The Southland Charity Hospital’s buy-a-brick campaign has topped $100,000 less than a week since it was launched.

Supporters of the hospital are being urged to donate $100 to the cause in return for a supporter’s brick, which will be engraved with the donor’s name and used to form a path at the charity hospital complex. Commemorative plaques, which will be situated in Blair’s Garden on-site, are also being sold, for $500 each.

The establishment of the charity hospital, to service the people of Southland and Otago, is the legacy of cancer victim Blair Vining who, diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer in 2018 and, after discovering the inequities within New Zealand’s healthcare system because of the ‘postcode lottery’, campaigned tirelessly for better services right up until his death in October 2019.

The Southland Charity Hospital Trust was formed to provide healthcare for those living in the Southern District Health Board Zone who would otherwise be unable to access treatment through the private or public systems. It will be established in the former Clifton Club Inn, which was gifted to the project by the Invercargill Licensing Trust.

The hospital trust has already raised $500,000 and says another $500,000 would enable it to start working on the hospital build as early as August 1.

The Southland Charity Hospital’s website says the honour of being the person to buy the brick marking the first $100,000 towards that goal went to the owner of the Waikaia Store, Brown Owl Café and Post Office, Lyn Brown, whose father died as a result of bowel cancer a few years ago. Her mother died of cancer 30 years ago. The Brown family has also lost loved ones to cancer recently.

“We wanted to buy one, mainly because it’s a great idea but also because we’ve both lost family members to cancer, so it’s pretty close to the heart,” she told the trust.

“We just thought, if there was anything we could do to support the cause, then we would.”

“What do I hope for the Southland Charity Hospital? I guess it’s just giving people options in getting treatment and diagnosis earlier. The hospital is going to open so many doors for so many families, and hopefully will take away the stress and anxiety of waiting,” Lyn said.

The next step in the fundraising campaign is “Buy-a-brick Day” on Friday, July 31.

Schools and businesses across New Zealand are being encouraged to hold a Casual Friday – wearing red, white and black (the colours of the Blair Vining Sports Foundation) to raise funds at their school or workplace, which can then be used to purchase supporters’ bricks.

Click here to buy a supporter’s brick or commemorative plaque.

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