Repair cafe volunteers raise thousands for Salisbury hospital staff

Organisers at a repair cafe in Wiltshire are celebrating after raising more than £10,000 for the Salisbury District Hospital.

A group of retired volunteers from the Hampshire village of Lover have fixed almost three thousand items including clocks and toys.

Money raised is going towards the hospitals Stars Appeal, providing support for staff and the hospital community.

The hospital said it was "grateful" to the organisers and the money makes "a huge difference for staff".

The Repair Cafe opened in Lover in March 2019, by a group of retired volunteers using their skills to fix items and prevent them from going to landfill.

Almost 3,000 items have been repaired by the team, including electrical appliances, computers, furniture, ceramics, clocks, bikes, brass-work, lawnmowers, metal-work and toys - all prevented from ending up in landfill.

The cafe team began donating to the Stars Appeal at the height of the pandemic in May 2020.

Since that first £500 donation, the cafe has continued to support the hospital, reaching the £10,000 mark in February.

The milestone was marked with a cheque handover ceremony at the hospital on Friday (11 February).

Dr Duncan Murray, an intensive care consultant and ambassador for the hospital's Stars Appeal, said staff were "hugely grateful...for their committed ongoing support."

Maurice Caustick, Chairman of the Lover Repair Café said "We've chosen to support the Stars Appeal because it shows our connection with the Hospital and confirms our commitment to the hospital staff."

All of the cash has been assigned to the Stars Appeal Staff fund, supporting the team at Salisbury Hospital.

The money will help fund counselling sessions and chaplaincy support, morale boosting care packages and hot meals, outdoor spaces where staff can relax, free Wi-Fi and providing specialist education and simulation training. 

Dr Murray said:"From my experience on the Intensive Care Unit I can tell you first hand that the extras the Stars Appeal provides make a huge difference for staff working extremely hard in very challenging circumstances.

"To know we have the support of our local community means a huge amount to each and every one of us."