The Greenwell Point Hospital Auxiliary is holding a special high tea fundraiser on Saturday, August 12.
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The event will be held at the Greenwell Point Community Hall, starting at 11am.
Cost of the high tea, which will include a scrumptious array of treats, is just $10.
Money raised at the event will continue the auxiliary member’s fundraising efforts for Shoalhaven District Hospital.
Cucumber sandwiches, lamingtons, cupcakes, some hot treats and much more will be on the menu.
“All calorie free,” joked vice-president June Innes.
A special part of the day will be a cup/mug judging competition.
Patron Beverley Bloomfield will be judging your favourite cup or mug or fancy cup competition. There will be a prize for the winner.
The Greenwell Point Hospital Auxiliary has been operating for 67 years.
In that time the dedicated band of workers have raised $550,000 for the Shoalhaven Hospital.
Last year alone the group donated $18,400 for equipment. A remarkable effort considering the group currently has just 17 members.
“The hospital appreciates our efforts,” treasurer Coral Gardiner said “and it’s fantastic to be able to help them.”
Over the years the group has donated numerous items to the hospital. Things like a hi-low bed, a motorised wheel chair, commode chairs, recliner chairs and just last week a syringe pump, iPads and two sofa beds.
The group also contributed with another organisation for a dialysis machine, and even purchased electric blankets for the babies long before the hospital had humidicribs as well as curtains for the nurse’s accommodation.
“We hold numerous events throughout the year,” Ms Gardiner said.
“We have cent auctions, stalls, fashion parades, morning teas and bus trips,” she said.
The group even cater for wakes.
They are one of four local recipients from the weekly bingo at the Greenwell Point Hotel, while the Greenwell Point Bowling Club is also a great supporter.
“The Greenwell Point community as a whole is a great support,” Mrs Innes said.
“We have people in the community who knit and cook for us who don’t belong to the auxiliary but they just like to do their bit.
“This is a great organisation and it gives us a purpose, something to do and a chance to give back to the community.”
- The Greenwell Point Hospital Auxiliary’s special high tea fundraiser will be held at the Greenwell Point Community Hall on Saturday, August 12, from 11am.
The Shoalhaven District Hospital Auxiliary Greenwell Point Branch history
By Douglass J Glass
It was about the year 1946/47 that the late Alderman Walter P Watson a member of the former Nowra Municipal Council introduced to council the matter of establishing a general hospital in Nowra.
Council adopted the idea and formed a small committee representing the council and local citizens to pursue the matter.
Amongst those on the committee were Aldermen Watson and Glass, Mrs N Rodway OBE (Red Cross) , Mr P Young (Chamber of Commerce), Mr Eric Saddler (man Power Office - later CES) and other interested citizens.
The committee went about the business in a professional manner and enlisted the services of the Nowra Town Clerk, Mr W S Batt ex-officio a member of the committee, to co-ordinate the committee’s activities with the council.
Mr Sadler was elected honorary secretary.
One of the first tasks of the committee was to engender the support of the community and to that end, a series of public meetings were held both within and beyond the municipality of Nowra.
The support was unanimous, which was most encouraging, particularly so as there were then seven local government councils within the area. These were later formed into the Shire of Shoalhaven.
In 1947 the board of the Shoalhaven District Hospital was gazetted and about 1949/50 a start was made to build a pre-fabricated 20-bed hospital consisting of six male public ward beds and four male intermediate ward beds with the same number for females.
This was opened on May 21, 1951 and in the years following an additional eight male and female beds were added, together with four children’s cots were added making this a 32-bed hospital.
With the gazettal of the board of directors an effort was made to form hospital auxiliaries and in 1950 the Greenwell Point Committee, already very active, received the status of a hospital auxiliary.
Mrs Jeanie Evans (nee Skinner) was the foundation president and Mrs Wheeler honorary secretary.
For more than 30 years this auxiliary has continued to operate with thousands of dollars being raised for this worthy cause.
In 1958 a new building was opened as a maternity unit consisting of 29 beds as follows – 12 intermediate, 16 public and 1 single room.
In May 1972 a further building extension was completed in accordance with the following details: 36 intermediate ward beds, four intensive care ward beds and two recovery ward beds, together with a new operating theatre block with twin theatres, new X-ray department, new pathology department, new casualty and outpatients department, new administrative section, new kitchen and associated dining rooms. Besides these, a new children’s ward was opened.
Subscribing to all these additions, Greenwell Point Auxiliary has been proud to have materially helped in providing items of capital equipment.