FRIENDS of SITTINGBOURNE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.

UPDATE FOR JANUARY 2012

Our Christmas Bric-a-brac sale and Raffle produced the best result we have every made with our fund raising efforts – over £700.  Thank you for your continued support.  We began 2012 with a book sale at the end of January and the next bric-a-brac sale will be before Easter during week commencing 26th March.  

As always, we welcome donations of good bric-a-brac or unwanted gifts and your involvement with our fund raising.   We continue to purchase equipment for the benefit of patients and have just purchased a Spirometer for use in the Chest Clinics at the Memorial Hospital.  We have also provided a modern Doppler machine for use in the Lower Limb Unit at the Bramblefield Clinic that will enable more patients to be monitored and treated.

If you would like to help us please contact either Rose Warren on 01795 473842 or talk with Myra Scott from the village on 01795 522428.

UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 2011

30th September sees the end of our financial year and our total one-year’s fund raising was £6,547.32.  Our thanks to you all for your support.

The Sittingbourne Christian Spiritualist Church has given us a generous donation of £1,000 which has been used to purchase digital column scales for the bariatric clinic and also three wheelchairs – a self-propelling chair for use in the ward and two for general use in the out patient clinics (these will be non-folding to hopefully prevent theft).  

We have funded the provision of a Hearing Loop for use at the reception and in the meeting room at the hospital room.  Students at Sittingbourne Community College have provided us with some artwork for the dayroom in Kestrel Ward and its installation will certainly brighten the room for patients.

UPDATE FOR AUGUST 2011

The Friends have been very active in the last few months raising funds and are now on their summer break!  We held a bric-a-brac sale and raffle at Easter and book sales in May and July, which, together with a box collection outside ASDA at the beginning of the month, have raised just over £1,600.

We have bought a couple of small items for the hospital – support cushions for use in the X-Ray department and a supply of slippers for those patients who have no relatives to provide them. We have a growing “wish list” to discuss at our next meeting so our fund raising continues. 

Week commencing 3rd October is our next book sale but our main fundraiser is a concert to be held at The Avenue Theatre, Sittingbourne on Saturday 15th October.  Once again the RaTS Revellers are providing us with a celebration in music and words; this time it’s “Love & Marriage”.  Tickets are available from the Theatre by telephone on 01795 471140 or
from their website www.avenuetheatre.co.uk for £7.

UPDATE FOR APRIL 2011

Thank you to those who stopped and supported our collection outside of Sainsburys at the beginning of April.  This raised £337 and the February Book Sale (including sale of preserves), £530 – a very good response in these difficult financial times.  By the time you receive this newsletter we will have held our Easter Bric-a-brac Sale and Raffle and will be getting ready for our May Book Sale.

We have recently purchased a High Magnification Lens that will help with the smooth running of the Glaucoma clinic by making the examination less time-consuming.  We have also purchased reference books for the Out-Patients Physiotherapy Unit that is required to provide evidence to support treatment given to patients, their current books being out-of-date.

If you are “spring cleaning” and have items you no longer need please remember the League of Friends – books, bits and pieces, etc. are always welcomed.  Thank you.

UPDATE FOR FEBRUARY 2011

Thank you to all of those who supported our Christmas Bric-a-Brac Sale and Raffle.   We had an exceptional result having raised over £650 due to the high quality of goods for sale – thank you for your unwanted gifts and good quality bric-a-brac (we’re pleased to take these off your hands!).
   Our next fund raising event will be our Book Sale at the beginning of February followed by another Bric-a-Brac sale just before Easter.
   We have recently ordered a new piece of equipment for the Outpatients Ophthalmic Clinic and a chair for the Minor Injuries Unit at the Memorial Hospital but our “best buy” by far is some Glitter Bug Glow Lotion.  
   The lotion is used to help teach children the importance of hand washing as the single most effective way of reducing the spread of infection.  The lotion is used in conjunction with an ultra violet light – the glow tank.  The children spread the lotion over their hands and when they hold their hands in the tank they glow purple.  By holding their hands under the light after washing the children can see the parts they have missed.
   Fund raising continues and the League welcomes new members.  If you feel you would like to help in its fund raising activities, or help maintain the League of Friends Garden at the memorial Hospital, please contact Rose Warren on 01795 473842 or Myra Scott on 01795 522428.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2010

The recent concert at The Avenue Theatre was well supported and League’s fund raising efforts continue.  Our next event is the Christmas Bric-a-Brac Sale and Raffle to be held at the hospital during the week of 6th December.
During the last financial year donations and fund raising amounted to just over £5,000 with some £6,000 of equipment being purchased for use at the Memorial Hospital and within the community.

2011 Dates

• 31st January to 4th February – Book Sale
• 11th to 15th April – Easter Bric-a-Brac Sale and Raffle
• 16th to 20th May – Book Sale
• 25th to 29th July – Book Sale
• 3rd to 7th October – Book Sale
• 5th to 9th December – Christmas Bric-a-Brac Sale and Raffle

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2010

Although we have had a quiet summer for fund raising, the work of the League hasn’t stopped.    At the moment we are replanting part of the League of Friend’s Garden at the hospital to reduce the workload on our two gardeners.   If you feel you could spare a couple of hours perhaps you would like to join us.

When you visit the hospital you will see the new linked seating we have purchased for the entrance hall area that certainly makes this area more attractive if you have to wait for a taxi or a lift.

We will be raising funds through our book sale during week commencing 27th September and tickets are on sale at The Avenue Theatre for our Variety Concert on 16th October.  Doors open at 7.30 for a 7.30pm performance.

If you would like to find out more about our efforts please contact Rose Warren on 01795 473842 or Myra Scott on 01795 522428

UPDATE AUGUST 2010

Thank you to all for supporting our fund raising efforts.  Our recent iPOD raffle and book sale raised over £800 and we are grateful for a donation of £100 in memory of Len Scott from the Lynsted Branch of the Men of Kent.

We are currently planning the programme for our October concert but before then we are supporting the Sittingbourne & Milton Twinning Association who have organised a concert on 4th September.  This features the Royal Harmony Band of Elverdinge (near Ypres) and is to be held at Highsted School for Girls at 7.30pm.  Tickets cost £5.00 and are available from Swade Music in Roman Square or on the door.

The League's next book sale will be week commencing 27th September and if you have any books to donate we would be pleased to accept them.  Please contact Myra Scott (522428) or Rose Warren (473842).

UPDATE MAY 2010

Don’t forget to buy your raffle tickets between 14 - 30 June 2010, with a chance to win one of 3 x 8GB iPOD-Touch®.  These are on sale at the Memorial Hospital Book Sale or from their Shop in the Hospital, or you can call Rose Warren (473842) or Myra Scott (522428).  Good luck!  All proceeds support our important local hospital.

UPDATE APRIL 2010

February and March were very busy months for the League and we are ending April with a collection outside of Sainsbury’s.

If you have been to the hospital you will have seen the new range of toys we have provided in the waiting areas to amuse small children and we have on order equipment for both Kestrel Ward and the Podiatry Clinic.

Not all requests are for expensive equipment.  We have provided a Digital Camera for use in the Minor Injuries Department at Memorial Hospital; this enables digital images of traumatic wounds to be sent to East Grinstead for evaluation, which reduces the need for patients to make unnecessary journeys.

Together with donations we have raised over £1,600 since the beginning of the year.  Thank you to all who have supported our efforts.

Our next fund raising event will be a Book Sale at the Memorial Hospital during the week commencing 14th June 2010.

If you have any bric-a-brac or books to donate to help our fund raising efforts please contact Myra Scott on 01795 522428 or Rose Warren on 01795 473842

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It is with sadness we report the passing of Len Scott.

Len Scott was nominally Treasurer of Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital’s League of Friends, but to him it was a title that embraced much more than being custodian of the League's funds.  Indeed he and his wife Myra were largely instrumental in forming the current League in 1999. Myra recently retired after being chairwoman for many years.

Len seemed ever present in the hospital helping to organise fund-raising events such as book and bric-a-brac sales and summer fetes. The gardens needed attention and things had to be made and repaired.  Away from Memorial concerts, other events had to be arranged to raise more money.  At weekends he and Myra would be pushing a trolley around the wards selling newspapers and other items.

At Lynsted's summer fete Len and Myra would be seen manning stalls to the hospital's benefit.  Len seemed indefatigable on the hospital's behalf:  Sadly that was not the case.  The League of Friends will never replace him and will find it difficult to fill the many roles he carried out.

Rest in Peace

League of Friends Notice - February 2010

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JANUARY 2010 UPDATE

We had a very successful fund raising year in 2009 and hope this will continue.  We had a number of generous donations that enabled us to purchase items for use both at the hospital and in the community. 

The largest item of equipment was a neurology couch for use in rehabilitation of patients and the strangest was a “cuttlebug” (a tool for embossing cards in craft work).  This was part of a request from the Mental Health Unit, which together with SAD Light Boxes and CDs, is used in their relaxation therapy groups.

We have also purchased anatomical models for use by the School Nurses;  Portable Baby Scales for the Midwifery Unit and games and toys for use at Southlands by patients in their Cognitive Therapy Groups at the Day Centre.

We are making a busy start to the year with:

• 8th-12th February:  a Bric-a-Brac Sale at the hospital
• 22nd-26th March: Easter Raffle at the hospital
• 27th March: 7.30pm: our first concert of the year featuring The Rainham Ladies Choir and UK Paper Band will be held on Saturday 27th March. 
  Tickets: £6 - available from Swade Music in Roman Square or from Rose Warren on 01795 473842.

We look forward to your continue support and if you have any unwanted gifts or books please give Rose Warren a call on 473842.

For information regarding League of Friends contact Myra Scott on 52248 or Rose Warren on 473842

MAY 2009 UPDATE

We have succeeded in obtaining a grant of £5,220 from the Sittingbourne Society who are the trustees of the John Jordan Will Trust, which is directed to good works in an around Milton Regis.  As a consequence, we have been able to purchase on behalf of the Hospital, four electronic notice boards as a valuable service to patients and visitors alike.

A recent Easter raffle and Bric a Brac sale raised £591 for our funds too!

FEBRUARY 2009 UPDATE

We raised approx £660 from our Cabaret Supper Concert at Tunstall Village Hall on 1st November 2008. Our sincere thanks to Alex Paylar and Stage 3 who have now performed for us free of charge for the past six years and made this event so popular each year.

We had a break from fund raising over December and January but it all starts again now with a BOOK SALE arranged for week 9th -13th February and a BRIC a BRAC SALE for week 30th March - 4th April. We are short of good Bric a Brac so would be grateful of any unwanted items such as the Christmas /Birthday gifts you did not really want.

Thank you to Lynsted Branch Men of Kent for the very generous donation of £400. At the request of their committee this will be divided between Frank Lloyd Home and Memorial Hospital. We are waiting for a wish list from Frank Lloyd Home.

For information regarding League of Friends contact Myra Scott 522428.