Magic Wand Appeal reaches first target at Winchester hospital (From Hampshire Chronicle)
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Magic Wand Appeal reaches first target at Winchester hospital
4:23pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News
By Andrew Napier
Young patient Charlotte Noonan, pictured with Dr Ian Rodd last year. Her family are backing the Magic Wand Appeal.
THE new reception on the children’s unit at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, will be unveiled soon.
The entrance at Northbrook ward has been rebuilt thanks to the Magic Wand Appeal, a charity raising funds to modernise the unit.
This is the first step on the way to a bright future for children needing hospital care. So far generous supporters of the appeal have donated nearly £128,000 with activities including a tandem cycle ride from John O’Groats to Lands’ End and a climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The single largest donation was for £80,000 from the Sophie Barringer Trust, bringing their total contribution to over £120,000 since the construction of Sophie’s place assessment area in 2007.
The new reception will be opened on Saturday September 15 by the mayor, Councillor Frank Pearson. The Magic Wand Appeal is one of his chosen charities.
The opening will be attended by parents, staff and supporters, including Sainsbury’s Badger Farm, who will supply the hospitality and Curry’s who will be presenting a laptop to the winner of a children's competition to design a gadget for the future.
Two large cheques will be presented by local groups Due South Scooters and the Fulflood Ball committee who have both raised money for the appeal.
The event will also mark the launch of phase two of the appeal to increase the children's assessment area and to create a new outpatient's family area at an estimated cost of £420, 000.
Dr Ian Rodd, consultant paediatrician at the RHCH, said: “I am thrilled that we can now open this next phase of the modernisation of our unit. It is a great step forward, and we hope it won’t be long before we see a whole new look to the children’s department here in Winchester.”
