$500 closer to Re-Roofing Bellingen Hospital

Our generous community continues to support the Bellinger Health Action Group’s campaign to replace the leaking rooves at Bellingen Hospital.

Last week we received a donation of $500.00 from the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association of NSW Inc. Bellingen Branch (CPSA). In the words of the association’s President/Secretary Cherie Hartwig “I can assure you that the Bellingen Seniors (CPSA) did not hesitate in donating $500 for the project and certainly appreciate the efforts involved in continuing to keep Bellingen Hospital functional and available to the community. Fully agree ….that the situation is ‘disgraceful’”. This generousity is so typical of the community we are privileged to live in.

Community Associations are the backbone of our society. They volunteer their skills, they raise funds to improve the quality of life of all and they fulfil that innate need to do what is right and proper. In 2010 there were 6.4million volunteers in Australia. These associations often force Federal, State and Local Governments to provide the most basic public services to its residents. For example the Lions Club raised awareness for a swimming pool in Bellingen and then through fundraising and hard work brought the project to completion. No job is too small for our determined and resilient community. We can achieve the same outcome and re-roof Bellingen Hospital.

The day when patients and staff do not have to dodge buckets of water, be moved out of wards and are safe and dry whilst they are in hospital is one step closer.

The barometer in the Bellingen IGA window is now at $38,378 and rising.
Would your community service organisation like to donate to this project? Please contact Barbara Moore on 6655 1898 or Pauline Murphy on 6655 1936.
Have you signed the petition? We have also registered the petition on line with change.org.

Please write to our local MP’s (Andrew Stoner, Andrew Fraser, Luke Hartsuyker); to the Federal & State Ministers for Health (Tanya Plibersek & Jillian Skinner) and; to the Chief Executive of the Mid North Coast Local Health District (Stewart Dowrick). Addresses for these people are available on the Web or contact Barbara for that information.

Thank you CPSA,
Barbara Moore (President BHAG Inc.) 26th April 2013

Advertisement

Scott & Mary of Bellingen Cellars dig deep to assist with the Re-Roofing of Bellingen Hospital

The year is 1901.  A Community Public Meeting is called & a Public Fund is established to build a hospital in Bellingen.

Two hundred and forty pounds in donations is promised by the community. Five hundred pounds is promised by the Government and with estimates of further donations, 1,100 pounds is raised to commence the construction of the first hospital in Bellingen.

Scott & Mary of Bellingen Cellars

In 1903 the “Raleigh District Hospital” was opened costing only 793 Pounds.

110 years later it is now 2013. The original hospital building no longer exists.  Every piece of timber, roofing iron, floor or wall cladding has been replaced with new buildings. In 1977 Hewitt Block was built & in 1978 Hartley House was built.

The current roofs on these buildings are 36/35 years old and as technology has advanced new services have been installed on these roofs such as air conditioning equipment. With every installation there is a penetration of the roofing iron creating a risk of water entering the building.

With the roofs continuing to leak with every heavy rain event they must be replaced not patched as has been the case in the past.

The Bellingen Shire community is generously donating funds & goods (to raffle) to assist the Government to re-roof our hospital.

This week a cash donation was received from Scott & Mary of Bellingen Cellars for $500.00 to contribute to the Bellinger Health Action Group’s initiative to ‘re-roof Bellingen Hospital’.  This donation is extraordinary & we are overwhelmed by their generosity.  It takes you back to 1901 when the community rallied together to build our hospital.

We call upon all businesses & persons in our community who would like to donate to this project no matter how small to contact Barbara Moore on 6655 1898 or Pauline Murphy on 6655 1936 if you wish to make a donation or purchase a raffle ticket for our current raffle of ‘Roof-Fuss’ the Black angus.

We commenced with $35,000 in February.  This rose to $36,418.22 on the 4^th of April & with a further $1,460.00 raised in the past 12 days $37,878.22 is set aside to contribute to the cost of re-roofing our hospital.

Barbara Moore (President of BHAG Inc.)

18^th April 2013

Alice Lloyd wins hand-painted scarf

Alice Lloyd a well-known much loved & greatly respected retired Librarian teacher has won the hand painted silk scarf donated by Leonie of Paradise Silks in Bellingen to raise further funds towards re-roofing Bellingen Hospital.

Alice Lloyd with BHAG Fundraiser Pauline Murphy

Alice was overjoyed when Pauline Murphy from the Bellinger Health Action Group (BHAG) presented the scarf to her.  Blue is my favourite colour stated Alice.

This raffle raised $547.  Thank you Paradise Silks for this very generous donation.  Leonie was so excited to hear how much had been raised she has offered us further donations to continue our fundraising.

 

Over the past 2 months $1,418.22 has been raised with the current amount set aside to re-roof Bellingen Hospital sitting at $36,418.22. We are recording this on a Barometer located in the Bellingen IGA window.

Our current raffle of ‘Roof-Fuss the Black Angus’ is to be drawn in early June.  It is attracting a lot of interest with tickets in high demand.  This is an amazing raffle with 4 equal 1^st prizes each valued at $500.  Tickets are available in Bellingen at Bellingen Butchery, Bellingen Newsagency, Paradise Silks, North Bellingen Medical Centre & in Urunga at the Golf Club.

If you would like to assist us with selling raffle tickets please contact Pauline Murphy on 6655 1936.

With over 1,500 signatures the current Petition to Re-roof Bellingen Hospital is also attracting a lot of attention.  You can sign the petition in Dorrigo at Dorrigo Pharmacy or in Bellingen at Bellingen Butchery, Bellingen Newsagency, Paradise Silks, North Bellingen Medical Centre, Bellingen Library, Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre & Bellingen Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre (Deena Presser) or in Urunga at the Urunga Neighbourhood Centre.

If you have previously supplied BHAG with your email address to receive newsletters & have changed your email address over the past 3 years would you please email bellohospitalrescue@gmail.com your current address as we are receiving some rejected emails?

BHAG Membership application forms are now available at the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre in Hyde Street & the Urunga Neighbourhood Centre in Bonville Street. You can join BHAG as a Financial Member with voting rights ($2.00 for lifetime membership) or a Friend with no voting rights (no cost).

Our community must remain vigilante.  Even though the hospital has received government funds to expand & upgrade, basic maintenance is not being attended to, the internal roads are dangerous & we still have no Maternity service.  In fact there is no dedicated Maternity ward at the moment as this area is currently occupied by services that have been relocated whilst the Sub-Acute wing is constructed.

Barbara Moore (President BHAG Inc.)

11^th April 2013

Holy COW what’s happening with Bellingen Hospital NOW?

Maida Bugg Kevin Aitken Roofuss donation

It could only happen in Bellingen. The BELLINGER HEALTH ACTION GROUP (BHAG) have been donated a Black Angus cow by Maida Bugg (Martells Rd Beef Farmer) & butchering by Kevin Aitken (Bellingen Butchery)to raise further funds towards the cost of re-roofing the leaking Bellingen Hospital roofs. Maida contacted BHAG after reading about the disgraceful state of the leaking roofs at Bellingen Hospital and offered one of her prime Black Angus cows. She has also donated the slaughter & freight costs. Kevin jumped at the opportunity to donate his services to hang, butcher and prepare 4 equal packs of meat. Yes there are 4 identical first prizes. We will commence the fundraising this week and we will draw the winning tickets in early June (exact date to be advised in May). So prepare your empty freezers for a June delivery of a quarter of a prime Black Angus Beef (estimated value of $500 fully butchered per prize).

Leonie Cooper Squires drawing the winning ticket with BHAG Fundraiser Pauline Murphy

Due to this new donation & the amazing support for the raffle of the hand painted Silk Scarf generously donated by Leonie Cooper-Squires of Paradise Silks we will be drawing the winning ticket for the Silk Scarf this week. Thank you Leonie & to everyone who purchased tickets. The winner will be contacted & we will advise everyone in our next press release. Many thanks also to those who sold tickets for us especially Pauline Murphy who lassoed many of you as you went about your daily business.

Have you signed the Petition which is at various locations in Bellingen Urunga & Dorrigo? We have well over 1,000 signatures to date & we intend to close it after the ‘Roofuss” winners are contacted in early June.

The roofs at Bellingen Hospital have been leaking for decades with the ‘bucket brigade’ on overtime every time we have one of our regular heavy rain events.

In our recent press release we advised you that BHAG has set aside $35,000 of previously donated funds to go towards this major project. The total cost to re-roof Hewitt Block & Hartley House is $337,000 & BHAG will not part with any money until either the Mid North Coast Local Health District (Chief Executive Mr Stewart Dowrick) or the NSW State Government (via The Hon. Andrew Stoner MP) contribute to the balance. All current donations & raffle monies will be added to our promise of the $35,000. We will be installing a Thermometer in the Bellingen IGA window so that you can monitor how your generous donations are progressing. We look forward to the day when we can move the arrow up to the target amount because Mr Dowrick & or Mr Stoner have contributed the balance.

Unfortunately Mr Dowrick has not advised us that he does in fact intend to replace the roofs irrespective of where the money will come from & therefore we are forced to maintain our campaign. Thank you for supporting the re-roofing of our local Bellingen Hospital.

 

Dear BHAG members, Friends & supporters,

Your committee has commenced a public awareness & further fundraising campaign about the leaking roofs at Bellingen Hospital. We have written to Mr Stewart Dowrick (Chief Executive of the Mid North Coast Local Health District) & The Hon. Andrew Stoner MP and cc’d Andrew Fraser MP, The Hon. Jillian Skinner MP (State Minister for Health), Luke Hartsuyker MP, Ms Kath Boman (EO/DON at Bellingen Hospital) and our Mayor Cr. Mark Troy.

Andrew Stoner & Andrew Fraser are putting some pressure on Mr Dowrick (who has not replied to any of our correspondence) however at this point in time the bureaucrats & politicians are either silent or ‘passing the buck’.

We are keeping the squeaky wheel turning with further media exposure.

In the mean time we recently held a very successful raffle raising $547 for a hand painted silk scarf donated by Leonie of Paradise Silks. Alice Lloyd (local well known identity) is the lucky winner.

We have also been donated a Black Angus cow “ROOF-FUSS” by Maida Bugg (local beef breeder) with butchering donated by Kevin Aitken (Bellingen Butchery). This is a very generous donation with 4 equal first prizes each valued at $500. This raffle will be drawn in early June. Tickets are only $1 & are available at a number of different businesses in the Shire. Garry & Chantal Howe (Bellingen Newsagency) donated the raffle books & various stationery to assist us.

Have you signed the petition that is located at various businesses in the Shire? We have well over 1,000 signatures to date & will close it in June.

$36,418.22 (currently in a term deposit) is now set aside to assist the re-roofing project. We are installing a barometer in the Bellingen IGA window so that everyone can monitor the progress of the fundraising.

Thank you to everyone who supports our local hospital.
Barbara Moore (President BHAG Inc.)7th April 2013