Flowers befor sick people?

I love seeing the flowers here in summer and am proud of our winning ways, but one charitable service, about which I have written letters published in this paper, the League of Friends of Zachary Merton Hospital, is treated like Cinderella – absolutely necessary, hard-working and deserving of a fairy godmother, but still in the back kitchen.

People of Sussex took up the cause of the three main hospitals in the area, with vociferous appeals and displays, and the NHS and PCT finally gave us what we wanted.

Littlehampton Hospital had already been razed to the ground, with a promise to rebuild, leaving Zachary Merton Hospital alone to soldier on until the new hospital is built (whenever that is), relying on what the league can provide by way of equipment, improvements, repairs and comfort items for the many patients who pass through our little, local hospital.

Last year, we spent more than 33,000, much of which should have been provided by the NHS and PCT, but was not. Our income, however, was less than 8,000. Organisational costs for the league amount to less than one per cent.

Currently this income, normally provided by members' annual subscriptions and donations, local public donations and our own fund-raising activities, has suffered badly in the current recession, but as a charity, unlike the banks, who were provided with public money to prevent bankruptcy, we have no resources to fall back on and we have had to cap spending requests for the foreseeable future.

The choice of where to spend our money is up to the parish council, but being aware of our financial situation – flowers before sick people? No contest!

David Beckingham

treasurer

League of Friends

Zachary Merton

Community Hospital

Rustington

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