More than £42,000 has been raised by eight teams taking part in the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity £70 Challenge.

The £70 Challenge, which celebrates 70 years of the NHS, saw teams given a starting investment of £70 and over 70 days they were challenged to grow and reinvest their funds in a bid to win up to £1000 of matched funding to purchase additional equipment for their chosen department of Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust.

The winning team at the end of the challenge was the Critical Care Team raising just over £24,000.

The team embarked on the challenge with the target of raising funds to purchase a simulation mannequin which will be used to train staff within the team and across teams at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust.

Runner’s up were the Acute Medical Unit who together raised £6105.83 and will also be recipients of matched funding towards their purchase of reclining chairs for use by family members, friends and carers who may need to stay overnight with patients staying on the unit.

Other teams included the Research and Development Team, West Cornwall Hospital Outpatients, St Michael’s Hospital, Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group Finance Team – fundraising for The Cove Amenity Fund, Kirsty Bawden a member of RCHT staff fundraising for The Mermaid Centre and a team from the challenge corporate sponsors Worldwide Financial Planning.

Karen Murrish, Fundraising Manager for Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity said: “The dedication, determination and sheer hard work of all of the teams taking part has been absolutely awe inspiring. We truly cannot believe the incredible fundraising total that they have achieved.

"Everyone has been so creative in their approach with a wide range of fundraising activities taking place over the duration of the challenge; auctions, a sponsored head shave, sponsored mermaid hair dye, gunge the manager, duck race, a psychic night, 12 hour cyclethon, race night, even an online dog and horse show and of course many cake sales!”

“Aside from the funds raised, one of the greatest side effects of the challenge has been how it has brought the teams together through a different focus and been inclusive of all members of the teams – a true team building challenge,” Karen added.

Other items that will be funded through the challenge will be a dishwasher for the volunteer refreshment service within West Cornwall Hospital’s Outpatient Department, outdoor rehabilitation equipment at St Michael’s Hospital in Hayle, enhancing the outdoor space at The Cove with additional seating and purchasing equipment needed to open new research clinics to offer more research opportunities to benefit current and future patients.

Worldwide Financial Planning Worldwide Financial Planning supported and sponsored the fundraising challenge and entered a team who raised over £2800.

After witnessing the hard work and determination of the other teams the decision was made to split these profits equally among all of the seven other teams.

Nicole Martin and Lynne Williams, financial advisors with the firm, added: “The teams have been amazing and awe inspiring. They are truly inspirational and have found the extra time in their already busy lives to hold events that have brought communities together in their quest to make life better for anyone that uses the NHS.

They have raised a fantastic amount of money which will be used to fund additional equipment and advancements to make patients and their families' experience more comfortable.

"A huge thank you to everyone who has been involved, family, friends, colleagues and businesses that have supported the events. Thank you for letting us be a part of it."