Inside Salisbury: Rockbourne Fair triumph as previous fund-raising smashed
Rockbourne Fair presentation to Stars Appeal with record-breaking amount
by Annette J Beveridge
A RECORD-BREAKING amount was recently presented to the Stars Appeal.
The Rockbourne Fair committee presented a total of £62,081 raised during a three-day shopping event in October 2024 at the Racecourse. A special presentation took place at the hospital and in attendance was the Stars Appeal President, The Earl of Pembroke, and hospital staff. The presentation took place outside of Imber Ward, which was furnished and equipped with £600,000 of Stars Appeal funding.
Chair of Rockbourne Fair Committee, Bev Moulding, said: "Raising a record-breaking £62,000 is an incredible achievement, and we cannot thank our visitors, stallholders, sponsors and volunteers enough. Every single person who attended and made a purchase played a part in making a real difference to Salisbury Hospital’s patients and staff. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back this October for another fantastic event, save the dates.”
The amount raised in 2024 surpasses the £51,533 raised the previous year.
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As part of the presentation, the committee visited Sarum Children's Ward where they met nine-year-old Lily-Eva Cole and her parents Shannon and Jordan. Lily, who is undergoing cancer treatment, presented Lord Pembroke and the committee with a special letter of thanks detailing how the Stars Appeal had helped her during her treatment.
Lily said: “Thanks to the Stars Appeal there is a very special play team here who help keep me busy and distracted from all my treatment. I haven’t been able to go to school or see my friends since I was diagnosed with cancer, so the play team are very special to me. They keep me company and always make me smile. They are like my friends.”
Along with funding the Stars Appeal Play Assistant and other extras on Sarum Children’s Ward, money raised for the Stars Appeal helps purchase new equipment, enhancements to buildings, and ongoing projects supporting patients across Salisbury Hospital including emergency patient clothing and toiletries, hospital chaplaincy and cancer support programmes.
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President of the Stars Appeal, Lord Pembroke, added: “It is so heartening to see how the wonderful support of the Rockbourne Fair makes such a difference to patients like Lily-Eva and her family. The money raised helps provide the very best care for thousands of patients and their families across the hospital by funding the latest equipment and providing those little extras to make their time in the hospital more comfortable. Thank you to Bev and her team for their hard work and dedication, and to everyone involved in making the 2024 fair a brilliant success.”
Rockbourne Early Christmas Fair returns to Salisbury Racecourse from Wednesday, October 15th to Friday, October 17th. This much-loved event will bring together over 100 handpicked stalls offering luxury homeware, fashion, jewellery, cosmetics, gourmet food, and unique gifts - perfect for getting ahead on Christmas shopping while supporting a great cause.
For more information about the fair, click here.
