The Bellingen Lions Club have set themselves a very ambitious goal of raising $300,000.00 for the Bellingen Hospital. The Hospital needs some new equipment, and as state funding is continuing to be pretty damn poor it falls to the local community to look after itself. The hospital needs 6 new Mindray monitors (the machine that goes Beep), 10 new beds and 3 new resuscitation trolleys for postsurgical operations recovery.
What does the hospital actually supply to the Bellingen township and why should we all dig in to support it?
The hospital supplies 24-hour emergency care, general medical ward facilities, Palliative care and rehabilitation wards, day surgery and endoscopy services. Last year the ward structure at the hospital was consistently at 104% of capacity and the Emergency Department saw 6,243 patients. This means that either you, your parents, your kids or another member of your family paid a visit to the hospital for assistance last year. This is why we must continue to support the hospital.
The fundraising drive has been quietly running in the background for the past 6 months or so and we have progressed reasonably well. To date the donations and pledges have been made by Bellingen Lions, Pink Ladies auxiliary, Club Urunga, Australian Lions Foundation, Bellingen Hospital action group, Bonville Sawtell lions, Narrelle Jones, Urunga Lions, Dorrigo Lions, Macksville Lions and the Valla Lions
We have also submitted grant applications to CEX Coffs Harbour and the Lions Club International foundation (if successful they will match dollar for dollar). We will be selling cakes and running our Christmas raffle in the main street to help raise a bit more and hopefully we will reach our target.
If there are any businesses or individuals out there who would wish to donate to this cause your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Contact can be made on 0411054812 if you wish to contribute.