8:00 am, May 1, 2021
Dealer group Drive Motor Retail has donated a new car to the NHS to raise vital funds.
The Vauxhall Corsa SE, worth £16,500, has been given to the James Cook University Hospital Kidney Unit Appeal.
The fundraising campaign has been created to develop a new and improved renal unit at the Middlesbrough hospital.
Tickets cost £5 each, and with a target of raising £500,000, the appeal is set to create a bright, modern and welcoming environment for patients while also increasing clinical space and bringing together the renal specialist nursing team in one place.
The winner will drive home in the new Corsa when the raffle is drawn on September 30.
Rob Keenan, group joint managing director at Drive, said: ‘We want to thank our frontline NHS workers and support an important cause at the same time, so getting behind this campaign was a no-brainer for us.
‘The renal services at the James Cook University Hospital support thousands of people from the Tees Valley as well as parts of Durham, North Yorkshire and Cumbria, and the work the staff do is truly life-changing.
‘This is our way of giving something back, and we can’t wait to see a lucky winner take home this brilliant 21-reg Corsa.’
Renal consultant David Reaich said: ‘This is a fantastic donation from Drive. We are very grateful to them for their support and hope that lots of people will enter the draw.
‘Someone will be the lucky winner of the car, but everyone will contribute to improving facilities for the care of patients with kidney disease.’
Thomas Harrington, fundraising manager of South Tees Hospitals Charity, added: ‘The future looks bright, especially now we can start to visit friends and family, and what better way to travel in style than in a shiny new car!
‘We are getting close to our £500,000 appeal target and hope to sell plenty of raffle tickets to help drive the renal team past the finishing line!’
The renal day unit team at the James Cook University Hospital, which is run by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, carries out more than 3,000 appointments each year.
Tickets can be bought at https://southtees.enthuse.com/cf/the-kidney-unit-car-raffle.
Picture show first raffle ticket buyer Clare Allinson with the Vauxhall Corsa donated by Drive Motor Retail
