Isle of Wight family's Christmas raffle raises over £2,500 for local stroke unit

The stroke unit at St Mary’s Hospital were delighted to receive a generous cheque after a successful Christmas raffle.

The team would like to thank Mr Sharpe and his daughter Leanne, who secured many wonderful prizes from Island businesses. The raffle raised a very impressive two thousand, five hundred and fifty-six pounds.

When Mrs Sharpe sadly suffered a serious stroke in June 2023, her ongoing recovery was provided by the stroke unit.

Sharpe: We thought it would be nice to raise some money for the ward
Mrs Sharpe said,

“As part of my recovery I spent time in the day room, doing arts and crafts, like painting. After learning that the staff hold a Christmas raffle, I knew my husband, Steve, would know of people who would be willing to donate.
“We thought it would be nice to raise some money for the ward so if patients cannot get out of bed, trolleys could be brought into them, and they could paint in their beds. It helps with recovery, but also helps provide company to those that do not have visitors.”

Sharpe: A way to say thank you to the staff
Mr Sharpe said,

“My wife Val, suffered a serious stroke. She spent just over six months in hospital, the team here have got her home where she should be, and she is doing fantastically well and getting better and better. Donating this cheque is a way to say thank you to the staff and it will go towards helping others who also need the unit.

“It is all thanks to local businesses for donating such wonderful prizes that the raffle tickets sold extremely well. We cannot thank them and those who helped sell the tickets enough for making this such a success.”

Wiggins: Incredibly grateful to the Sharpes
Debbie Wiggins, Ward Sister said,

“The stroke unit is incredibly grateful to Mr Sharpe and his family for their support with our Christmas raffle. They secured fantastic prizes donated from many local businesses and sold numerous tickets.
“The overall amount raised is phenomenal and will be used to purchase a new Sara Stedy hoist for the stroke unit. This is a piece of manual handling equipment which is fantastic at helping patients regain some independence.
“Any remaining funds will be used to purchase resources for our patient activity coordinator Kerry. This will include books, jigsaws, and craft items to help enhance the patient experience. We will also be purchasing storage for all the items.”

A list of all the Island Businesses who donated: