From Bake Sales to Buskathons: How Contactless Giving Transformed Fundraising at Southmead Hospital Charity

Southmead Hospital Charity is the official charity of North Bristol NHS Trust, dedicated to funding innovative projects, life-saving equipment, and patient-centred initiatives that go beyond NHS provision. Based in Bristol, the charity supports hospitals across North Bristol in delivering exceptional care and improving patient experiences across the region.

Background

The Charity began using a contactless technology for donations around five years ago with units from a different provider. While the original devices had served them well, they were nearing the end of their operational life. With the busy Christmas period approaching, the team needed a new solution quickly. After researching available options, they identified the CollecTin More contactless donation boxes as an ideal fit as this device offered flexibility for both portable and fixed-location use. Additionally, the Give A Little software stood out for its powerful features, including the ability to create multiple branded campaigns, enable Gift Aid, collect marketing consent, and issue receipts. The combination of CollecTin More with Give A Little software was selected as the best way forward.

Solution

As the charity approached its biggest annual fundraising event - the Christmas Buskathon, held at the local John Lewis store, three CollecTin More’s were purchased. The event sees local musicians perform sets across multiple weekends in the lead-up to Christmas, creating a lively atmosphere, encouraging passers-by to stop, listen, and give generously.

Using the CollecTin More devices with the preinstalled Give A Little software, the charity was able to set up a branded campaign, enable Gift Aid, collect marketing consent, and provide receipts - all of which helped to create a seamless and professional giving experience. This upgraded approach played a key role in significantly boosting donations throughout the event.

In addition to the Buskathon, the CollecTin More devices have proven to be an asset across a range of other fundraising activities, such as the volunteer-run stall that raises money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 
Another such initiative is Bake Well, a regular cake sale hosted at Southmead Hospital. These events are run by both internal teams - from various hospital departments - and external corporate groups who support the charity’s work. The CollecTins provide a convenient, cash-free way for staff, patients, and visitors to contribute, helping to boost donations at every event.

The charity also makes use of the devices during live performances held within the hospital atrium. Funds raised through these events go directly towards supporting Fresh Arts, North Bristol NHS Trust’s award-winning arts programme, which enhances patient wellbeing through creative engagement and cultural experiences.

The portability, ease of use, and professional presentation of the CollecTin More devices have made them a central part of the charity’s fundraising strategy, allowing them to raise more, more often.

Results

The introduction of contactless collection devices has played a significant role in transforming the charity’s fundraising outcomes. Collectively, the units have helped to raise over £10,000 per year in cake sales, including the popular seasonal 12 Bakes of Christmas competition.

The impact was especially notable during the Christmas Buskathon, which raised an incredible £19,000 for the hospitals - more than double the amount generated in any previous years since the event began in 2016. One key contributor to this success was the ability to customise the donation amounts on the screen. With £3, £5, and £10, as well as the ‘choose your own amount’ option, encouraged more generous giving, with many supporters opting to donate at least £5.

An increase in card donations was observed across all fundraising activities, highlighting a broader shift in donor behaviour and the importance of providing simple, cashless options. While a mix of donation options was used at the Buskathon, the CollecTin devices were key in delivering this bumper result.

Hannah Jones, Community Fundraising Manager at Southmead Hospital Charity, says “Being able to create tailored campaigns for different fundraising activities is a huge advantage, as we support all areas of the hospital. It makes tracking and segmenting our income much easier, with reporting available by both campaign and device - this helps streamline the income process.
We’ve created separate campaigns for stalls and collections, each with a clear call to action to encourage donations. It's also incredibly useful that we can enable Gift Aid for some collections and not for others, depending on the activity. That flexibility allows us to quickly switch between the right setups as needed.”

Looking Ahead

Building on the success of recent campaigns, Southmead Hospital Charity is continuing to expand its use of contactless fundraising. The team plans to use the CollecTin More devices again for the 10th anniversary of the Buskathon this year, aiming to build on the momentum and record-breaking results of the previous event. With flexible tools that support creative and responsive fundraising, the charity is well-positioned to keep inspiring support across the hospital and the wider Bristol community.