FROME Medical Centre staff, who set up a charity in 2002, has now raised nearly £9,000 thanks to support from people in the Frome community.
Recently, the practice has donated to the Pakistan Flood Appeal (£1,500) and to local boy, Dillon Chapman (£500), who has neurofibromatosis, and whose family and friends are raising money to have a holiday in Florida Disneyland.
Their charity, Special Charities and Relief Funds (SCARF), was set up eight years ago, originally from an idea when the very popular Dr Claire Murphy left Frome Medical Practice and set her roots in Africa to work with Aids victims.
Judith Tallin, treasurer of SCARF and staff member of Frome Medical Practice explained how the charity was formed following contact with Dr Claire Murphy in Africa. “During correspondence with her it was very clear that there was a great shortage of equipment and drugs so we decided to raise some funds,” she said.
“Since that time we have raised nearly £9,000 by donations, table-top sales, raffles etc., and mostly through selling books, puzzles and videos at the Frome Medical Practice on the ‘book table.’ Patients and staff are very generous in donating and buying the books and I have been told that we are now called ‘the second library.’
“With the funds we have also been fortunate enough to help with other donations and disasters like £1,000 to the Tsunami Appeal back in 2004 and donating £1,000 to the very much published appeal for ‘Boudicca’s Big Bash’.
“Boudicca was a little girl of three years old from Frome who was found to have cancer so her family and friends wanted to raise as much money as they could to make a dream come true, to send the whole family to Disneyland, and what a lovely time they all had.
“We were also able to donate £2,000 to the Hornbeam Project. The charity wanted to set up an orphanage in Kalimpong just over the border of India where many Nepalese have fled. Many of the children are full orphans and have no relatives to care for them; their parents have been killed either trying to get food or through childbirth.
“£500 was also given to a charity obtaining money for buying mosquito nets and last year donations of £250 had been made to raise much needed money to Cancer Research UK by taking part in producing the 2010 calendar which many staff of the Frome Medical Practice took an active part.
“This year we have already donated £1,500 to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal and £500 to the publicised Richard Lock, a Frome man they were raising money for a new wheelchair.
“I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who is involved in helping to raise this money for which, without your help, none of this could have happened and the generosity you have all given will enable us to continue donating to worthy causes.
“If you have any books or puzzles you would like to donate please ring me on 01373 301301 or leave a message and I will return your call as soon as I can.”