Staff attend Royal garden party

Wolverhampton NHS staff had the honour of attending a star-studded garden party with a host of stars at Buckingham Palace, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the King’s Trust.

Sallie Johnson, NHS Futures Manager at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT), and Lorna Colling, NHS Futures Co-Ordinator, attended the celebrations on 14 May after being invited in recognition of their work delivering The King’s Trust ‘Get Into’ programme at RWT.

Previously known as The Prince’s Trust (having been founded in 1976 when King Charles III was still the Prince of Wales), the charitable organisation supports young people facing employment and educational disadvantages across the world.

The King’s Trust and RWT jointly run a free five-week “Get Into Hospital Services” programme for 18 to 30-year-olds, helping young people launch careers in healthcare. The programme is delivered by Sallie’s team.

Sallie said: “We had an incredible time at the garden party celebrating the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust – a truly special experience!

“With around 8,000 guests in attendance, the atmosphere was fantastic, and we even spotted several well-known faces, including Pixie Lott, Sam Thompson, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Sam Ryder, Myleene Klass, Sir Idris Elba, and Tom Davies

“Although we didn’t get the chance to meet The King, we thoroughly enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea – complete with cucumber sandwiches and scones – in beautiful surroundings.

“Despite a few rain showers throughout the day, it didn’t dampen the experience. The atmosphere remained upbeat, and the sun made a welcome appearance later on, making it a great day overall.

“We were honoured to be invited in recognition of our partnership with The King’s Trust, which we’ve proudly supported for over 10 years. Together, we deliver employment programmes that help people aged 18–30 gain valuable experience and move into employment within the Trust.

“Looking ahead, we will soon be recruiting for our next Care Support Worker programme. Anyone interested is encouraged to keep an eye on The King’s Trust “Get Into” webpages for upcoming opportunities. This programme will focus on supporting individuals who are long-term unemployed and/or Care Leavers.”

People can apply express their interest to take part in the next programme by visiting The King’s Trust’s webpages.