A HAMPSHIRE bus operator has thrown its support behind a major fundraising campaign.

Bluestar will spend a whole year raising money in aid of the new Children’s Emergency and Trauma Department at Southampton Children’s Hospital.

The bus operator has chosen Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity as charity of the year.

Members of Bluestar have decided to get involved in several fundraising activities such as cake bakes and hair cuts to support the initiative.

Andrew Wickham, Bluestar managing director, said: “Many of our own team have benefited directly from the support Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity provides so we are all delighted to be backing this very worthy cause, and raising as much money as possible over the coming year.”

Amy McBrayne, from Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to all of the employees who generously supported Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity by voting us as Bluestar’s 2017 Charity of the Year . We are absolutely thrilled that they would like support our new appeal for a new Children’s Emergency and Trauma Department.”

It comes as the Daily Echo asks 40 Hampshire business to contribute to the #MatchMyMoney initiative.

The Echo-backed campaign feeds into celebrity couple Sarah Parish and James Murray’s #2MillionSteps, which aims to raise the first half of the £4 million needed to build the department.

Central Government will also contribute by granting £2 million.

As previously reported, the new children’s A&E will serve 30,000 children across the south when it opens in 2018 and is the first step in a bespoke and dedicated children’s hospital.

With the shell of the building already built, the new facility will be spread across 1,391m² offering an improved layout and space for assessment and treatment including a dedicated reception, triage and waiting room, children’s emergency X-ray, procedural sedation room, acute assessment unit, observed treatment area and short stay unit.

Daily Echo asked Hampshire businesses and organisations to donate just £1,000 towards the £2m needed to build the new facility.

As previously reported, all donations to the Daily Echo #MatchMyMoney initiative will be quadrupled when they hit the pot, first by match funding from Hampshire philanthropists at the Barker-Mill Foundation, and again by central government after the successful Say Yes George campaign.

If you’d like a fundraising pack please contact Fotini Efstathiou on Fotini@remarkablegroup.co.uk.

To donate go to https://mydonate.bt.com/events/bmf-dailyechoappeal/384531.