At our AGM on 26th March, our President, Dr Roger Harrington reminded us of the history of the hospital building, that it “would be used for the purpose for which it had been erected for time immemorial” – and that was “to relieve the suffering of the sick, especially the sick poor, in the town of Buckingham and its neighbourhood, by placing within their reach skilled and experienced nursing during sickness”. To this day, the staff of the hospital, supported by the League, stand by this founding principle in what is a vital healthcare facility in this northern outpost of the Buckingham Healthcare Trust’s area.
The major achievement during the year was the installation of the new xray equipment – the most advanced in the Trust, we are told – towards which the League contributed £70,000. This was very important to the hospital and the town as there were suggestions that, without that contribution, the Trust may not have felt they could afford the new equipment and the service might have been lost.
It is a measure of the support which the League receives from people and businesses in the Buckingham area that we can chip in a sum such as this and remain financially strong.
Not content with a change of secretary and treasurer, we have now to accept the need for a new chairman as I have said that I shall not be standing again. Having taken over for a couple of years when Lesley Suggate stood down, I am now into year six! So, Read My Lips – this is My Final Year. Again, we need to identify a new chairman as soon as possible, to enable them to familiarise them with the role. Should we be fortunate enough to find a successor from within the committee, that would be ideal but we need to be looking outside the committee in case there is no internal candidate.
John Wrigley – Chairman of the League of Friends of Buckingham Hospital