Hospital Friends make push for cash

Supporters of a community hospital near the south Shropshire border are just £30,000 short of reaching their contribution towards a £1.4 million refurbishment project.

The Friends of Tenbury Hospital have appealed for a final push to reach the target of £500,000 towards refurbishing and extending the hospital wards.

The rest of the money is being provided by NHS Worcestershire. Work to improve the wards, which were built in 1933, is due to start in early summer.

Jean Grosvenor, chairman of the Friends group, said: "We have about £30,000 left to go towards our half million which is pretty wonderful really. Clubs and charities have given money and we have some legacies as well."

The hospital will still accommodate some patients during the refurbishment work as one ward will be closed at a time.

It currently has 17 beds but this will be expanded to 19 after the refurbishment, which is expected to take about 10 months.

Mrs Grosvenor added: "The scheme is all about facilitating changes to the wards to give it much more space and bring it up to 21st century standards. There will be more events during the summer so hopefully that'll bring us nearer our target."

The next fundraiser is a lunch at Abberley Hall School, near Tenbury Wells, on May 9.