SITTINGBOURNE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
UPDATE FOR MARCH 2015
In December the improved Wound Medicine Centre at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital was opened and we are pleased to say that we were able to assist in the fitting out of the centre – provision of new couches and creation of two separate working areas to increase patient privacy. This is part of a major initiative to improve patient care and in the community by the use of technology to monitor treatment of wounds.
If you have been a patient in Kestrel Ward you will know of the good work done by the Therapy Team to get you up and mobile again and here we have provided additional equipment to assist in strengthening exercises and for the Out patients Physiotherapy have provided a number of anatomical models so the staff can explain about the treatment they are suggesting to get you up and moving freely again following injury.
Our next fund raiser will be our bric-a-brac sale and Easter raffle. Donations are always welcomed and you can always contact Rose Warren on 01795 473842 or Myra Scott on 01795 522428 for further information on our activities.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout the past year. This has enabled us to supply £7,500 worth of equipment to Out Patients Clinics and to Community Nursing Services.
One major item was chairs for the Mental Health and Dental Units waiting areas the same as those purchased for the Minor injury Unit waiting area last year. Unfortunately we have had already had to have two chairs repaired as they had been damaged. We have also purchased more wheelchairs for use on the ward and in the hospital reception area. We continue to provide toiletries and slippers for patients on the ward and this year have also purchased a sofa for use in the ward’s quiet room
During 2015 we will be raising funds through our usual book and bric-a-brac sales and a list of dates is on the website calendar - see right-hand column. Donations are always welcomed and you can always contact Rose Warren on 01795 473842 or Myra Scott on 01795 522428 for further information on our activities.
UPDATE FOR DECEMBER
Thank you to everyone who supported our pre-Christmas fund raising sale which enabled us to raise over £750! During 2014 we will be raising funds through our usual book and bric-a-brac sales and a list of dates is on the website calendar. Donations are always welcomed and you can always contact Rose Warren on 01795 473842 or Myra Scott on 01795 522428 for further information on our activities.
UPDATE FOR OCTOBER
September sees the end of the League’s financial year and although it is difficult to remember what we have done we have continued to make a difference with our fund raising efforts. Changes to staff at the hospital have been upsetting but the aim is to improve efficiency and I believe there are signs of this at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital who continue to treat more patients and provide the high standard of service they require. As a League it is important that we too do not stagnate and would welcome any ideas to help us flourish and encourage new members to join the League.
Income in the past year has been over £45,000 due in part to a significant donation under the estate of the late Mrs Audrey Martin that we received in August. This has enabled us to purchase £8,643 worth of equipment for use both at the hospital and within the community. Generally money is raised by book and bric-a-brac sales. Books, jigsaws and good quality bric-a-brac are donated and these are moderately priced for a quick sale. Donations are also received from family and friends of patients and other groups.
We have just held a successful fund raising concert featuring Opus 32 and are looking forward to our Christmas Bric-a-Brac Sale and Raffle at the hospital during week commencing 3rd December
Although not fund raising, the League also looks after the hospital’s courtyard gardens and are always looking for volunteers willing to do weeding for a couple of hours a week. The League holds regular meetings that are advertised on its notice board at the hospital and members of the public can attend if they wish.
Sale Dates for 2014 – week commencing
| Books | Bring and Buy |
|---|---|
| 28th January | |
| 24th June | 11th March |
| 16th September | 2nd December |
UPDATE FOR MAY
Since January our fund raising efforts and donations have amounted to about £1,000, which has included a donation from the Kent Active Retirement Fellowship. The donations we receive from our charity box in the hospital shop raised over £130 during the first three months of the year and our book box raises a steady amount every week.
Rest assured the money doesn’t stay in the bank for long. We have purchased an additional bed monitoring unit for Kestrel Ward together with slippers and toiletries for patients and have on order Automatic Blood Pressure units for use in the Minor Injuries Unit at Sittingbourne. We continue to supply the School Nurses with glow-lotion in an effort to cut the risk of infection by teaching children how to wash their hands thoroughly.
UPDATE FOR JANUARY 2013
Over £600 was raised at our pre-Christmas bric-a-brac Sale and we are grateful for your continued support.
Changes are always taking place at the hospital so we are waiting to receive requests for equipment in support of new clinics and existing services. It is hoped that the money bequeathed to us by Mrs Martin last year will be able to be used for a project to benefit patients in the community and we wait to hear proposals but there is no rush.
Our next fund raising sales will be week commencing 28th January for Books and our pre-Easter bric-a-brac sale and raffle will take place week commencing 11th March. We always welcome your donations so if your New Year resolution is to “down size” please think of us.
UPDATE FOR OCTOBER 2012
September sees the end of the League’s financial year and although it is difficult to remember what we have done we have continued to make a difference with our fund raising efforts. Changes to staff at the hospital have been upsetting but the aim is to improve efficiency and I believe there are signs of this at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital who continue to treat more patients and provide the high standard of service they require. As a League it is important that we too do not stagnate and would welcome any ideas to help us flourish and encourage new members to join the League.
Income in the past year has been over £45,000 due in part to a significant donation under the estate of the late Mrs Audrey Martin that we received in August. This has enabled us to purchase £8,643 worth of equipment for use both at the hospital and within the community. Generally money is raised by book and bric-a-brac sales. Books, jigsaws and good quality bric-a-brac are donated and these are moderately priced for a quick sale. Donations are also received from family and friends of patients and other groups.
We have just held a successful fund raising concert featuring Opus 32 and are looking forward to our Christmas Bric-a-Brac Sale and Raffle at the hospital during week commencing 3rd December
Although not fund raising, the League also looks after the hospital’s courtyard gardens and are always looking for volunteers willing to do weeding for a couple of hours a week.
UPDATE FOR JUNE 2012
We continue with our fund raising and our recent book sale generated £385, a bit less than usual as we are in urgent need of jigsaw puzzles as these generate lots of funds for the hospital. We are happy to collect these from you together with any other items you might wish to donate in support if our fund raising efforts. Our next book sale is during week commencing 23rd July.
The wheelchairs at the hospital are proving so popular that one lady took one home and then rang up to complain that it didn’t fit through her front door! Although we laugh, this is a serious problem. We all regard it as “our NHS” and the loss of equipment affects us all – especially the man who had to hop through to be treated by the Minor Injuries Unit at the Memorial Hospital who was diagnosed with a broken ankle.
UPDATE FOR APRIL 2012
At long last the wheelchairs ordered for the hospital have arrived. The Sittingbourne Christian Spiritualist Church made a generous donation of £1,000 and this has enabled us to purchase two portering wheelchairs at a cost of £500 each. The League has also purchased a self-propelling wheelchair for use in Kestrel Ward. Unfortunately, over the past few years a number of chairs have been ”borrowed” and not returned. We are always happy to collect and return any unneeded chairs to the hospital – just call Rose Warren on 01795 473842.
Thank you for your continued support. Our Easter bric-a-brac sale and raffle raised over £500, which means that we are seriously short of bric-a-brac. Our next sale of this type isn’t until the end of the year but if you are downsizing or clearing out cupboards please remember us as well as charity shops.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.