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Fundraising News Spring 2019

CELEBRATING

20 years of fundraising

The Royal United Hospitals Bath charity magazine Follow us on

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Welcome

Tim Hobbs Head of Fundraising

Welcome to this spring edition of Fundraising News. This year is a very special one for us as we’re heading towards our 20th anniversary of fundraising for the RUH. Having been here since when the charity first started, I have been witness to the incredible fundraising efforts made by people like you, as well as the impact of fundraising and how you’ve helped patients and their families. I am always amazed by your stories, the lengths that people go to, to raise money (including running in the Bath Half – good luck!) for the RUH. They are just so inspiring and heart-warming. Last year, we launched four Special Appeals to mark our 20th and the support for them has been huge. We are close to finishing two of the four (Facial Surgery & Orthodontics and Critical Care) and on page 6 we are putting a spotlight on the Breast Unit Special Appeal which is also going well. In the meantime, we are also working to complete the Therapies Campaign with its last £100,000 and, in acknowledgment of the Brownsword Charitable Foundation’s support, we are pleased to announce that a key section of the building will be known as ‘The Brownsword Therapies Centre’. So, there’s lots going on and if you would like to support us this year and are not sure how to get involved, check our events calendar on pages 8 and 9. We have a range of fun and challenging events taking place in and around Bath, so please take a look – you never know, there might be one that catches your eye! And finally, to mark our official 20th anniversary on the day (29 June) there will be an exciting new floral sculpture on display in Bath’s Parade Gardens. I won’t spoil the surprise with too much detail, but I hope you will come and see this wonderful tribute that the Bath Parks Team is busy creating for us, The Forever Friends Appeal. Best wishes and good health

Tim Hobbs Head of Fundraising We’re always keen to hear your feedback about Fundraising News or any aspect of our work. Please email forever.friends@nhs.net The Forever Friends Appeal is registered with

The Forever Friends Appeal, Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath, BA1 3NG. Royal United Hospital Charitable Fund. Registered Charity No. 1058323

www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk

Contents

4 & 5

Your fundraising stories

12 & 13 Our community fundraising groups

Why Therapies Matter

Legacy gift for children

RUH Will Month

7 Spotlight on: Breast Unit Special Appeal 8 & 9

Take part in our events

10 & 11 Celebrating 20 years

16 & 17 Walk of Life stories 19 Local companies making a difference

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Your fundraising stories for our RUH Cancer Care Campaign Couple given all clear from cancer Trish and John Crowder were given the devastating news that they both had cancer – within one week of each other. Thankfully, the couple, who are in their early 70s were given the all clear at the end of last year. Trish was diagnosed with Lymphoma on her birthday and John was diagnosed with Prostate cancer. John said: “We cannot thank the consultants, doctors and nursing staff enough and so we decided to have a fundraising evening to raise money to go towards the RUH Cancer Care Campaign. Organising the party was a real family affair. Our daughter Lisa works in The Kings Arms, Melksham and was offered a room free of charge for our party and our son-inlaw Steve is a retired singer but dusted off

his kit and sang for us. Our son Jason was the auctioneer, our two granddaughters sang and our grandsons sold raffle tickets. It certainly was an evening to remember. “We managed to raise a staggering £3,475 and we were pleased to come to the RUH and hand over the cheque to the Appeal and Radiologist Philippa Gilbert who came to our party.”

My battle with the big ‘C’ Father-of-two Tom Bird, who lives in Cadbury Heath, has raised close to £8,000 for the planned Dyson Cancer Centre. In March 2017, he was diagnosed with high grade Lymphoma and decided to set himself a challenge to raise money for our RUH Cancer Care Campaign and

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Macmillan to ensure he remained positive throughout his treatment at the RUH. Tom organised a fun day for his family and friends raised an impressive £5,425.70. He then set himself a football shirt challenge and sourced one of each British football clubs’ shirts for auction and raised over £7,000. Thanks to Tom, he has raised an impressive £15,872.85, splitting the amount between the two charities. Since September 2017 Tom has been in remission. He said: “My motto in life is to always make a positive out of a negative situation. I want to say a massive thank you to all my family, friends and work colleagues for all of their support during my fundraising and my battle with the big C.”

How our supporters are raising money for other areas Furniture maker launches special edition cushions for NICU This spring, Stuart Scott, the luxury contemporary furniture designer, based in Hilperton, Wiltshire is launching a collection of special edition scatter cushions in support of the RUH’s Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care (NICU). For each cushion sold, a donation of £20 will go to the unit. Stuart has chosen to support NICU as his daughter Isabella was in the unit during the first few weeks of her life, so it is very close to his heart. He said: “My memories of this experience, the support we had from the staff and the absolute trust you give over

to the doctors and nurses in protecting your most vulnerable and precious being is still so fresh in my mind. My wife and I were so thankful at the time and remain in awe of the work that goes on there.” Isabella is 10 years old now, and enjoys ballet, piano and art and one day would like to become a designer like her father. If you would like to find out about the collection of special edition scatter cushions please visit: www.stuartscott.co.uk. We can’t wait to see what the new collection looks like – thank you Stuart for sharing your story with us.

Stomping all over cancer Maureen Conroy, organiser of the CC Stompers, a line dancing group who meet at the Bath Pavillion has been supporting our charity since 2000. With the help of her line dancing group, they’ve raised over £14,000 for a number of wards and departments, including Cardiac ward, Pulteney ward, NICU, Breast Unit, and our RUH Cancer Campaign. The group recently joined forces with Maureen’s keep fit class and raised an amazing £500 for Pulteney ward in memory of their friend and keep fit class member. Thank you so much to everyone involved.

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Therapies Matter From the outside the RNHRD and Therapies Centre is still a hive of industry, with windows and cladding being fitted. It’s a massive project and there’s still Every donation a lot to do – but the much-needed new is matched £1 Centre is on target for for £1 thanks to completion to open in the Brownsword the summer. We are down to the last £100,000 left to raise for this project and are calling on the public to help us reach our £2m fundraising target.

illness, injury or learning how to manage a long-term condition. For instance, if you have broken your hip, had a knee replacement or are recovering from a stroke and are learning to walk again part Challenge. of your journey will be through our therapies facilities, so they matter to everyone in all walks of life.

The funding raised by our charity will help see the Centre become a nurturing environment with dedicated facilities for rheumatology, therapies and pain management services. It will include a large hydrotherapy pool, specialist gym and rehabilitation equipment, and a biologics treatment space.

“All the fundraising support we receive will really make a huge difference to what we can do with this new facility.” Gina Sargeant, Head of Therapies, RUH said: “We are taking a holistic approach to the provision of the services in the new Centre as we firmly believe in the ability of the environment in which we treat patients to enhance our services, influence clinical outcomes and help patients back on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.” Around 25,000 patients per year are reliant on our therapies services to help them recover, whether it’s from a serious 6

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Meet Kevin, he had a bleed on the brain that caused him to have a stroke. Thanks to physio and occupational therapists at the RUH, he is able to walk and live independently again. He said: “I owe a lot to the surgeons, the nurses who cared for me and to the therapists who helped me get where I am today. I’m extremely lucky to be here and to have made this recovery.”

Spotlight on: the Special Appeal for our Breast Unit Your donations in support of this project will enable us to create superb new facilities at our Breast Unit, which will not only enhance the hospital environment but will also improve the patient experience for current patients and for all those who will be referred to the Royal United Hospitals Bath for treatment in the future.

Did you know?

•A round 6,000 referrals to the RUH’s outpatients Breast surgery services are made every year •A round 400 of these patients will be treated for cancer •B reast cancer will affect around 1 in 8 women at some time during their life. The Breast Unit is in need of redevelopment so it can continue to provide the very best facilities to the increasing number of patients that are being seen and treated every year. By redeveloping the unit, staff will be able to support patients from a dedicated support centre within the unit. The waiting area will be made more welcoming and calming and there will be a new area for mammographic and MRI reporting, enlarged consultation suites, examination areas and a dedicated treatment room to help reduce the length of stay in hospital for patients. There will also be space for continued survivorship support, and quiet rooms for privacy and dignity. Staff can carry out holistic needs assessments, help patients with prosthetic fittings and there will be an outside area for private retreats. With a significant anonymous donation received we are working on raising a further

£450,000 for this appeal. If you’ve been a patient at the RUH, or are a friend or relative of someone who’s been treated at the hospital and would like to give something back to this unit – you can. There’s a donation form on page 20 or check our website to find out how you can get involved, thank you.

“Finding a lump in my left breast was quite a shock but the response from the Breast Unit was incredible. I felt completely supported and I cannot thank my consultant and breast nurse enough for the care, kindness and guidance they gave at a time when I felt overwhelmed.” Karen Unsworth White, former patient

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Events Calendar Here’s some of the ways you can get involved this year and support the Royal United Hospitals Bath. If any of these events inspire you to take on a challenge this year, then visit our website for details and to sign up.

Bowood House Triathlon Saturday 29th/Sunday 30th June 2019

Walk of Life Saturday 11th May This event is our much-loved sponsored walk along the beautiful Kennet and Avon Canal. There are two distances you can choose from, the full walking marathon (26.2 miles) starting in Bishops Cannings, near Devizes, or the afternoon 10 mile route which starts in Bradford on Avon. Everyone will cross the finish line in Bath. Registration is now open – so come and walk with us and be part of our 20th year of fundraising celebrations. For more information or to sign up, please visit www.foreverfriendsappeal. co.uk/events/walk-of-life.

Swim, cycle and run through the beautiful grounds of Bowood. With a choice of Sprint and Super Sprint events, you will swim through the fresh water lake, set in Bowood Estate, followed by a beautiful cycling route through the ‘wilder’ parts of the grounds looping around Bowood Golf Course, Osprey Farm, and Lord Lansdowne’s private driveway, which is inhabited with game fowl. After the cycle stage, you will head out onto a scenic run course. Want to take part? Visit: www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk/events

The Forever Friends Appeal 20th anniversary floral display June - September In celebration of our 20th anniversary, a very special floral display will be unveiled in Bath’s Parade Gardens. We can’t wait to see this eye-catching display of summer bedding plants that’s being created by the BaNES Parks team. We hope you will come and enjoy this wonderful tribute to The Forever Friends Appeal. 8

www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk

Organising your own fundrasing event or taking part in one that’s not listed? Please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you and offer our support. Movie by Moonlight Saturday 31st August A date for your diaries! Come and watch a film under the stars in Bath’s Royal Victoria Park – bring a picnic and invite your friends. Entry is free and there will be a bucket collection on the night. This year’s chosen film will be announced soon. Visit our website for details.

NHS Big Tea Friday 5th July Following the NHS 70th birthday celebrations last year, this is a new national day for NHS charities. Everyone is invited to get involved, so why not take part in the Big Tea with your friends and family and raise a cuppa for the RUH. Download a tea party pack from our website.

Newfoundland Dog Dive Date to be announced Register your interest to take part in a water rescue by a four-legged furry hero whilst making a real difference to patients and families at the same time. The day is run by the incredible team at Newfound Friends and their well-trained and beautiful Newfoundland dogs on behalf of The Forever Friends Appeal. We’ll be there on the day to cheer you on and capture all the action.

Skydive Day Sunday 7th July We are looking for thrill-seekers to come to our day of skydiving at Netheravon Airfield in Wiltshire. To take this once in a lifetime leap for patients, please visit www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk/events/ sky-diving Follow us on

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Celebrating 20 ye

It’s a very special year for us as we are turning 20 this year.

Over £23 million has been raised, funding major projects to make a real difference to patients and their families being treated and cared for at the RUH. Tim Hobbs, Head of Fundraising said: “On behalf of the fundraising team, I want to thank everyone who has supported us over the past 20 years – we could not have done it without you. Thanks to major donors, legacies and the public we’ve been able to fund life-enhancing equipment, new buildings and facilities to benefit our patients and their families, over and above what the NHS can provide.

Over £23mi for the

“Since the charity started we‘ve had incredible support – helping us to fund two CT scanners for Oncology, raise £3.1m for the Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care and over £9 million has been raised for the pioneering Dyson

1999

2002

We set out to raise £5 million for the new central heart of the RUH

£250,000 for refurbishment of A&E

2005 CT Scanner Campaign is launched

£900,000 Catheter Laboratory is installed in the Cardiology department

2001

www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk

2007 CT Scanner installed in Radiography

We want to tha has supported 20 years – we c done it without

2008

2011

Launch of NICU ‘space to grow’ campaign

The Dyson Centre fo Neonatal opens

ears of fundraising

illion raised e RUH

ank everyone who us over the past could not have you.

2012

n or Care

Our RUH Cancer Care Campaign launches

2015

Cancer Centre and we’re continuing with our RUH Cancer Care fundraising campaign to ensure it will be truly special in its design, facilities and equipment.

“Last year, we launched four new Special Appeals to mark the beginning of our 20th year of fundraising – Facial Surgery and Orthodontics, Critical Care, Breast Unit and the Friendly Faces Project. Thanks to supporters, there’s enough funding for the refurbishment and relocation work to go ahead to further improve the Critical Care and Facial Surgery and Orthodontics departments, which is fantastic! 20 years of fundraising has truly made a difference at the RUH – visit our website to see our full list of achievements over the past 20 years. Later this year, we will be introducing some new exciting, innovative major campaigns and smaller appeals for the public to support as we look ahead to the next 20 years.

2016

£25,000 goes to Cardiology Catheter labs

2017

CT Simulator for Radiotherapy £650,000

2018

Launch of ‘Therapies Matter‘ for The RNHRD and Therapies Centre

2019

Launch of four new Special Appeals The Forever Friends Appeal turns 20

£9 million reached for the Dyson Centre Centre. Preparations begin for build in 2020

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News from our community fundraising groups We’d like to say a big thank you to our wonderful community fundraising groups who meet monthly to plan events and activities to raise money for our Cancer Care Campaign. We are always amazed by their creativity, kindness and hard work to support this important cause. Your Local – the group from Chippenham, Melksham and Calne have raised over

£50,000 for our RUH Cancer Campaign. Warminster & District – a donation of £2,500 brings their total raised to a fantastic £86,000. Bath – recently received a donation of £4,000, taking their total to £14,000. Keynsham & Saltford – formed in 2017, they have already raised over £3,400 for our RUH Cancer Campaign.

Join our Trowbridge RUH Fundraising Group We are looking for friendly, like-minded people to become members of our Trowbridge fundraising group. Everyone is welcome – you may be looking to make a positive change in 2019, gain experience in organising events or wanting to give something back to the RUH. Helen, (pictured right), one of the volunteers in the Keynsham & Saltford Group shares her reasons why she joined a group to help fundraise for our charity. She said: “My husband was diagnosed with an incurable yet treatable cancer in 2015. He is treated by the highly skilled team in the Oncology department at the RUH, for which my family and I are immeasurably grateful for. Following this, I decided to donate all my professional music performance work to the RUH Cancer Care Campaign and joined the Keynsham and Saltford Group. Since joining, I have met some wonderful people. We have a lovely fun time together organising fundraising events. We only take on what we all feel comfortable with and the generosity of people donating is incredibly heart-warming. The fundraising team are kind and have guided us all the 12

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way. It’s been a great journey and I am looking forward to seeing the new Dyson Cancer Centre built and it’s a good feeling knowing that our fundraising group will have helped towards it. To join or find out more contact Lauren, Senior Community Fundraiser on 01225 824013 or email lauren.noble1@nhs.net.

Ted’s Big Day Out is back Schools, nurseries and youth organisations – save the date 18 October 2019 as our fundraising day Ted’s Big Day Out is back. As we are marking our 20th year of fundraising for the RUH, we are inviting you to ‘Celebrate Your Way’ whether you flaunt in fancy dress, get your bake on or hold a teddy bear tea party, we would love you to be part of the day. By taking part, you will be supporting Children’s Services throughout the hospital, helping to fund specialist medical equipment, facilities and research going beyond what the NHS can provide. Please sign up to take part, you can register by visiting www.tedsbigdayout.com or call 01225 824013.

Wool’d you believe it! We would like to express our sincere thanks to the ladies at Knit & Chat in Shepton Mallet for their £1,500 donation towards our RUH Cancer Care Campaign. Over the last year, the group has been busy making and selling knitted toys, bags, bunting and more – thank you!

A special thanks also goes out to the • J ane Austen Festival for raising over £1,400 for our RUH Cancer Campaign since 2016. The 19th Jane Austen Festival will take place between 13 - 22 September 2019 •B entley Model Railway Group who raised £377 for our RUH Cancer Campaign from a bucket collection at a Model Railway Show • T he Weston All Saints C.E. Primary School (WASPS) for raising over £120 for the Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care • T he Frome Fatstock Society who raised over £8,300 for our RUH Cancer Care Campaign and Urology department • T he Inner Wheel Clubs of Midsomer Norton and Shepton Mallet who have donated to our RUH Cancer Campaign, Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care (NICU) and Urology departments.

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A generous legacy sees children have a Young patients are having a magic time when they visit the Children’s Unit at the RUH – thanks to a generous gift from a former patient of 70 years ago. There’s now a new ‘magic carpet’ machine in the Children’s Therapies Unit, which can project more than 500 moving images onto the floor, not only to entertain youngsters but to help with their treatment too. Children can chase and pop bubbles, kick footballs and play a variety of educational games designed to suit all ages. Emily Graham, Head of Children’s Therapies, said: “The magic carpet is an amazing addition to our resources. Our therapy team are using it to treat children with orthopaedic problems, and neurological and complex needs, as well as on the ward and in the hospital school. It’s a fantastic toy and a piece

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of technical equipment that will make a huge impact on the care we provide patients and their recovery.” The projector is a gift from the will of Peter Dabney, who was treated 70 years ago at the former Bath Orthopaedic Hospital and wanted to repay his gratitude for the care he had received. Jan Witt, In Memory and Legacy Officer said: “Gifts in wills are a vital source of income for the RUH. Generous donations such as this make a real difference to patients as well as their families who visit them. Funds donated often pay for additional equipment, research and innovations, as well as finishing touches and ‘extras’ that complement the existing high quality care for patients at the hospital.” If you would like to talk to someone about leaving a legacy, please contact Jan on 01225 825819 or email jan.witt@nhs.net

RUH Will Month 2018 raises £25,000 Thanks to the support of solicitor firms who took part in our RUH Will Month fundraising scheme, a total of £25,000 was raised for our charity last year. This incredible amount was achieved by the generosity of 11 solicitor firms based across Bath, Somerset and Wiltshire who waived their will writing fees giving people the opportunity to have a will drawn up professionally at a reduced cost. Jan Witt, In Memory & Legacy Officer said: “We are very appreciative of the generous support given to us by the solicitors who work extremely hard to help as many people as possible to draw up thousands of wills throughout September last year. It was a sell-out month, with will writing appointments booked up within the first two weeks of the month.

“RUH Will Month has been running for four years and it has proved to be very valuable to the Appeal. Not only does it raise significant funds towards the work we do helping to fund projects and equipment for all areas across the hospital, but also provides a yearly reminder to the public, to focus on getting their affairs in order to ensure their savings and possessions go to the people they love and care for.” For people who missed out in taking part in last year’s Will Month, we will be running the scheme again this September. A list of this year’s participating solicitors will be published on our website in the coming months. For more details about the scheme visit: www.foreverfriendsappeal. co.uk/make-a-will-month.

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Stories from our walkers - #whyI

Meet Lizzie, (pictured below) who will be joining on the Walk of Life for the fourth time – go Lizzie! She’s walking because of the care she received at our hospitals. Lizzie said: “During my Breast Cancer diagnosis and all through my chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment, a time when your whole world is turned upside down, the hospital was there for me, providing all the treatment and support that I needed to get better.

enabled me to have the knowledge to know how to move forward whilst managing the fatigue.

“It was really hard at times and it’s not only the initial treatment, it’s also all the effects after treatment. I was diagnosed with Cancer Related Fatigue after finishing my treatment and the RNHRD supported me through the Macmillan Step Up service for cancer survivors. It

Thank you Lizzie for sharing your story with us. If you have a story like Lizzie and would like to raise money for our charity, please contact us as we love hearing from you. Email forever.friends@nhs.net. To take part in our Walk of Life event visit our website.

Thanks to the treatment received, I am here today to enjoy life, be a mum and be healthy and happy. I walk every year as I want to raise money to help people who may need the support in the future like I had. It’s a great walk, everyone is really friendly and it’s a good way to get fit, but most of all its really fun!”

Iwalk Meet Judith – she’s one of our amazing walkers, taking on our 10 mile Walk of Life challenge. In 2016, Judith was diagnosed with a rare form of heart failure. Thankfully, she’s made a full recovery - this is her story: “In September 2016, I was rushed to hospital with what turned out to be a littleknown, stress-induced form of heart failure called Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. My heart had actually changed shape and its

function was measured at a mere 18%. “Fortunately for me, it turned out to be a reversible type of heart failure and thanks to the expert care I received at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, I have fully recovered. I want to give something back to say thank you as the RUH has made a huge difference to my life. So when I saw some of the Walk of Life participants along the route at Avoncliff last year, I decided that I would take part in the event this year, aiming to raise £500 to help make a difference in return for the care I received.” Judith, we’re delighted that you’ll be joining us on the Walk of Life.

Saturday 11 May 2019 Sign up today - join our walking marathon or the afternoon 10 miles along the Kennett and Avon Canal Laura Pearce, Events and Community Officer says: “It costs just £25 to sign up and you’ll receive a t-shirt and pass, water and treats on the day, lots of support and a medal when you cross the finish line.”

Maddy Jones, Senior Events Fundraiser said: "Come and walk with us. It's a great day and every step you take will be helping patients and their families at the RUH." 17

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Local companies making a difference Thank you Team Curo We’d like to say a huge thank you to Curo who chose us as their Charity of the Year last year. Curo, a housing association and house-builder raised a wonderful £13,672 and presented a cheque to our mascot Big Ted at their base in Bath. They raised the money by organising all kinds of fundraising activities for colleagues to get involved in, including yoga classes, naming their new vans, cake sales (lots), a golf day, raffles, dress down and dress up days, taking part in our Walk of Life event and many more. This amount has been donated to our RUH Cancer Care Campaign and we are truly grateful for their support. This year, Curo colleagues have voted to raise money for

our Children’s ward and we can’t wait to hear about their fundraising plans! Thank you for supporting us Curo.

BuroHappold donates to our Special Appeals Local engineering company, BuroHappold has supported us since they began. With the NHS celebrating 70 years and our 20th anniversary coming up, they held a Christmas raffle to help celebrate our wonderful NHS and raise some money for our Special Appeals. A

BuroHappold colleague said: “My mum was in the hospital for a month and was treated in intensive care, in the Critical Care Unit. “There is no doubt about it, the RUH is amazing; it is there working 24/7, without us giving it much thought, and is always available when we need it. I’m so grateful for the care given to my mum over her stay in hospital and this was a good opportunity to give something back, especially as one of the current appeals is for the Critical Care Unit. We are pleased to say we have raised £1,296 for The Forever Friends Appeal.” Katie Miller, Lead Group Coordinator with colleague Leyla Tugwell (pictured left) came to the RUH with a cheque for £1,296 for The Forever Friends Appeal.

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Please return form to: The Forever Friends Appeal, Royal United Hospital,