Record breaking Rockbourne Fair raises £62,000 for the Stars Appeal

The Rockbourne Fair committee presented the record-breaking total of £62,081 to the Stars Appeal, which was raised at the 2024 Rockbourne Fair, during a special presentation at Salisbury Hospital on Wednesday (12th February).

Rockbourne Fair committee members were joined by Stars Appeal President, The Earl of Pembroke, and Hospital staff for a special presentation outside Imber Ward, which was furnished and equipped with £600,000 of Stars Appeal funding.

The annual fair is a three-day shopping event held in October at Salisbury Racecourse. The amount raised in 2024 exceeded the £51,533 raised the previous year.

Bev Moulding, Chair of the Rockbourne Fair Committee, said: "Raising a record-breaking £62,000 is an incredible achievement, and we cannot thank our visitors, stallholders, sponsors and volunteers enough. Every single person who attended and made a purchase played a part in making a real difference to Salisbury Hospital’s patients and staff. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back this October for another fantastic event, save the dates.”

As part of the presentation, the committee visited Sarum Children's Ward where they met nine-year-old Lily-Eva Cole and her parents Shannon and Jordan. Lily, who is undergoing cancer treatment, presented Lord Pembroke and the committee with a special letter of thanks detailing how the Stars Appeal had helped her during her treatment.

Lily said, “Thanks to the Stars Appeal there is a very special play team here who help keep me busy and distracted from all my treatment. I haven’t been able to go to school or see my friends since I was diagnosed with cancer, so the play team are very special to me. They keep me company and always make me smile. They are like my friends.”

Along with funding the Stars Appeal Play Assistant and other extras on Sarum Children’s Ward, money raised for the Stars Appeal helps purchase new equipment, enhancements to buildings, and ongoing projects supporting patients across Salisbury Hospital including emergency patient clothing and toiletries, hospital chaplaincy and cancer support programmes.

President of the Stars Appeal, Lord Pembroke, added: “It is so heartening to see how the wonderful support of the Rockbourne Fair makes such a difference to patients like Lily-Eva and her family. The money raised helps provide the very best care for thousands of patients and their families across the hospital by funding the latest equipment and providing those little extras to make their time in hospital more comfortable. Thank you to Bev and her team for their hard work and dedication, and to everyone involved in making the 2024 fair a brilliant success.”

Rockbourne Early Christmas Fair returns to Salisbury Racecourse from Wednesday, October 15^th to Friday, October 17^th.

This much-loved event will once again bring together over 100 handpicked stalls offering luxury homeware, fashion, jewellery, cosmetics, gourmet food, and unique gifts - perfect for getting ahead on Christmas shopping while supporting a great cause.

Go to www.rockbournefair.org for more information.