40 years. 40 stories. Countless New Starts.
Join us as we celebrate 40 incredible years of New Start.
Ready to join us?
FIND A FUNDRAISING EVENT
Choose an event from our fundraising calendar and start your 40 for 40 journey.
SHARE YOUR NEW START STORY
Help us celebrate the people behind 40 years of New Start.
In 2026, New Start Charity – Wythenshawe Transplant Fund reaches an incredible milestone: 40 years of supporting heart and lung transplantation at Wythenshawe Hospital.
But we don't want to celebrate for just one day, one week or even one month.
We want to make our 40th year a celebration to remember!
That's why we're launching the 40 for 40 campaign - a year-long fundraising and celebration campaign bringing together our wonderful community of patients, families, supporters, fundraisers, volunteers and healthcare teams.
And we'd love you to be part of it.
Meet Hope
Our 40th anniversary has a very special symbol: Hope the Butterfly.
We chose a butterfly because it represents transformation, resilience, new beginnings and the preciousness of life.
Hope will be with us throughout our 40th anniversary year as we celebrate the stories and people who have made New Start what it is today.
And now we're asking you to help us take Hope on a journey…
What is 40 for 40?
It's simple.
Choose something connected to the number 40 and turn it into your own fundraising challenge.
You could:
Run 40 miles
Walk 40 miles
Cycle 40 miles
Raise £40
Bake 40 cakes
Complete 40 acts of kindness
Get 40 friends, family members or colleagues involved
Take on a 40-day challenge
Create something with 40
Or come up with an idea that's completely your own!
There are no rules about how big or small your challenge needs to be.
Whether you raise £40 or £4,000, every fundraiser is helping us celebrate our past while supporting the future of transplantation.
Want to take part in one of our events? You don't have to come up with your own challenge.
We have a whole range of New Start fundraising events and activities taking place throughout our 40th anniversary year.
Browse our events database, choose an event that inspires you and sign up to fundraise for New Start.
Choose your challenge. Create your fundraising page. Start your 40 for 40 journey.
Have your own fundraising idea? We'd love to hear it - get in touch! Maybe you're planning a sponsored walk with your family, a workplace challenge, a school fundraiser, a birthday fundraiser or something completely different.
If it involves 40, we're interested!
Your idea could become part of our 40th anniversary story ❤️
40 stories from 40 years of New Start
Throughout our anniversary year, we'll be sharing 40 stories from 40 years of New Start.
Stories from transplant recipients and their families.
Stories from healthcare professionals.
Stories from volunteers, fundraisers and supporters.
Stories of courage, generosity, friendship, determination and new beginnings.
If New Start has been part of your story, we'd love to hear from you.
Something special is coming…
Our 40th year will also see the launch of a very special video created with professional videographer Paul Wilson, capturing the heart of New Start and the people behind our story. It's a celebration of where we've come from, the difference your support has made and the future we're helping to create.
We think you might want to have the tissues ready!
Our 40-year story brought to life
We're also creating a beautiful 40-year timeline mural with a local artist.
It will celebrate the people, moments and milestones that have shaped New Start over four decades.
The mural will have a permanent home in our waiting area, allowing patients, families, staff and visitors to see the story of New Start every time they walk through our doors.
And, of course, Hope the Butterfly will be part of it.
There's lots more to come…Our 40th anniversary is a whole year of celebration.
Keep an eye out for:
Our summer celebration
Christmas Party celebration
Hope's adventures
40 New Start stories
Our showcase video
Our 40-year mural
New fundraising challenges and events throughout the year
And plenty of beautiful surprises along the way…