Bexhill Hospital garden party rakes in £2,500

For the League of Friends of Bexhill Hospital the annual garden party is a shop window. It enables leaders of the charity to meet their faithful supporters and to show them what has been achieved on behalf of Bexhill patients.

It also allows town organisations and units from the hospital to show their support in practical form.

Saturday afternoon's event was marked by a cold wind and a couple of showers which, though brief, reduced attendance and sent bargain-hunters scurrying for cover.

The event was opened by Town Mayor Jimmy Carroll.

But while supporters representing many town organizations from the Rotary and Lions clubs to the Floral Group, the Rowing Club to the Bexhill 100 Motoring Club were manning stalls, side shows and exhibitions, the work of the hospital was continuing apace.

There was opportunity in Cllr Carrol's crowded schedule for league chairman Stuart Earl to give him a quick tour of the hospital's renal dialysis unit.

There, staff under unit manager Jenny Widgery were supervising as patients with kidney failure were having their blood cleansed.

The league gave substantial funding to establish this adjunct of the county's main renal dialysis centre at Brighton and has since funded successive expansion schemes.

Today, the Bexhill unit can take 16 patients at a time and has a total of 60 on its books.

Without the Bexhill unit, local patients needing to have their blood cleansed artificially would have to travel to Brighton.

As patient Brian Bromley explained to the Town Mayor, the local unit is a boon, cutting what would be a thrice-weekly all-day necessity to an afternoon.

At the opening ceremony, league treasurer Robin Barnett made a symbolic presentation to Jenny Widgery to applause from supporters.

Cllr Carroll said he was delighted to be able to open the event on behalf of the league, which had faithfully served the people of Bexhill for more than 50 years.

The league, he said, was doing a fantastic job.

On behalf of the public, he thanked the army of volunteers who made the league work.

The band of Little Common branch of the Royal British Legion provided live music through sunshine and showers, pausing only when Eastbourne Pipe Band took centre stage.

Bexhill l00 Motoring Club had more than 20 classic cars on display. The Maritime Volunteer Service was exhibiting the 5.5 metre rigid inflatable boat which forms part of its sea-training service.

There were other static displays by HM Coastguard, Sussex Police and East Sussex Fire and Rescue. Visitors could try their hand at Bexhill Rowing Club's rowing machines.

Event organiser Mark Sivyer, assisted by Douglas Mayne, had coordinated a wide range of stalls and sideshows.

The baby show in the hospital's health centre was sponsored by Chris Jackson of Bexhill Photographic.

Plucky Irvine Unit physiotherapy team members were allowing enthusiastic punters to pelt them with wet sponges while imprisoned in stocks supplied by Ninfield Bonfire Society.

It was hardly the weather for that hospital garden party favourite, tea on the lawn. But Harriett Chapman's tea-making team were kept busy in the shelter of the Irvine Unit.

Whatever the changes in the weather, indefatigable Charlie the Clown kept supporters smiling.

As usual, the garden party ended with John Black busy at his microphone announcing the good news to a lengthy list of raffle winners.

But the real winners were completing their renal dialysis in the comfort of Bexhill Hospital rather than face the time-consuming journey to Brighton.

The event raised 2,500.