Charity Fund
Wool Surgery Charity Fund
This is a Registered Charity no. 900299, based at the Surgery in Wool. It is run by its own Trustees and is entirely separate from the medical practice’s own finances.
How the Fund began
It was formed by some doctors and patients in the 1980’s because the doctors were given several kind donations towards equipping an earlier surgery building in Folly Lane. We felt these unexpected funds needed to be wisely managed in a way that was publicly accountable.
Once up and running our first major appeal and purchase, back in 1990, was a special bed for nursing seriously ill patients, mainly those with cancer, in their own homes. This bed was not available from the NHS in those days. It proved a great success with both the District Nurses and the patients and their families. (So much so, that further donations allowed us to buy a second one.)
Helping with Equipment
Thanks to our generous donors, we soon were able to buy other items used in the surgery and in people’s homes. Some items have since been overtaken by modern medical practice, but examples are:
| Doppler ultrasound monitors used in arterial disease | Treatment Room couches and extra blood pressure monitors |
| Computerised ECG (heart tracing) machines, and software licences to analyse the results | Heart defibrillators |
| Foetal heart monitors | Some higher Waiting Room type chairs |
| Pulse Oximeters (to monitor oxygen levels) and a Spirometer | Educational models and leaflets and books to help patients cope with chronic diseases |
Helping Individuals
From time to time we’ve helped financially some individuals and their carers who need to manage health related conditions. As you would expect, this is done on a confidential basis. We have also funded specialised wheelchairs and other transport for disabled children.
Helping Other Organisations
We regularly support the Share and Care scheme by paying for their insurance costs. Share and Care provides volunteer transport to get people to appointments and to deliver medicines.
In 2024 we also have given money to the local appeal to help fund the Admiral nurses who do a great job helping carers of dementia patients as well as the sufferers themselves.
Legal – Our Trust deed and aims
Under Charity law, the Trustees must stay within the terms of their Charity Deed. Our original objects were to help local people to get the best locally based nursing and medical treatment possible and to save some of the long journeys that sick people and their families frequently have to undertake.
In summary our Trust Deed sets out our objectives as follows:
- The relief of sickness and the preservation and protection of health of all persons in our local1 area by providing medical equipment used in their care and treatment. Also, the provision of comfort for those using health care premises, and assistance with transport for patients and their carers.
- The relief of poverty among the sick, suffering, disabled, handicapped, or infirm in the local area;
- To advance the education of persons resident in the local area about the enhancement of health in general;
- To relieve people who are sick, elderly or disabled resident in the local area by the provision of carers and by the provision of support and training to such carers;
- To promote and undertake and to assist in promoting and undertaking research, surveys, and investigations into health matters generally and to publish the useful results of such research, surveys, and investigations.
- To financially or otherwise support other charitable and voluntary organisations working within the local area where in the opinion of the Trustees this support would advance the other objectives of this Trust.
1 The ‘local area’ means Dorset, but particularly Wool, Bovington, Lulworth, Winfrith Newburgh, and the surrounding areas.
Trustees
| Mr Neville Langford (Chairman) | Dr Chris Irwin (Secretary) |
| Mrs Toni McPherson (Treasurer) | Mrs Faith Brown |
| Mr Chris Melhuish | Mrs Maureen Parish |
| Dr Richard Mugford |
How to contact us
For general enquiries write to Chris Irwin at 23 Hillside Road, Wool BH20 6DY. Please mark the envelope “Confidential – Wool Surgery Charity Fund”.
To request help:
- Either use the same name and address as above;
- or contact any of the Trustees;
- or write to the Charity Fund c/o The Wellbridge Practice, Meadow Lane, Wool, BH20 6DS, marking your envelope “Confidential – Wool Surgery Charity Fund”.
Please make sure you include your contact details and also those of the person needing help if that is different. (If you ask on behalf of someone else, you must have permission from that person allowing you to contact us.)
Donations
Donations are always welcome and gratefully received. Donations may be handed in or posted to the surgery. Do please make sure the envelope is clearly marked “For Wool Surgery Charity Fund”. Cheques are preferable to cash where possible and should be made payable to “Wool Surgery Charity Fund” (and not to the Surgery or to the Wellbridge Practice, please).
