League of Friends Musgrove Park

RACE DAY SUCCESS FOR LEAGUE OF FRIENDS

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:00:48 GMT

The League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital has raised close to £1,000 through a collection at Taunton Races on December 30 ^th .

League Chairman Nigel Handbury said today: “It was the busiest meet of the year for the racecourse and a fantastic day for us.

“We are so grateful to people who gave so generously and to the course itself for allowing us to collect on the day. It means a lot to our charity.”

The League of Friends. which is one of the oldest charities in Taunton, set up more than 60 years ago, is currently trying to raise around £1 million to fund and support a specialist robot to assist with spinal surgery at the hospital.

League President Clinton Rogers commented: “This is a massive campaign for us and it is so important that we support spinal surgery at the hospital.

“This piece of kit is state of the art and Musgrove will be one of only a few hospitals in the UK to have it.”

PICTURE ATTACHED (left to right): League of Friends President Clinton Rogers, his wife Joanne, Susan Handbury and League Chairman Nigel Handbury, collecting at the race.

Taunton Inner Wheel

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 11:03:18 GMT

The League of Friends is extremely grateful to Taunton Inner Wheel for choosing us as their nominated charity for the coming year.

Our President Clinton Rogers and his wife Joanne attended an "autumn soiree" organised by the group, which raised more than £1,000. What a great start to their year of fundraising!

Clinton said: "It was a lovely evening and the joint presidents of Inner Wheel, Margaret Blackaller and Marlene Ewens, made Jo and I feel so welcome. Fundraising is so hard these days and to have the support of Inner Wheel is truly appreciated."

AGM

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:00:06 GMT

League of Friends Musgrove Park Hospital Annual General Meeting

Thursday 20th November - 6.30pm

The Academy Musgrove Park Hospital

Everyone welcome

Registered Charity No 250797

BIG DONATON TO LEAGUE OF FRIENDS

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:23:13 GMT

The League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital has just accepted a cheque for £5,000 from the Rotary Club of Taunton

Rotary chose the League of Friends as its nominated charity for the past year and the money raised came from various events, including a large quiz evening at Oake Village Hall and providing charity parking for Somerset Cricket Club matches, thanks to waste management company Viridor allowing its site next door to be used on match days.

Today Tracey Khodabandehloo, President of the Rotary Club of Taunton for the past year, said: “The Rotary Club of Taunton has a long association with the Musgrove Park Hospital League of Friends, having founded the League in 1959.

“I chose the charity in my presidential year due to the fantastic support they continue to provide to patients and families attending the hospital. I’m sure the Rotarians who founded the League of Friends all those years ago would be thrilled to see the legacy they have left.”

The donation will go towards proving specialist chairs for use of older, less mobile patients within the hospital.

Clinton Rogers, President of the League of Friends, commented: “To have such a generous donation from the charity to which we owe our existence is very special.

“Our work simply couldn’t continue without public support, whether it be fund raising or legacies. Charity fund raising gets harder every year so to receive a cheque like this is a huge boost.”

To find out more about the work of the League of Friends visit:

www.leagueoffriendsmusgrovepark.co.uk

ENDS

PICTURE CAPTION (left to right): Adrian Prior-Sankey (Rotary Club current President - took over this month), Tracey Khodabandehloo, Rotary President 2024/5, Clinton Rogers, President of the League of Friends, Nigel Handbury, Chairman of the League of Friends and Mike Parsons, Rotary Club Secretary.

Further information from Clinton ( Clinton.rogers@btinternet.com ) or 07836 575911

The Eyes Have It - £90,000 grant from League of Friends for eye care at Musgrove Park Hospital

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 12:15:28 GMT

The League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton has given a grant of close to £90,000 to improve and expand eye treatments at the hospital.

The League has approved the purchase of two new state of the art slit lamp cameras, which are used to get a clear view of any potential eye damage or disease.

Musgrove’s ophthalmology service sees around over 750 patients each week and all these patients require a slit lamp examination.

A slit lamp exam is a test that lets an eye care specialist see every part of your eyes — including inside them. It's a common part of a routine eye exam.

Today Helen Evans, senior operational manager for ophthalmology at the hospital, said the grant would enable the unit to clear a backlog of cases that has built up since COVID, and also future proof the service.

“We were elated on the opportunity of delivering our presentation to the panel, and the generosity of the League of Friends and their continued support to the ophthalmology service.

“I can’t thank the League enough as they gave us the opportunity to present to them on what we wanted to spend the money on, and it was fantastic to show them how a slit lamp camera works in practice.

“The League has always supported us and this is another example of how they’ve helped us to provide the best possible ophthalmology care at Musgrove.”

Clinton Rogers, President of the League of Friends, said: “They put forward a strong case and it is clear this donation will help a lot of patients moving forward.

“Our role is to improve services at the hospital and give money for state of the art equipment which perhaps the Hospital Trust might not be able to buy.

“We could not do any of this without the amazingly generous support of the public, which we are always so grateful for.”

Helen Evans added: “Every patient that comes through an eye clinic will have tests or scans using a slit lamp, as it helps our colleagues to look at the patient’s eyes in greater depth.

“With a camera on top of the slit lamp, we’re now able to record those images, so if we need to refer a patient to another hospital for more specialised treatment, we have those vital images that we can send on with them.

“Slit lamps have evolved over the years, as ophthalmology has advanced in technology, and it’s now very much about the images we’re able to produce, so this development is so important to us.

“It’s a great training tool as well, as the camera gets down to the nitty gritty of every single ophthalmic face-to-face test or scan, which is so useful for colleagues to learn from.

“Having this new equipment means we can see even more patients too, as we’ll in effect have two extra slit lamps in our clinic rooms.

“Following the COVID-19 pandemic, our waiting times were around 12 months, but we’ve reduced that down to two months, and this will help us to bring them down further.

“In our ophthalmology department we’re always looking to see what we can do better and smarter, and that’s something we need to continue as the demand for eye care is ever increasing.”

ENDS

Further information from Clinton Rogers

07836 575911 or clinton.rogers@btinternet.com

PICTURE ABOVE: Rachel Adams, Ophthalmology Outpatients Senior Manager, looking through one of the new cameras, Helen Evans, Senior Operational Manager for Ophthalmology in the background

CHARITIES COME TOGETHER TO BUY A BRAND NEW OPERATING TABLE FOR MPH’S ROBOT

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:48:11 GMT

Surgeons and operating theatre colleagues at Musgrove Park Hospital have thanked charities affiliated with the hospital for their generous donations to help buy a specialist operating table for robotic surgery.

Musgrove Park League of Friends, the Somerset Bowel Cancer Charity, Love Musgrove and Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment (SURE) each raised tens of thousands of pounds, following a range of fundraising events in 2024.

Musgrove Park Hospital had its first taste of robotic surgery back in 2023 following an incredibly generous £1.5 million donation from the League of Friends and its supporters.

The Da Vinci robot has already meant that surgeons have been able to perform more intricate operations with minimally invasive surgery, improving the experience of our patients.

Now, the new operating table makes it much easier for surgeons to use the robot, saving crucial set up time that could free up slots for more patients to have surgery on a single list.

“We were so pleased last year to have such a generous gift of a Da Vinci robot from our League of Friends,” says Mr Tom Edwards, a colorectal surgeon at the hospital.

“This specialist operating table really is the icing on the cake, as it means we can use the robot to the absolute best of its ability.

“It’ll mean that we can get through operating cases quicker thanks to a reduction in the preparation and set up time, with the potential of being able to schedule in more patients for surgery on a single day, helping to bring down our waiting times.”

Clinton Rogers, President of the League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital, said the charity was delighted to support the purchase of the specialist operating table.

"The League of Friends raised £1.5 million to pay for the robotic surgery to introduce robotic surgery to Musgrove, so when we were approached for extra money to fund the table it made perfect sense,” he says.

"Providing the best possible equipment for the hospital is a clear aim of our charity. It not only improves the life of patients, but it helps with the recruitment and retention of the best colleagues.

“We are enormously grateful to members of the public who continue to support us as generously as they do."

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THE PRINCESS ROYAL VISITS MUSGROVE PARK HOSPITAL TO THANK LEAGUE OF FRIENDS

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:18:00 GMT

The Princess Royal visited Musgrove Park Hospital to meet volunteers of the Musgrove Park League of Friends, which funded the hospital’s first surgery robot.

The hospital’s League of Friends and donated £1.5 million to buy the da Vinci Xi robot, which surgeons have used to operate on over 200 people in its first year.

During her visit, The Princess Royal visited the hospital’s League of Friends shop, met volunteers who raise money for the League of Friends and trust colleagues who use the robot, as well as seeing first-hand the difference it makes for patients.

Clinton Rogers, President of the League of Friends, said: “We organised this visit essentially to say thank you to all our volunteers. They are the heart of the League of Friends – without them we wouldn’t exist.

“It was wonderful to be able to give so many of our volunteers the chance to meet The Princess Royal. She was very warm and genuinely interested in what they had to say.

“We were also keen for The Princess Royal to see the robotic surgery console. At £1.5 million, it was the single biggest purchase in the history of the League of Friends.”

Liz Kingston, a volunteer at the League of Friends, said: “It was so exciting to meet The Princess Royal and she took a real interest in how our ‘Friends shop is entirely run by volunteers.

“We also told her how the mothers of both me and my fellow volunteer Margaret Lomax were the first to set up a trolley service at the hospital 60 years ago…and they met The Princess Royal then too!”

During the visit, upper GI surgeon Mr David Mahon, described the incredible benefits that robotic surgery is having on patient care across Somerset. Surgeons are now able to perform more intricate and less invasive surgery, across a variety of different disciplines within the hospital.

Mr Richard Bamford, a colorectal consultant surgeon at the hospital, said it was fitting that The Princess Royal was able find out all about the robot for herself, and also to hear about the incredible efforts made by the League of Friends to make it happen.

“It was fantastic to show Her Royal Highness our latest state-of-the-art robotic surgery operating system,” said Richard.

“We’re eternally grateful to the League of Friends and its supporters for the passion they showed in helping to bring this technology to our hospital.

“Our team of surgeons are operating on as many patients as we can with the robot, and we have a really excellent and dedicated theatre team, led by senior nurse Noemi Eccles.

“From a patient’s point of view, it’s making a huge difference as they’re able to go home much quicker and are experiencing less pain.

“And for our surgeons, while it can of course be mentally tiring, it doesn’t have the same physical demand as we aren’t stood up straight, so it’s much more comfortable, and means we can operate for longer, both during the day and also in our careers.

“The term ‘robotic’ often misleads people, as robots don’t actually perform any type of surgery of course – it’s the surgeon still does that using instruments that they guide via a console.

“The system translates the surgeon’s hand movements at the console in real time, bending and rotating the instruments while performing the procedure. The tiny instruments move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion.

“Everyone in the NHS works hard to improve their area and sometimes it’s so nice to know that it’s been seen by others and recognised.”

WITH GREAT SADNESS

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 10:42:00 GMT

It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of our long serving Chairman Peter Renshaw. He was a true pillar of the community. His work with the League of Friends – and many other charities – will be greatly missed. Our President Clinton Rogers has written the following obituary:

PETER RENSHAW OBITUARY

When someone asks you before they die if you will write their obituary, that is a huge responsibility! But for this man it is a huge honour.

Selfless, inspirational, generous, compassionate are just a few of the many words that have been used to describe Peter Renshaw, who has died, aged 74, after a courageous and long battle with cancer.

His CV was by any standards impressive. A former Chief Executive of Somerset Careers (later Connexions), twice President of Rotary Taunton, Chairman of the League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital, Ambassador for the internationally renowned Chaffinch Trust and Chairman of the Valencia Community Fund (formerly Viridor Credits).

Peter was a man who had “caring for others” at the heart of everything he did.

He was passionate about supporting and promoting young people, evidenced by the way he developed the Pride of Somerset Youth Awards, now in their 18th year, to recognise incredible things done by young people in Somerset, often against the odds and under the radar.

The Rotary Club of Taunton told me me that just a week before his death he donated a “substantial sum” to the club’s Youth Fund, which provides grants to help children and young people broaden their horizons. That was typically Peter.

Adrian Prior-Sankey, the club’s President Elect told me: “He was admired and respected by everyone who knew him He is the only person to have served as President twice in the club’s 102-year history.

“His outstanding contribution to the local community was recognised by awarding him the Rotary movement’s highest international honour, creating him a ‘Paul Harris Fellow’, named after the founder of our global charity.”

As Chairman of the League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, he led the organisation with energy and enthusiasm, earning the respect and admiration of everyone within the hospital.

He was so proud that this year the charity managed to raise £1.5 million to pay for the first robotic surgery console at the hospital. And I was so proud when he asked me to accept the role of President of the charity.

His passing is a huge loss to the League of Friends. But he would expect us to carry on being torchbearers for the charity, which was so close to his heart

He became deeply involved in two charities based in the north of Scotland, both of which work on a national and international level. In particular, he was a crucial part of The Chaffinch Trust (of which the Princess Royal is patron), which supports those who live in the poorest areas of Britain and overseas.

The charity’s founder Ben Goss said: “He gave an immense amount of time to the charity and his wise counsel, clarity of thought, wisdom and guidance were incredibly valuable.”

During 16 years on the board of Viridor Credits (now the Valencia Communities Fund) he helped to award millions of pounds to community, heritage and biodiversity projects around the country.

People behind that fund have said that among Peter’s favourite projects was the ‘Great Crane Project’, funded for three years between 2010 and 2013, which resulted in the successful reintroduction of the highly endangered bird to the Somerset Levels.

Before Peter retired he was Chief Executive of Connexions Somerset, formerly known as Somerset Careers Service. That is where I first came across him in a professional capacity. It was clear then that this ex teacher only wanted what was best for young people. And believe me he fought tooth and nail for what he wanted!

Both he and his wife Sylvia had a deep religious faith and were active members of the Stoke St Mary Parish Church near Taunton. Sylvia sadly passed away in late July. They leave two daughters, Helen and Claire, and five grandchildren.

Picture courtesy of Somerset County Gazette.

RACING TO A GREAT FUNDRAISING TOTAL

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:25:00 GMT

The League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton has raised almost £1,000 from the final race of the season at Taunton Racecourse.

The course generously dedicated one of the seven races of the evening to the League and allowed the charity to collect donations on the night.

And by the end of the evening volunteers from the League had collected an amazing total of £948.

League of Friends President Clinton Rogers, who was one of the collectors, said today: “The generosity on the night was truly humbling. So many people coming forward to say what great work the hospital does and being happy to dig deep into their pockets.

“A special thank you to the on course bookmakers who as one were happy to contribute to the pot.”

Peter Renshaw, as Chairman of the League of Friends, presented the trophy to the winner of the race dedicated to the charity.

Afterwards he said: “I would like to say a special thank you to the race course who always support the work we do and were kind enough to dedicate a race to us this evening.”

Musgrove Park Hospital League of Friends is run entirely by volunteers and relies totally on public donations or legacies, which are extremely important to the charity.

In the past three years it has raised £2.5 million for the hospital. This year it spent £1.5 million on the first robotic surgery console at the hospital, which is having a huge impact on surgical procedures.

Details of how to donate to the League of Friends or help out as a volunteer – perhaps in the League’s shop within the hospital – can be found here .

TAUNTON AND PICKERIDGE GOLF CLUB RAISES MORE THAN £4,000…

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 12:10:00 GMT

In September Taunton and Pickeridge Goldf Club hosted the annal Musgrove Cup with all the profits donated to the League of Friends Musgrove Park Hospital.

Thanks to the generosity of the players, sponsors and supporters the event raised an impressive £4395.90.

Just Prior to Christmas Peter Renshaw Chairman of the League of Friends visited T&P to receive a cheque from Club Captain Kevin Jackson and main sponsor representative Jeff Land and present a Certificate of Appreciation to the Club.

The money raised wil go in support of the Robotic Surgery Appeal to purchase a sspecialist operating table.

The League of Friends and Taunton and Pickeridge Golf Club are extremely grateful for all sponsor particularly Purple Surgical Manufacturing, Hawjsmoor Investments and Pearsalls for their generous donations.

LEGACIES MAKE A HUGE IMPACT

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 13:03:00 GMT

Legacies have had a huge impact on the fund raising work of the League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton in the past year.

The League’s annual meeting last week was told that money generously left by people in their wills had enabled the hospital to buy vital equipment, including a £1.5 million robotic surgery console which is having a huge impact on surgical procedures at the hospital.

Treasurer Hilary Corcoran said: “Legacies have been so important to us and we are enormously grateful to people who think about the work of the hospital when they are preparing their wills. It’s often the case that decisions made by people decades ago help us today.

“Certainly we would not have been able to invest in state of the art robotic surgery had it not been for legacies. And surgeons at the hospital tell us that is greatly benefiting patients in several different surgical disciplines.”

The annual meeting was told that the past year had been a highly successful one for fund raising and this year was unlikely to match it.

But Chairman Peter Renshaw told the meeting that the great work by its dedicated band of volunteers was still enabling the League to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

He particular praised the work of those who run the League of Friends shop within the hospital, which, in spite of a shortage of volunteers, had managed to increase its sales. Last year the turnover was more than £350,000, with all the profits going to the charity, to support the hospital.

President Chris Cutting paid tribute to everyone who had worked so hard throughout the year.

“Everyone involved in the League of Friends is a volunteer. And they work tirelessly to raise funds,” he said.

The League is always looking for new volunteers, especially in the hospital shop, even to give just a few hours a week.

Anyone interested in joining should contact Tina on 01823 – 342394.

PLEASE HELP BOOST REVOLUTIONARY SURGERY AT MUSGROVE

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 11:33:00 GMT

A new public appeal has been launched by the League of Friends of Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton to support revolutionary new robotic surgery.

Earlier this year the League committed £1.5 million to the hospital to buy a robotic surgery console, to enable surgeons across different disciplines to perform more intricate, less invasive surgery. The first operation has already taken place at Musgrove.

Now the League of Friends is trying to raise an additional £100,000 to buy a specialist operating table to support robotic surgery.

Over the last five years the League of Friends has provided more than £4million to Musgrove Park Hospital, including recent funding for equipment – not just large items but small items that can make a real difference to patients and staff, such as chairs, resuscitators, dementia kits, water coolers and training aids.

None of this would have been possible without a number of legacies over the last couple of years and donations by individuals and organisations.

Peter Renshaw, Chairman of the League of Friends, said: “People really have been so generous to us – and right now we know money is tight.

“But robotic surgery is the future and we need to help make sure Musgrove has the latest state of the art equipment. It’s important not only to improve the life of patients and staff but to help ensure that Somerset can recruit and retain the best staff.”

Dr Daniel Meron, Chief Medical Officer of Somerset Foundation Trust (which runs Musgrove) said the hospital was extremely grateful for the support the Friends of Musgrove give in developing robotic surgery.

He added: “We want to embrace the latest technology which can help improve the care and treatment we are able to provide for our patients. We hope this will be a real boost for our colleagues too and I’m looking forward to seeing our surgeons making best use of the robots.”

Mr Renshaw commented: “The appeal for a new specialist operating table is going to help the hospital develop these procedures. If you can help in any way please visit: justgiving.com/campaign/robot.”

ENDS

LEAGUE OF FRIENDS GIVES £1.5m TO MUSGROVE PARK HOSPITAL

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 17:00:00 GMT

Surgeons at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (FT) are set to begin using robotic surgery for the first time in Somerset – thanks to a £1.5 million commitment from the Musgrove Park Hospital League of Friends

The money will buy a da Vinci Xi surgical system, which will enable surgeons at the hospital to perform more intricate, less invasive surgery. It means that robotic surgery could now be used in a number of different disciplines within the hospital.

Mr Paul Mackey, a consultant colorectal surgeon at Somerset FT, said: “This new development represents huge progress in the field of surgery – for the surgeon and the patient. We are so grateful to the League of Friends – it really is a fantastic gift.

Over the last five years the League of Friends has provided more than £4 million to Musgrove Park Hospital, including recent funding for equipment – not just large items but small items that can make a real difference to patients and colleagues, such as chairs, resuscitators, dementia kits, water coolers and training aids

None of this would have been possible without a number of legacies over the last couple of years, as well as donations by individuals and organisations. Peter Renshaw, Chairman of the League of Friends, said: “It’s been an incredible effort by all involved and I would like to thank all those many people who have helped us. It not only improves the life of patients and staff, but it helps ensure that Musgrove has the latest state of the art equipment, which helps with the recruitment and retention of the best staff. The League has been supporting the hospital for more than 60 years. We are proud of what the funding has made possible and we’re particularly excited about the introduction of robotic surgery in the coming months.”

Commenting on the new robotic equipment, Mr Richard Bamford, one of Somerset FT’s colorectal surgeons, said it was a great step forward for surgery in Somerset. “The term ‘robotic’ often misleads people,” he said. “Robots don’t actually perform surgery – the surgeon still does that using instruments that they guide via a console. The system translates the surgeon’s hand movements at the console in real time, bending and rotating the instruments while performing the procedure. The tiny instruments move like a human hand, but with a greater range of motion. It also means we will be able to conduct more intricate surgery, which will be less invasive for the patient.”

Dr Daniel Meron, Chief Medical Officer at Somerset FT, said “We are very grateful to our League of Friends and its donors for funding this exciting surgery. We want to embrace the latest cutting-edge technology, which can improve the care and treatment we are able to provide for our patients. We hope this will be a real boost for our colleagues too and I’m looking forward to seeing our surgeons making full use of the robots.”

Peter Renshaw said that much of the money raised by the League came from legacies, adding: “The gift of a legacy can make a real difference even 20 or 30 years later and I would encourage people who have benefitted from care and treatment at Musgrove to consider making arrangements in their Will. It’s a great way to give something back in a way that really helps people.”

Pictured (left to right): Miss Shelly Griffiths – General Surgery Consultant, Mr Richard Bamford – Colorectal Consultant, Dr Jasmine Lucas – League of Friends, Miss Louise Hunt – General Surgery Consultant, Mr Edward Smyth – Consultant Surgeon.

‘TOOL KITS’ FOR THE DEMENTIA UNIT

Mon, 16 Jan 2023 12:55:00 GMT

The dementia and delirium team at Musgrove are delighted to be equipped with their bright yellow ‘tool kits’, courtesy of a generous donation to the League of Friends by housing developers, Taylor Wimpey.

Packed with dementia friendly activities and assessment aids, these tool kits will enable Becky Furze, the dementia nurse specialist and the Dementia and Delirium Team support workers, Covi Garcia, Emily Hitchens and Amy Baldwin to be able to attend referrals from the wards without delay thus speeding up the process of assessment and diagnosis.

The team were thrilled with the bags and thanked Taylor Wimpey for this much appreciated resource that will make such a difference to their work.

At any one time, the team have between 40 and 50 referrals on their list. In September, over a four week period, Musgrove took part in a national audit of dementia looking at all admissions over the age of 55. Of the 1470 patients admitted to Musgrove, 169 had dementia, either diagnosed or undiagnosed.