Members of the Rockbourne Fair committee presented their donation to the president of the Stars Appeal, the Earl of Pembroke, and the charity’s hospital ambassadors on 18 January.

A total of £51,533 was raised at the boutique shopping event, which took place last October at Salisbury Racecourse. A whopping £261,514 has now been raised at the last five Rockbourne Fairs.

Bev Moulding, the chair of the Rockbourne Fair committee, said: “We are absolutely delighted by the incredible success of Rockbourne Fair 2023. Raising over £51,000 for the Stars Appeal goes beyond our expectations especially in the current economic climate and speaks volumes about the dedication of our volunteers, the quality of our stallholders, and the support from every visitor who walked through our doors.

“Every penny raised will make a significant difference in enhancing patient care and supporting our hardworking NHS staff. This is a proud moment for all of us involved in the fair, and it reinforces our commitment to continue to put on this fun and much-loved pre-Christmas shopping event.”

The fair featured over 100 handpicked artisan stalls offering a variety of items for shoppers.

President of the Stars Appeal, Lord Pembroke said: “On behalf of the Stars Appeal, I want to say a massive thank you to the Rockbourne Fair Committee. The fantastic amount of money raised is a testament to their hard work and dedication, and to the brilliant support and generosity of our local community. It will enable the Stars Appeal to do even more to support our hospital and the local people it cares for by funding state-of-the-art equipment, enhancing facilities and providing ongoing projects to support the wellbeing of patients. Thank you so much to everyone involved for making Rockbourne Fair 2023 such a success.”

Donations from the Rockbourne Fair help the Stars Appeal towards its goal of raising more than £1million each year to fund projects supporting local people being treated at Salisbury District Hospital. Projects the charity are currently looking to fund include six high definition videoscopes for head and neck cancer patients, a mechanical chest compression machine, and 20 specialist cots for newborn babies on the labour and postnatal wards. These are in addition to the ongoing projects the charity provides which include support for patients with cancer, Stars Appeal Wi-Fi and accommodation for the parents of seriously ill children in hospital.

Last year, donations and fundraising enabled the Stars Appeal to fund projects totalling over £1million, which included Salisbury Hospital’s first 3D ultrasound, a new plastic surgery theatre with state-of-the-art equipment, and the latest baby heart monitors on the Labour Ward.

Rockbourne Fair will be back at Salisbury Racecourse with another selection of stalls on 16-18 October, so save the date. Visit www.rockbournefair.org for more information.

To read more about the projects the Stars Appeal is currently fundraising for visit www.starsappeal.org/what-were-fundraising-for/