The Every Heart Matters appeal has edged ever closer to its half way target of raising £500,000 to help create a fully integrated cardiac centre at the West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pictured, are Graham Fielding, the master of the Ala Masonic Lodge Stowmarket, and his wife Kerri, with Mark Bessey, centre, healthcare science assistant; and their cheque for £750 for the Every Heart Matters appeal.Pictured, are Graham Fielding, the master of the Ala Masonic Lodge Stowmarket, and his wife Kerri, with Mark Bessey, centre, healthcare science assistant; and their cheque for £750 for the Every Heart Matters appeal. (Image: Archant)

The campaign, which is being run by the My WiSH Charity, has recieved the money from three different sources ... the St Edmundsbury branch of the Oddfellows, the Haverhill Lions Club and the Ala Masonic Lodge, in Stowmarket, with a total of nearly £3,000 being handed over.

The Lion’s Club donations of £1,500 came via its Santa’s Grotto which ran over three weekends and a day and attracted up to 550 children, prior to Christmas last year, and is held each year at Sturmer Nurseries and Garden Centre, in Church Walk, Sturmer, near the Haverhill Golf Club.

Lion President Len Russell said: “What better way could the club help support the local community than by making a donation to the Every Heart Matters appeal in Lions Centennial Year.”

And publicity officer for the club Phil Cheesmur added that the club found out about the appeal at an evening hosted by My WiSH and it was agreed to donate the money from the grotto.

East Anglian Daily Times: Pictured are Penny Jones, St Edmundsbury Oddfellows branch secretary; Mark Bessey, healthcare science assistant, Jill and Peter Brown, St Edmundsbury Oddfellows branch committee of management; Anne Banks, senior cardiographer; and Jacky Nunn, St Edmundsbury Oddfellows branch chair.Pictured are Penny Jones, St Edmundsbury Oddfellows branch secretary; Mark Bessey, healthcare science assistant, Jill and Peter Brown, St Edmundsbury Oddfellows branch committee of management; Anne Banks, senior cardiographer; and Jacky Nunn, St Edmundsbury Oddfellows branch chair. (Image: Archant)

“A lot of people we talk to in Haverhill use the West Suffolk and it’s important to have the cardiac unit set up there. Many of our members are elderly and it is important to us.”

The masonic lodge in Stowmarket raised £750 from donations and fundraising activities held by the 54 members who meet once a month between October and May at the Masonic Centre, in Violet Hill Road.

Graham Mason, the lodge’s treasurer and charity steward, said: “One of our members left us some money as he was going to the United States and we asked members who they thought would benefit from it. One of them told us about the appeal and all thought it would be a good idea.

“It’s crucial to have the centre locally so that people do not have to travel afield and was deemed to be a worthwhile cause.

East Anglian Daily Times: Every Heart Matters logoEvery Heart Matters logo (Image: Archant)

“You never know when you might need treatment for a heart condition and rather than having to wait several weeks we will have something on our doorstep.”

And the Oddfellows donated £500 to the appeal after choosing My WiSH as its charity for the next two years.

The group, which is based in Whiting Street, has nearly 500 members and Jacky Nunn, the branch chairman said: “Each year we ask our members to nominate a charity they would like to support for a two year period, and this year they recognised the wonderful projects that My WiSH Charity operate.”

And secretary Penny Jones added: “We aim to support local organisations and a lot of our members and friends of members have been touched by the work that has been undertaken by My WiSH and everyone is going to benefit from the appeal at some point.”

The West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust is investing £5.2m in developing a state of the art cardiac suite that will provide quicker access to more treatments, but the £500,000 My WiSH Charity is hoping to raise will lead to the whole unit, which is currently fragmented on different floors, being brought together in one purpose-built centre.

If you want to support the Every Heart Matters appeal go to the website www.mywishcharity.co.uk and if you would like to donate to the appeal you can do so by going to: Justgiving.com/ehma or text EHMA17 £10 to 70070.