Exhibition celebrating NHS charities opens

An exhibition has opened in London that celebrates the role charities have played throughout the history of the NHS.

Love and Charity: A History of Giving in the NHS is to celebrate the NHS's 75th anniversary on 5 July.

The exhibition is on at the Saatchi Gallery and will run until 11 June.

It will feature portraits of NHS staff, patients and volunteers from across the UK.

Led by NHS Charities Together, the national charity for the NHS, and photographer Rankin, each person featured has a powerful personal story of how NHS charities have influenced their life.

The series will also include portraits of high-profile supporters such as actor Sir Michael Palin and England footballer Jordan Henderson.

Talking about the exhibition, Palin said: "I was born a little bit before the NHS started, but throughout my life it's been an enormous support for me and my family.

"You take it a bit for granted so I think it's good sometimes to remember it needs help.

"And I think the more people who can help out the better, because so many people have benefited."

Another Londoner who will feature in the exhibition is Selina Aktar, a lived experience manager at St Ann's Hospital in Tottenham.

Having experienced mental health challenges herself, Selina benefited from the Open Minds project that supports NHS staff mental health through art and music workshops.

She said: "Working in the NHS can be intense - sometimes it can leave you feeling like you could have done more.

"In my role, mentoring service users and peers, I often feel like a sponge - soaking up everyone else's challenges.

"If staff don't look after themselves, they are not going to be able to support others, so mental health initiatives like these really are vital."

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