and Lynda (Trustee) and two cars full of goodies and to thank them.

It looked like it would be left to Irvine Unit staff to distribute the gifts on behalf of the League.

Then came a last minute message. Would the League like to undertake its first Christmas Morning visit of the decade?

At short notice, Nigel (Chair), Molly (Vice-Chairman) and John (President) turned out. Kindly guided by Tanya, they loaded a trolley and toured the bedded bays and single rooms in the decorated unit bringing a little Christmas cheer.

24/12/2025

The League of Friends of The Bexhill Hospital CIO would like to extend their warmest wishes to all, hoping that this Christmas be filled with love, laughter, peace and happiness.

Thank you to everybody that has supported the League over the last 12 months, and we look forward to seeing what the next year brings for us.

Special thanks must go to our wonderful NHS staff who will be working over the festive period.

14/12/2025

Santa’s Elves* working hard packing individual Christmas gift bags for the Irvine Unit.

*Also known as Lynda Kivity-Ray (Trustee) and Molly Dowling (Vice-Chairman).

11/12/2025

After the Irvine Unit (originally the Bexhill Geriatric Unit) opened four decades ago it left the kitchen in the main hospital block, which later went over to outpatient service and the inpatients way down at the bottom of the site in the Irvine Unit. Various League initiatives over the years (decades!) to fund the transfer of the kitchen failed.

At one stage, hospital staff were using a League-funded electric van to transfer food from one building to the other. Now League and Trust representatives have had the pleasure of celebrating the fact that the Irvine Unit now has its own kitchen.

On Wednesday, December 10th, in answer to Catering Services Manager Martin Gurney’s
invitation to a “party,” Trust and League representatives gathered in the Conservatory where refreshments were being served. Martin Gurney summed up the transformation: “It makes such a difference for the team.” Trust Assistant Director of Facilities Michelle Clements thanked the League for funding the transformation and for all its “amazing” work on behalf of patients and staff.