The combined efforts of Witney Rotary Club in partnership with Witney Hospital League of Friends and the eforts of Witney Community Hospital Staff have reached their goal. The provision of a new specially adapted vehicle, featuring a wheelchair ramp, to transport patients to and from Witney Community Hospital.
Witney Rotary Club Past President Ashley Farmer selected this project as a thank you for the valued support received by Ann Milnes, wife of Rotarian John Milnes, at the Witney Hospital following a serious stroke.
The previous wheel chair accessible vehicle was donated to the hospital in 2002 and had become unreliable and expensive to maintain. The vehicle is put to use throughout Oxfordshire transporting vulnerable stroke patients for treatment in other hospitals, to their homes for assessment of their future needs, taking them home when well enough and enabling hospital staff to make follow-up visits.
By June 2015 the Hospital Staff and the League of Friends had raised just over £6000 and initial indications were that a further £34,000 may be required to buy a suitable vehicle.
To resolve the problem Witney Rotarians developed a two pronged strategy:
First to raise funds by informing those charities who might help fund such a vehicle and also local groups who would recognise the benefit of this vehicle to the community.
The second was for the hospital staff who drive the vehicle to establish their requirements. These turned out to be quite specific. The vehicle of choice was a VW Caddy Maxi costing just over £30,000.
By early 2016 the partners had raised sufficient funds for the vehicle to be ordered from Lewis Read of Birkenhead. It arrived just in time to appear in Witney Carnival Procession before being officially presented to Hospital Matron Sandra Allen on The Leys during Witney Carnival celebrations.
The Partners, Witney Rotary Club, the Friends of Witney Hospital and the Staff of Witney Hospital would jointly like to thank all who supported the fund-raising through local events or through Sponsorship.
By working together we have ensured that a useful asset is made availalbe to the Witney Hospital to continue to provide the best service to the local community.
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