Chairman's Report for 2007/08

Delivered at the AGM on Monday 31st March 2008

It gives me great pleasure to present my Annual Report to this the 54th Annual General Meeting of the League of Friends of Warwick Hospital.

The high light of the year is the fact that the League has reached just over £1,000,000 in fundraising since its inception fifty-three years ago. This has been achieved by the efforts of its members during those years and of course to the generosity of the public.

The continued success of the Bric-a-Brac shop and the Book Shop, which is in its first full year, is down to the tremendous efforts of the volunteers who run them. My sincere thanks to them who have raised close on £12,000 this year, this being our main fundraiser. Also to the collectors at local supermarkets, the Racecourse, and Street Collections, often in adverse weather conditions.

These efforts have enabled us to purchase equipment for the hospital totalling £72,850, plus a donation of £5,000 to the new Children’s Unit.

We continue to supply Emergency Courtesy packs for Wards and A&E, given to patients who are admitted un-prepared for a stay. We are supporting the proposed Cancer Unit and have £60,000 ear marked for that project.

Again we are indebted to our Treasurer, Jill Denny and our Independent Examiner, Trevor Wills for the expert handling of our finances. To Sharon Ellswood, our co-ordinator, who during the limited hours available to her does a marvellous job and has also taken over the Secretarial duties. She also appoints and places on Wards volunteers who assist the Nursing staff. These positions are extremely important.

The support we get from the Management of the Hospital Trust is greatly appreciated, as is the publicity we receive from the local media and Radio Warneford, (the hospital radio) who we congratulate on their 35th anniversary.

The League of Friends will continue to support this fine Hospital as it has done for the past fifty-three years.

Roy Joyner

Chairman

31st March 2008.