Walk for Wards 2018

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported Walk for Wards at Wilton House, the home of our President, Lord Pembroke, on Sunday 1st July.

We were absolutely thrilled to have 1,914 walkers register to take part and delighted to report that the event looks to have raised in the region of £100,000!

Addressing the walkers at the start line, cancer surgeon Mr Graham Branagan spoke about how money raised by the walkers will help enhance care for thousands of local people not only by helping to fund a second MRI scanner but also by supporting projects across many different wards and departments at the Hospital.

Mr Branagan then introduced special guest, Kier Prichard, Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, who spoke of the wonderful care provided by Salisbury District Hospital to the local community and highlighted the important role that the Hospital had played in the recent major event in Salisbury by providing life-saving care to those affected, including one of his own officers.

(Chief Constable Kier Pritchard with daughter Fleur)

With many people walking to celebrate the life of a loved one, Mr Branagan led the crowd in a moment of silence and reflection, before starting a countdown to commence the walk. Kier Pritchard was joined by Hospital Chief Executive Cara Charles-Barks, Hospital Chairman Nick Marsden, Peter Edge Mayor of Wilton and Richard Gagg of Salisbury Reds to cut the ribbon.

Money raised from Walk for Wards will help us closer to our £1.5million MRI Scanner Campaign target and, in addition, will help towards the £1million the charity needs every year to fund numerous projects providing direct, practical support to patients and their families across many different wards and departments at the Hospital.  These include free accommodation for the parents of sick children and babies, hospital chaplaincy, psychological wellbeing projects for older patients and those with dementia, enhanced care and support for people with cancer, free Wi-Fi and state-of-the-art medical equipment.

We are all very touched, humbled and grateful to receive this level of support from our local community and to have seen and heard the many reasons people had for taking part and supporting the Stars Appeal was truly inspirational.

There are photos and links to reports on Spire FM and the Salisbury Journal websites and a list of the many people and organisations who helped to make the day possible below. Please do take a look, but for now, thank you once again for everyone’s marvellous support!

With love from all the team of staff and volunteers at Stars HQ x

 A million thank yous…

Our hosts Lord and Lady Pembroke and their Wilton Estate team

Principal Sponsors Salisbury Reds

Route markers and Marshals Wilton Rotary Club

And many, many others including:

Keir Pritchard, Stars Appeal Volunteers, Spire FMSalisbury JournalJohn Rose Photography, Donald Capewell Photography, Unstuck design, St John Ambulance, Country Coolers, Bidvest, Wilton WholefoodsBooker, Salisbury Hospital Catering Team, Radiquip Media Services, our fantastic entertainers Wilton British Legion Band and Ian Curr and, of course, EVERYONE who took part, sponsored someone and helped to spread the word…. you are what makes Walk for Wards possible! 

Thank you all so much – your support will directly benefit thousands of local people being treated at Salisbury District Hospital.

“Walk for Wards 2018 has been an incredible day at which local people have come out in force in support of their local hospital. The money they have raised will change lives, not just by helping to buy a second MRI scanner, but also by providing vital funds to continue the Stars Appeal’s many ongoing projects across the Hospital, which between them help literally hundreds of local people every day. We cannot thank everyone involved in this huge community effort enough.”

Mr Graham Branagan, Cancer Surgeon and Chairman of the MRI Scanner Campaign

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