Appeal is in your hands, public told
Reporter: Helen Korn
Date published: 09 February 2011
CORONATION Street’s Fiz helped to launch the Royal Oldham Hospital’s fund-raising appeal yesterday as a consultant urged the public to play their part.
The In Your Hands Appeal aims to encourage people to raise the remaining £200,000 needed for the new £44million women and children’s centre, which should be open in December next year.
Actress Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Stape — currently looking after her premature baby in a neonatal unit in the popular soap — released yellow balloons yesterday afternoon to mark the start of the appeal.
Jennie, who is from Greater Manchester, said: “I think it’s great that they’ve got lots of money to build the unit which is fantastic but now they’re looking for £200,000.
“It is the most important part as well as getting the community to get behind it. I think everyone would like to see mothers and babies’ services improved in their area.
“I am taking a great lesson from a woman who has a little girl here and she’s got a big smile on her face despite what she’s going through.”
Funds raised during the appeal will help buy a range of medical equipment for sick children and babies in a new four- storey building at the hospital.
The campaign logo was by Tamanna Begum (15), from The Oldham Academy North, who took part in a competition to find the best design.
Bibian Ofoegbu, consultant neonatologist, said that the building would house 37 cots with nine intensive-care beds, nine high-dependency beds, 19 special-care beds, and 19 beds for paediatric care.
“We need the community to support this appeal — this is about Pennine Acute and beyond. We need your help to make sure this totally works.”
The new development at the hospital will involve the refurbishment of existing wards in the main hospital and will include new delivery rooms, obstetric theatres, a paediatric theatre, maternity beds and a brand new neonatal intensive care unit.
It is expected that the new children’s and maternity service will treat approximately 8,000 children a year from the Oldham, Rochdale and adjacent districts, in a new state-of-the-art children’s unit.
John Jesky, chair of Pennine Acute, delivered his key message at the launch, saying: “We are here, we are building, please give generously.”
