CHAPELS APPEAL FOR HOSPITALS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28937, 3 July 1959, Page 16

CHAPELS APPEAL FOR HOSPITALS

North Canterbury Collection During the last few days. 13,265 homes in the towns and rural areas of North Canterbury have received information and envelopes in readiness for the first country section of the hospital chapels appeal opening tomorrow. Because of the widely-scattered communities involved, the organisation has been even more complex and thorough than that in which Christchurch in May raised £24,000 toward the objective of £35.000 to provide chapels at Burwood, Cashmere, and Sunnyside. The explanatory leaflet sent to North Canterbury householders emphasises that the Country appeal is not an afterthought to make up the deficiency. It was planned from the outset of the project, preparations were started | simultaneously with the Christchurch arrangements, and country helpers have been working for many weeks. Another “self-help” aspect of the appeal as a whole was the preparation for postings to householders in North Canterbury. En-. velopes were stapled to and folded with the leaflets in the, occupational theraoy department of the Sunnyside Hospital where, patients have been specially active in many other kinds of assistance.

In the last few weeks meetings have been held throughout the North Canterbury Hospital Board’s rural areas. They have been attended by representatives of all the churches, the district hospital board member, local bodies, women’s organisations. Federated Farmers, Young farmers’ and Country Girls Clubs, as well as interested members of th£ public. Many meetings have had attendances of 50.

Each meeting has been addressed by teams of three from the Christchurch usually a hospital chaplain, a nurse, and a layman. s Country Committees

Nineteen country committees have been formed—at Kaikoura, Cheviot, Amberley, Hanmer, Culverden, Waikari, Hawarden, Cust, Oxford, Rangiora, Darfield, Belfast, Hororata, Sheffield,• Lincoln, Leeston, Southbridge, Dunsandel and Akaroa. Each has its own chairman,, secretary, and treasurer. These committees are each making individual efforts to foster interest in the appeal and to arrange the distribution and collection of envelopes. Locally - sponsored efforts are expected to be a key feature of a successful appeal in the country. The Hospital Chapels Appeal Committee had no doubt now that the appeals in the country would achieve the total objective of £35.000 to be raised within six months, said the honorary organiser (Mr Alex Prentice) yesterday. The challenge had been addressed as an appeal for “the country's third,” £24,000 having been raised in Christchurch. Country meetings had freely conceded that their communities had almosf as big an interest in the chapels as the city because so many of their people, at some time, would use the services of the hospitals concerned.

Accustomed to the closer community interests, intimate friendships. and individual attention of the churches in the country, these folk had a very deep appreciation of what hospital chaplains and hospital chapels could mean to the sick, the anxious, and the bereaved, Mr Prentice said. They had been thrilled by the response in Christchurch and were determined to do their part.