Neighbours rally round Ernest in his hospital fundraising drive
A tenant at a Shropshire supported living community has raised £870 for the hospital unit that treated him - with a little help from his neighbours.
The residents of STAR Housing’s supported living community at Wilkinson Avenue in Broseley raised the money after one of them, Ernest Wilkie, wanted to give back to the haematology unit at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where he received treatment.
With the support from his neighbours, who admired Ernest's "unwavering dedication to the community" they were able to hand over a cheque to members of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital (SaTH) charity on Wednesday, May 17.
They were also joined by the Deputy Mayor of Broseley, Caroline Bagnall, who said: "The people of Broseley had great pride for the Wilkinson Avenue community and what they have achieved."
The money was raised by the community rallying together to organise various events for fundraising. This included coffee mornings and raffles.
Hannah Morris, head of public participation, at SaTH said “It was a real pleasure to meet Ernest and members of his local community yesterday and find out about what they have been doing to raise money for SaTH Charity.
"We were amazed to find out it started with a goal to raise £50, and his fundraising efforts were so successful it raised almost £900 for our Haematology unit.
"Ernest’s donation will make a real difference to our patients and their families, and it was lovely to see how the community came together to support our charity."
Tom Forty, operations director from STAR Housing praised the efforts of the Wilkinson Avenue community, adding: "We are proud of the spirit of community demonstrated by our residents at Wilkinson Avenue.
"Their fundraising efforts show their compassion and concern for their neighbours and their willingness to help those in need. Congratulations to everyone involved, and we hope that this donation will provide some much-needed support to the Haematology unit at The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital."
In recognition of his efforts, Ernest has recently been shortlisted for the “Tenant of the year” award at the national Housing Heroes Awards for 2023.
