Dig deep for scanner appeal

So says little Charlotte Dawson who stepped into the editor's shoes for the day to hammer home the message to Fylde folk.

From her desk in the Citizen office, she demanded everyone make a big effort to keep the coffers full, whether it's by holding a fundraiser in their local pub, staging a fancy dress fun run or simply making a private donation.

And with an MRI festival week planned for the first week in June, no one can miss the opportunity to donate to the appeal which will pay for a magnetic resonance imaging scanner for Blackpool Victoria Hospital, alterations to the building in which it will be housed and its maintenance for at least five years.

It was Charlotte's father Les who started the ball rolling in 1986 with a campaign to buy the hospital a CT scan which raised far more than expected.

So when the MRI appeal was set up at the beginning of 1996 the residue (almost half a million pounds) was poured into the new fund along with a £200,000 grant from the NHS and several donations from the private sector.

Since it went public 18 months ago, the fund has swelled to more than £1.1 million, with an average of £500 coming in each day, but at least another £800,000 is still to be found. Les's widow Tracy, whose own fundraising efforts include being locked up in a police cell with hotelier Pat Mancini, feels he would have been pleased with how well the appeal was going.

"He always tried to get along to the fundraising events and when he died in 1993 a lot of people sent donations to the appeal," said Tracy. "I agreed to come on board at the launch of the MRI appeal as it was a way of keeping Les's memory alive.

"The scanner will be for the benefit of the whole community and I feel strongly that every town should have one." Forthcoming fundraisers include a swimathon at Lido Pool on February 8 and a fashion show at Freeport on April 6. There will also be an MRI festival week in Blackpool, events for which are being drawn up and co-ordinated by the resort's tourism bosses.

Head of tourism Jane Seddon said: "The idea is to get the community to focus on the appeal.

"We are not trying to say they haven't done that already because they have done their best.

"But it is important to recognise it still needs funds to keep it going."

Her comments were echoed by appeal co-ordinator Elaine Fossett. "We want people to carry on with the generosity they have shown so far," she said. "Making 1998 the year of the MRI is the best thing which could happen to us, especially as we hope to see the scanner some time this year.

"However much publicity we have had there is going to be someone who for various reasons is still not aware of the appeal.

"We are now involving everyone in the community - no one is going to be left out - and after this push there shouldn't be anyone left who hasn't heard of it."

Thanks for donations so far have come from the appeal committee.

Director of fundraising Ramesh Gandhi commented: "Everybody is getting involved because everyone will benefit from the scanner."

Chairman of trustees Bryan Carr said: "The residents of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre deserve this potentially lifesaving equipment," while David Gill, chief executive of Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust, added: "I am very pleased with the extent of public support for this appeal and I hope this will be sustained throughout the coming year to bring the campaign to a successful conclusion."

A final word comes from Elaine Fossett: "Thanks to you we have done well so far, but keep those pennies jingling in the jar.

"We still need your kind and generous donation to make 1998 a year of MRI celebration."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.