We did it – our Bellingen Hospital has a new roof …

After years of requests & discussions with senior executives failing to achieve a commitment to re-roof the leaking roofs on Hewitt Block & Hartley House at Bellingen Hospital BHAG stepped up the pressure in 2013.

During a Special General Meeting of BHAG Financial Members on the 27^th Feb 2013 a motion was successfully moved & declared that $35,000 of existing donated funds be allocated towards re-roofing the hospital.

Your BHAG Committee commenced a massive Public & Political (Local, State & Federal) awareness & Fundraising campaign (lead by Pauline Murphy) stating the failure of senior executives in the Health Service to undertake routine maintenance at Bellingen Hospital (decades of neglect) regarding the state of the leaking roofs.  No longer was it appropriate to fill the holes with more Silicone – the solution now was to replace the roofs, flashings, gutters & downpipes etc.

Street Stalls in Bellingen & Urunga

Bellingen Markets – a typical day of very wet Bellingen weather

‘Volunteers day’ Urunga 2013

Raffle tickets were sold, donations gratefully received & our Petition to the NSW State Government signed by nearly 3,000 people.

Silk Scarf donated by Leonie Cooper Squires raised $500

Black Angus Heifer “Roof-Fuss” donated by Maida Bugg & prepared by
Kevin Aitken Bellingen Butchery raised $4,500

20^th of July 2013 the petition was received by our local MP’s Andrew Fraser & Andrew Stoner with a verbal commitment ‘The 2 Andrews Commit to 2 new Roofs at Bellingen Hospital’.  Those present were elated as they were on record (televised on the NBN News that night).

Barb handing the Re-Roofing Petition petition to The Hon. Andrew Stoner & Mr Andrew Fraser

Local businesses, individuals & Community Service Organisations were also very generous with individual donations varying from small change to $1,000.  Over $13,543 was raised including interest earned throughout the campaign where the initial fund of $35,000 grew to $48,543 in just over 5 months.

It took some time but on the 21^st October 2013 BHAG received written confirmation from the Mid North Coast Local Health District that The Board had allocated funds from their 2013/14 budget to replace the roofs & associated flashings etc. on Hewitt Block & Hartley House.  The works commenced in November 2013 with re-roofing the Emergency Department initially & then the remainder of the roof on Hewitt Block which was completed around March 2014.  The roof on Hartley House followed and was completed in June 2014. BHAG arranged an independent inspection by Rodney Hicks (Hicks Plumbing & Drainage).

Mayor Mark Troy & Chairman Warren Grimshaw

Hospital Volunteers’ Celebration

The Mid North Coast Local Health District acknowledged the passionate commitment of the community of the Bellingen Shire during a morning tea celebration at Bellingen Hospital on the 8^th of October 2014 when we donated $48,543 towards the cost to re-roof.  The total cost to re-roof (excluding gutter guard & GST) was $348,879.75.

As president I would like to say thank you to the Chief Executive (Stewart Dowrick), Board & Chairman (Warren Grimshaw) of the Mid North Coast Local health District; the staff & Doctors at Bellingen Hospital; past & present committee members of BHAG in particular the ‘Funraising’ committee (aptly named by Gai Stern); Bellingen Shire Councillors; our local Members of Parliament and our entire community.  Without this united support the staff would still be supervising the ‘bucket brigade’ at Bellingen Hospital during heavy rain events.

I wonder how many other communities have been successful in campaigning to undertake this scope of works in their local public hospital!  This is not the first time that our community have had to fund major capital works.  In 1925 the roof of the isolation ward was leaking.  It had been built by the Dept. of Public Works & they refused to repair it.  The Bellingen community had to foot the bill.  There appears to be a theme here!

Well done Bello,

Barb Moore (president BHAG Inc.)

MORE PHOTOS, ARTICLES & NEWSPAPER COVERAGE

BHAG Press Release – Stone & Fraser Roof Commitment

The History of our Leaking Roofs

Barb Moore’s Presentation 08 October 2014

Hewitt Block Roof before

Hewitt Block new roof

Hartley House new roof

Hartley House before

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Local MPs to receive Roofing Petition

LOCAL MPs TO RECEIVE YOUR PETITION TO RE-ROOF BELLINGEN HOSPITAL SATURDAY 20TH JULY

Everyone in the community is invited to attend the handover of the petition of nearly 3,000 signatures to our local MP’s The Hon. Andrew Stoner & Mr Andrew Fraser at 12.15pm this Saturday the 20th of July outside the Library in Maam Gaduying (Council) Park. Continue to demonstrate your support to replace the leaking roofs at our hospital with a poster (we will have some or we welcome you to make your own).

This will be the third time in 5 years that we have petitioned the NSW Government to preserve & support our local hospital.

Our community has raised $46,953 to contribute towards the cost of re-roofing with $11,953 raised in the past 4 months. This is a phenomenal effort by a small community. The Bellingen IGA Community Benefit program recently raised $112 & “Roof-Fuss” our Black Angus raised $4,480 alone & we wish to thank our chief fundraiser Pauline (photographed) for her amazing effort with this fundraiser.

BHAG needs to find a new home to display our Posters, Thermometer of funds raised & the Honour role of donors. If you have window space available in your business would you please contact Barbara Moore on 66551898.

We are still waiting for Mr Stewart Dowrick to reply to our last letter of 24th May where we requested a written guarantee that he will allocate funds to replace the leaking roofs on both Hewitt Block & Hartley House.

We have received a written reply from The Hon. Jillian Skinner MP (NSW State Health Minister) however she did not offer any additional funds. She has advised us that Mr Dowrick is seeking an updated costing to replace the roofs with a view for funding to be allocated in the 2013/14 financial year and that Physical Resources will continue to monitor any areas of concern during heavy rain to minimise disruption to services.

It would appear that the health service is taking this matter more seriously than has been the case in the past. So thank you to everyone who continues to support this project. The voice of the people with the squeaky wheel is a formidable force. Well done.

Barbara Moore (President BHAG Inc.) 10/07/2013

$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

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