Salisbury's Rockbourne Fair brings £51,000 in to Stars Appeal
The annual Christmas shopping event is one of their flagship fundraisers
The Rockbourne Fair in Salisbury has raised £51,842 for the Stars Appeal, with organisers describing the figure as 'incredible'.
The three day shopping event at the city's Racecourse each October has become one of the biggest annual fundraisers for the Salisbury District Hospital charity.
The amount brought in from the 2022 Fair is higher than the donation from the previous year's event.
A cheque's been handed over from the organisers to Lord Pembroke - the President of the Stars Appeal - along with the Stars Appeal's Hospital Ambassadors and the SDH Chief Executive, Stacey Hunter.
Bev Moulding, the chair of the Rockbourne Fair Committee, said:
“We are delighted that Rockbourne Fair 2022 has raised such an incredible amount for the Stars Appeal, totalling £51,482, compared with £50,301 in 2021. It was wonderful to see so many people come through the door and enjoy this unique shopping experience with over 100 stalls - the atmosphere was fantastic! This achievement is even more remarkable given the current economic climate.
“We are extremely grateful to everyone who made the event such a success - for the support of our stallholders, our volunteers and the generosity of everyone who attended. This money will go on to make a big impact on the lives of so many people in Salisbury District Hospital and it's a great reminder of how we can come together to make a real difference to our local community."
Dates for the next Rockbourne Fair have already been set - with the event taking place from 18th to 20th October 2023, at Salisbury Racecourse.
Donations go towards the Stars Appeal's aim to raise £1 million each year, to provide services and equipment over and above what the NHS is able to.
The charity's set out a number of aims for the coming year, including buying a new echocardiogram and scalp cooling kits for chemotherapy patients, as well as maintaining their projects like the free Wi-Fi and TV cards, and the chaplaincy service.
Lord Pembroke said:
“As someone who has some experience in organising events I really understand the time and also the effort that goes into pulling these things together. They can be quite stressful at times but when organisers and the community come together something special happens and we get amazing results, which is clear from the incredible amount raised from the Rockbourne Fair. All I can say is thank you."