Berwick St John Country Fayre raises record-breaking total for the Stars Appeal

The 2024 Berwick St John Country Fayre has raised a record-breaking amount for the Stars Appeal, Salisbury Hospital’s Charity.

The whopping total of £96,983.99 was announced during a special presentation held on Sunday, December 1 at a packed West Barn Lodge in Fovant with nearly 300 people in attendance. After the big sum was revealed, further donations from guests at the event bumped the total up to an incredible £100,000 – the largest amount raised in the Fayre’s 32-year history.

The Berwick St John Country Fayre has been running every other year since 1992 raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for a wide variety of charities, including the Stars Appeal, before committing long-term support to the Stars Appeal in 2012. In 2022 the Fayre raised £63,117.18, which had been the biggest fundraising total until now.

The 2024 event, which took place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September, attracted thousands of visitors and featured an array of activities from displays of steam engines, vintage tractors, heavy horses and classic cars as well as a dog show, rural crafts, fairground rides, and entertainment. Ahead of the main fayre event, visitors enjoyed an evening of live music on Friday, September 13th.

The biennial event is run entirely by a dedicated committee of volunteers, with wide support from the local community and village residents.

Fayre Secretary Louise Hall said: “We are blown away by the incredible generosity and support we’ve received which has enabled us to raise this record-breaking total for the Stars Appeal. Despite facing many challenges ahead of this year’s event, the entire team pulled together to deliver a brilliant show with a fantastic atmosphere. We are so grateful to everyone who supports us, not just financially, but also by providing services and equipment and by volunteering their time. As we heard today, the money raised makes lives better at Salisbury Hospital and we sincerely thank everyone who has worked so hard to make this possible.”

During the presentation event, Fayre directors, including chairmen Richard Pocock and Gerald Mundy, spoke of the huge community effort that goes into to making the event such a success and expressed their gratitude to the many supporters, sponsors and volunteers without whom the Fayre could not happen.

Guest speakers included MP John Glen, Reverend Alison Waterhouse and Stars Appeal Fundraising Committee Chairman Stephen Oxley. Stars Appeal Patient Ambassadors Adam Abel, Adrian Abbott and Colin Ford shared their personal experiences of how the Stars Appeal made a difference to them and their families during their time at Salisbury District Hospital. They were joined by Hospital doctors and surgeons who explained the impact that the charity’s work has on the care that they provide.

Adrian, 54, spoke about the charity’s projects for heart patients which supported him during his treatment and recovery after having a cardiac arrest. He said: “I was aware of the Stars Appeal before my heart attack, but I had not realised just how different the patient experience at the Hospital would be without it.”

Adam, 25, shared his story of how Stars Appeal funded additional facilities, equipment and support helped his family in the Hospital’s Radnor Intensive Care Unit where his mum Becky was cared for in her final days after a brain aneurysm.

And Colin, 64, spoke of the difference Stars Appeal funded equipment like CT and MRI scanners and wellbeing projects made to him when he was treated for three separate cancers.

There were also special thank you messages from families who benefit from other projects funded by the charity including the Stars Appeal Play Assistant on the Children’s Unit and the accommodation and facilities supporting parents and their babies on the Neonatal Unit.

Stars Appeal President, the Earl of Pembroke, said: “I congratulate everybody involved with the Berwick St John Country Fayre on this momentous achievement. I deeply appreciate the incredible teamwork and effort required to organise an event of this scale and this result is a testament to the remarkable support and passion we all share for the Hospital, its dedicated staff, and the invaluable services provided by the Stars Appeal. These services make a profound difference to the thousands of families who rely on them and provide access to the latest equipment and the best facilities. They allow patients to be diagnosed faster, and with families at their side, recover quicker and return home sooner. Thank you again for all your incredible support of the Stars Appeal and we look forward to the next Fayre.”

Money raised will go towards the £1million the Stars Appeal, Salisbury Hospital’s Charity, aims to raise this year to fund new equipment, enhancements to buildings, and ongoing projects supporting patients across Salisbury Hospital including the Stars Appeal Wi-Fi, hospital chaplaincy, support for patients with cancer and the Stars Appeal Play Assistant on Sarum Children’s Ward.

The Berwick St John Country Fayre will next take place on 19th and 20th September 2026 and the Committee have a number of other events planned for 2025. For more information visit www.berwickstjohncountryfayre.co.uk