IT IS the Southampton charity that has raised £21m in just ten years.

Now it is to celebrate a major milestone.

Southampton Hospital Charity celebrates its 10th birthday today and said it is already looking forward to supporting more people.

Throughout the years the charity has supported hundreds of patients at the hospitals in the city.

Among its major fundraising efforts have help by:

l Providing a £34,000 biometer imaging unit for Southampton Eye Unit helping 90,000 patients a year.

l Carrying out a £550,000 refurbishment of the Piam Brown children’s cancer ward which provided a two bed bay, a re-modelled and separate day entrance, private rooms for patients, pull down beds for parents, and a new parent’s kitchen.

l Providing £120,000 to renovate part of the neonatal intensive care unit.

l Supporting pioneering cancer research by partially and fully fund pioneering research projects across all areas of the hospital, including buying a multi-gas incubator for experimental cancer research.

Head of fundraising Suzie Simmons, said the results achieved in the past decade are very exciting. And added: “Southampton Hospital Charity officially started on November 10, 1995, but successfully re-launched on March 9 2008.

“Since then it has gone from strength to strength and now raises over £4.1 million a year.”

Over the years the charity has organised and supported several fundraising events.

Ms Simmons said: “We want to thank all of our donors and our staff for their support – we could not have done all that we have without you.”

This year residents will be given the chance to support the charity by taking part in several events.

They include at the ABP Southampton 10k, half and full marathon next month, through ‘Dine at Mine’ dinner parties in May, the Romsey relay Race on May 13 and the London to Paris bike ride from May 16 to 20.

To get involved email charity@uhs.nhs.uk.

CONTACT ME

t:02380424416

e:maria.zaccaro@dailyecho.co.uk