A CHARITY champion has thanked everyone for their kind donations in helping to surpass a campaign target.

Last week, the Leader launched a campaign to raise £5,000 for Wrexham Hospital League of Friends – which will be go towards vital equipment at Wrexham Maelor.

One week on, thanks to generous Leader readers and Wrexham Cereal factory Kellogg’s, over £5,000 was raised.

Margaret Bryden, who has been Chairman of the friends for the last 15 years and is due to celebrate her 40th year working for the charity next year, said the campaign would help the charity greatly.

She said: “Throughout all of our fundraising activities, the people of Wrexham has always been very kind.

“Raising this amount in a short space of time just goes to show that people are very generous, and kind and it shows I was right about people backing the good cause.

“I am surprised we hit the target in such a short time, and I can’t thank Kellogg’s enough for boosting the total.”

The campaign was launched in these unprecedented times to give people a chance to say ‘thank you’ to the heroes forsaking their own health, on the frontline fight against coronavirus.

In just a few weeks, Covid-19 has brought the country to its knees and charities like this need our help.

The friends was established in 1968 and the objective is to raise funds to purchase equipment, often specialist, when hospital funding is unavailable. The equipment is used within Wrexham Maelor Hospital for both inpatient and outpatient use. The main source of income for this vital charity came from its two shops, which were operating on a daily basis within the hospital building. With those shops now closed, an all-important income generating stream and vital service to both patients and staff has been lost.

Margaret Bryden added: “We have had to ask our 200 volunteers to stand down and our staff to stand down because of coronavirus.

“Over the years, people have always been so generous, I’ve been fundraising for a long-time and it’s no surprise.

“When I was an advertisement manager for North Wales Newspapers, former proprietors of the Leader, someone from the League of Friends came in to ask for help with advertising and that’s how I started. I gave them help and they asked me if I wanted to join the committee.

“We used to hold a bridal competition and our photographer would take pictures of weddings and then give a bride of the month – so they would receive a bouquet of flowers and then at the end of the year all 12 brides would get together and we held a big wedding reception and a dance and chose a bride of the year.

“All the money raised went to the charity. I’m quite proud really of the journey we’ve been on.

“I’m always very enthusiastic about it really and so are all of our volunteers and staff so hopefully at the end of this we can pick up where we left off and everyone returns to us.”

Margaret said she has been in touch with the Maelor to see what equipment they need right now.

She told the Leader: “I have been in touch with them and they said this campaign is amazing.

“We need to find out what is needed now because that money is for now. When we buy equipment we have a process and it can take a long time, but we are making enquiries to see what they need now.”

The fundraising page is still active and those wishing to donate can do so online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-league-of-friends