Gosport hospital cafe gets facelift thanks to group's generous donation

Gosport War Memorial Hospital saw its cafe undergo a £28,000 makeover after a generous donation from the League of Friends.

Aptly named the Friends Cafe, the space offers a more comfortable and relaxing place for staff, patients and visitors of the hospital to get food and take a break.

The idea for the refurbishment came from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust which runs some services at the hospital, off Bury Road.

They approached the League of Friends who were happy to help and donated the £28,000.

Brenda Sharp, chairman of the group, said: ‘The League of Friends were happy when asked to contribute the £28,000 for the refurbishment of the cafe, having paid for the original one.

‘We hope the staff, patients and visitors enjoy the new space.

‘We also hope the general public will realise they are able to use the Friends Cafe too.

‘Lunch is served everyday and we like to interact with people at the hospital and show our support.’

The League of Friends raises money through a number of fundraisers, including an annual Christmas fair, as well as other events during the year.

They also rely on the donations of people in the community.

Brenda added: ‘We get very generous donations from people which we are grateful for.

‘It is this money along with the events we organise that helped pay for the makeover of the cafe.’

Mayor of Gosport Councillor Linda Batty officially opened the new cafe last month, unveiling a new plaque.

People from Southern Health as well as members of the League of Friends went to the re-opening and celebrated with cakes and tea.

Paula Anderson, finance director of Southern Health, said: ‘We are proud to have formally opened our refurbished cafe at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

‘We are immensely grateful to the hospital’s League of Friends for their generous donation which has enabled this project.

‘Friends Cafe looks fantastic, and I’m sure the new refurbishment will improve the facilities available for our patients, visitors and staff.’

For more information on the League of Friends and they work it does for Gosport War Memorial Hospital email [email protected].