A MULTI-million-pound campaign that will help thousands of sick and injured youngsters across the south has been launched in style at the House of Commons.

The Murray Parish Trust’s campaign to get a children’s A&E and trauma unit at Southampton General Hospital is one step close to reality thanks to the backing of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.

The charity, set up by Hampshire actors Sarah Parish and James Murray, launched the next stage in that quest at the House of Commons yesterday by announcing the start of the #2millionsteps campaign, which aims to raise £2million for the centre in the next two years.

Mr Osborne helped launch the campaign and the Treasury will match fund the £2million raised over the next two years, bringing the total up to £4million in the bank for the new centre.

The flagship project will cost £4.8million to build and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust has already set aside £800,000 towards the plans.

The couple’s daughter Ella-Jayne spent half her short life in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Southampton before passing away in 2009. 

It is their ambition for the hospital to have a single site at the hospital housing all paediatric specialities and will cover more than nine counties in the south.

The #2millionsteps campaign is the sequel to the Daily Echo-backed Say Yes George which resulted in the Chancellor agreeing to match-fund cash raised locally with £2million from the Treasury.

Mr Osborne thanked Sarah and James at the event, saying: “I can’t imagine what it would be like, as a parent myself, to go through the trauma that you went through.”

Speaking at the event in the House of Commons, Mr Osborne said: “I would like to thank particularly the Daily Echo for their tenacious campaign.”

The Chancellor also spoke about Felix Barrow, the youngster from Swanmore who was hit by a car on his way to school and set up the group Fit For Felix, which has helped the campaign.

Mr Osborne said: “Accidents can happen at anytime and when they do it’s important to have the very best facilities.”

Winchester MP Steve Brine, who is Private Parliamentary Secretary to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, and Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith are also supporting the scheme and attended the reception.

Speaking after the success of Say Yes George, Mr Brine said: “This has been such a focused campaign and it’s picked up huge momentum in short time.”