Summer fete returns to Bognor Regis hospital

The biggest fundraiser in the Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital’s calendar has returned after a two year absence.
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Featuring a raffle, stalls, live music, dance performances and more, the hospital fete is set to take place at the hospital itself on Saturday, July 30 from 1pm to 4pm.

Although it’s a regular fixture in the hospital calendar, Covid-19 restrictions mean the fete hasn’t taken place since 2019. Between this and the closure of the tea bar (also as a result of the pandemic), the Friends of Bognor Hospital lost their two main sources of income at the very moment they were most vital.

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That makes the return of the fete nothing short of a watershed for staff, volunteers and patients at the hospital. As such, excitement is running high: “For us, it’s the one day of the year we all come together as a hospital,” said Anita Sturdey, A Friends of Bognor Hospital committee member. “We all have this one purpose, which is to raise money for the hospital.”

Photo from the hospital's 2019 fetePhoto from the hospital's 2019 fete
Photo from the hospital's 2019 fete

All that money goes towards little bonuses the NHS won’t usually pay for. From a staff room microwave to a state of the art gym, these are the added extras that make life worth living for staff and patients at the hospital.

All of it though, is paid for by the Friends of Bognor Hospital, who raise the money by hosting events like this.

"The next project we’re just about to start on is an additional staff room. Because of social distancing, we’ve established we needed more staff areas , so the Friends have very kindly offered to fund a new staff room.

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"Obviously during Covid, a lot of the staff found they couldn’t all cram into the one staff room we did have. This will make sure people can spread out a bit, and get a break away from the coalface,” Mrs Sturdey explained.

“We just want to raise as much money as we can. Whatever we raise at the fete will go towards buying all sorts of bits and pieces, as well as the new staff room. The money is there for the hospital to use as it can.”

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