THE chairman of the Friends of Lydney Hospital has made a rallying call to everyone in the Dean to help back up a huge £175,000 commitment to develop Lydney Hospital's A&E department.
This comes on top of £280,000 committed to the redevelopment of the hospital's wards and brings the total given by the Friends through donations and legacies to more than half a million pounds over the past ten years.
The A&E pledge matches pound for pound a magnificent £50,000 from local firm Mabey and Johnson Ltd and £125,000 from the Seven NHS Trust, said Melville Watts.
"The current casualty department is desperately in need of being brought up to modern standards," said Mr Watts.
"We've got our new wards, now it's time to make sure the rest matches up to it. It's the sort of challenge that local people rise to and we will get there in the end.
"At the moment though we still need the money and I would ask everyone who can help to support us in this partnership. We've got to go for it. Pennies make pounds and every little helps."
The final amount will be the biggest commitment ever made by the Friends.
The new work, due to be completed by June next year as part of a £1.2million upgrade of the hospital, will increase the size of existing treatment cubicles, and create a dedicated plaster room and a sluice room.
There will also be a new admittance area for emergency cases and more space for the department's staff.
•Among the latest donations the Friends have made to the hospital are a personal gift of three syringe drivers and two watercolour paintings made by Mr Alan Luke in memory of his wife Margaret, and a special battery-controlled bed and bath lift. Contributors to the latter were Gaynor Cook, Pam Barnes, Sandra Bowery and Mr and Mrs Pineda Gorriz of the Tufthorn Inn.