A significant milestone has been reached by the Muslim community in Wakefield and North Kirklees, who have collectively raised £100,000 for the MY MRI Appeal, a fundraising initiative by Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust. The initiative, known as Muslims for MRI, was set up to support the Trust’s MY Hospitals Charity.
With the efforts of more than 60 local mosques, the community is close to achieving its target of £150,000. On Tuesday, 6 August a celebratory event was held at Pinderfields Hospital to mark this milestone. Keith Ramsay, Chair of Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, expressed his gratitude to the community leaders: “We are hugely grateful for the incredible support being given by the Muslim community. The backing of local Muslim leaders has been paramount to the appeal’s success so far. Muslims for MRI has embodied the selfless meaning of charity and has contributed to the betterment of our local population.
“Our ambition set out to improve care and clinical outcomes for our patients by developing a diagnostic suite at Pinderfields Hospital. The partnerships that have grown since the beginning of the appeal have also allowed us to better understand the communities we serve and strengthen our relationships, so that we can deliver an exceptional patient experience for all our patients.”
Iqbal Bhana, speaking on behalf of Muslims for MRI, highlighted the community’s commitment to the cause: “The Muslim community is an integral part of the wider community. We wanted to make sure that all those, regardless of race or faith, who need an MRI scan have the best equipment available to them and therefore wanted to support this appeal and will continue to do so.”
The MY MRI Appeal aims to fund a new state-of-the-art diagnostic suite at Pinderfields Hospital. The £6 million development, partly funded by the Trust’s budget and a grant from NHS England, will include the installation of a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner. MY Hospitals Charity supports projects that go beyond the standard NHS provision, enhancing patient experience.
The project is expected to benefit more than 100,000 local people each year who need an MRI or CT scan at the hospital. These scans are crucial for assessing critically ill patients, particularly those in the Emergency Department, and for diagnosing conditions such as cancer, heart problems, and bone fractures.
Donations to Muslims for MRI can be made via JustGiving or through local mosques. Contributions can also be made via the appeal website MY MRI Appeal or by contacting the MY Hospitals Charity team at midyorks.myhospitalscharity@nhs.net.
