IT’S another generous donation to the #MatchMyMoney campaign.

Members of Itchen Cork Lodge - an offshoot of the Masons dedicated purely to raising money for children’s charities - raised £500 in aid of the new children’s A&E at Southampton General Hospital. 

It’s a welcome donation - and it brings the total to more than £12,000.

But as previously reported, all donations to the Daily Echo #MatchMyMoney initiative will be quadrupled when they hit the pot, first by match funding from Hampshire philanthropists at the Barker-Mill Foundation, and again by central government after the successful Say Yes George campaign. 

We are asking Hampshire businesses and organisations to donate just £1,000 towards the £2m needed to build the new facility. 

And now Barker-Mill Foundation have made it even easier to get your cash in, with a bespoke fundraising pack which includes fundraising ideas, a planner, a goal thermometer poster, balloons and a flat-pack money box to collect your donations. 

Tim Jobling, Trustee at BMF said: “We’re raising money for a great cause and we want the whole of the south to get behind the appeal and the #2MillionSteps campaign to provide a state of the art children’s emergency and trauma department at University Hospital Southampton. 

“We’d like to thank those who have donated so far including Xelabus, Southampton Rugby Football Club and Blaze Construction Ltd, Hampshire Scouts and HairXtensions. 

“We hope the pack will give you all some great ideas and we’re excited to see the events and donations trickle through over the next few months.” 

Daily Echo editor-in-chief Ian Murray added: “We’re thrilled to be working alongside The Murray Parish Trust and BMF.

“We’ve made a promise to all those who fundraise that we’ll be writing articles documenting the great work you’re doing so if you’re planning on holding an event then please do use this fundraising pack, pick an idea and get in touch with us.”