Welcome to the web page of the Melksham Committee of the
		tel: (01225) 708306       email: foreverfriendsappeal@melksham.org.uk

The Melksham Committee of The Forever Friends Appeal started fundraising for the charity having already worked together for many years to raise funds for a national cause. An experienced and successful group, working independently but on behalf of The Forever Friends Appeal, the committee is this year celebrating its fourth year of support for the Appeal.

Some of the Melksham Committee

Each year the Committee pledges support for a department at the Royal United Hospital (RUH). In 2001/02 they raised over £13,500 to buy a defibrillator for the Breast Care Unit. In 2002/03, over £7,000 was raised to buy heart trackers - which monitor patients' heart rhythms over a period of time to help in the diagnosis of heart conditions - for the Cardiology Department, leading to faster treatment and improved recovery.

Following on from their success for these two units, The Melksham Committee of The Forever Friends Appeal is currently raising funds for state-of-the-art medical equipment for use in the RUH's new £7.5m purpose-built Accident & Emergency Department, which opened in June 2003. The Forever Friends Appeal has already helped to raise significant amounts of money to help buy equipment for this department, but they are hoping that with the public's support they will be able to raise even more.

The Melksham Committee toured the unit in May 2003 to establish what equipment might be needed before launching their latest fundraising drive. Through last year's summer lunch, candlelit supper and entrants in the Bath and Bristol Half Marathons, they have so far raised £5,700 for the Department. Their last event for the Accident & Emergency Department is A talk by Barbara Pollard; charismatic owner and gardener of The Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury, who will be sharing the secrets of her work during a talk at Melksham Assembly Hall on Thursday 11th March 2004 at 7pm. Tickets for the event, which includes desserts and coffee, are £7.50 each and are available from The Melksham Committee of The Forever Friends Appeal on (01225) 708306.

The Committee works hard on a programme of events throughout the year, which are well attended by people from the Melksham community and throughout the hospital's catchment area. The money raised through their events is as a result of ticket sales, activities on the night such as raffles and auctions and sponsorship of each event.

Ruth Wilkinson, Events Assistant for The Forever Friends Appeal, said: “The Melksham Committee is invaluable to the Appeal. They organise a variety of enjoyable events and raise such incredible amounts for the different departments at the hospital. But their help doesn't stop there! As our only active committee, we are extremely proud and grateful for their hard work and achievements and hope that people will be inspired to replicate their success and help say 'thank you' to the RUH, by forming Forever Friends committees in other areas.”

Pam Wiltshire, Chairperson of the committee is very dedicated to fundraising for The Forever Friends Appeal. Pam says, “I am proud to be associated with such an active and successful group of fundraisers - we have lots of fun, work well together and ensure that our events appeal to our supporters. It is good to see an end result for our fundraising and to know that we are helping our community.”

Launched in October 1999, The Forever Friends Appeal has raised and helped secure over £4.4 million to provide state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and treatment facilities, and is also helping fund other major projects at the Royal United Hospital.

Money raised by the Appeal is radically improving facilities particularly in the areas of Children, Cancer, Cardiology and Critical Care - the four main areas of the new building, as well as telemedicine links with the local Community Hospitals.

With a target of £10 million, The Appeal complements the £39.5 million funding received from the government to redevelop the RUH in three phases. Phase one and two - the main 'heart' of the RUH and the Older People's Unit were completed early last year. The final phase of the A&E Unit was completed in June 2003 and is doubling the capacity of patient's being able to be treated.

The Appeal is a major task, but with local and regional support we will achieve our target, and enable the RUH to provide the best possible level of acute care to the 500,000 people in Bath, North East Somerset and West Wiltshire.

For more information visit www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk