Danny, who was born at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, began fundraising last month for QE Charitable Funds, the charity arm of QE Gateshead.
Danny auctioned off some of his prized football memorabilia in a bid to support the NHS during the COVID-19 crisis. Bidders snapped up items such as his match-day shirt from his first game at Blackburn Rovers, as well as signed shirts and boots that he had collected throughout his career. Graham’s last auction item was the PFA Team of the Year medal he was awarded in 2017-18 after helping Rovers secure promotion back to the Championship.
Initially, Danny aimed to raise £5,000 – but quickly smashed that target as the donations and bids rolled in. When his fundraising page closed, he’d raised an amazing £10,150, which will be invaluable in supporting staff and patients at QE Gateshead.
Yvonne Ormston MBE, chief executive at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, says: “Here at Gateshead Health, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of Danny and his amazing efforts to support us over the past few months.
We can’t thank Danny enough for the work he has done to provide funds for us, and especially considering how much the football memorabilia from his career must mean to him. We’re so grateful to him and everyone who donated to his campaign.
“We have been using donations to help provide our most vulnerable patients with care bags, toiletries and snacks as they are unable to have these brought to them by family and friends because of the visitor restrictions currently in place. Donations have also been crucial in helping our staff get access to care boxes, toiletries and other items to help them through long shifts and avoid having to visit the shops before or after work.
The charity is now looking at a wide range of other projects to help patients, families and staff who have been affected by the virus both now and in the future.”
Danny says: “I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated to the fundraiser page for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. To reach over £10,000 is an incredible achievement and I’m so overwhelmed with the amount and the support shown by everyone.
“I was born in the QE, and so was my brother, and it has helped a number of family and friends over the years, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try and help a hospital that is close to my heart.”
Danny’s fundraising page is now closed but if you’d like to support the QE’s charity, go to https://www.justgiving.com/qegateshead