A FUNDRAISING team from Basildon Hospital has been nominated for a prestigious national award after raising almost £250,000 for the children’s A&E department.

Claire Shaw, Andy Ray, Helen Mattock, Dee Harris and Clair Grayston from the Polly Parrot Appeal, have been shortlisted in the Fundraising Team of the Year category of the national Charity Times Awards.

The appeal was launched at the end of 2010 and in less than two years made a £110,000 contribution to the children’s A&E department, which opened in February 2012.

To date, it has raised £246,868 that has been spent on improvements to children’s areas in the hospital along with new toys and equipment.

Helen said: “The Polly Parrot Appeal receives fantastic support, in so many different ways from an incredible range of people, from eight to 80 year olds.

“People have run, swam, abseiled, baked, danced and cycled for the charity, to name just a few activities. A member of the local Harley Davidson chapter rode Route 66 for the appeal.”

She added: “We are always looking for original ways to raise money. None of us had any fundraising experience before, but we are good at bouncing ideas off each other.

We are always noticing things when we are out and about and coming up with suggestions for fund-raising.”

The group’s current fundraising drive is in aid of improvements to children’s wards and outpatients, the neonatal intensive care unit, oncology department and paediatric assessment unit.

Award winners will be announced at a ceremony in London in October, from a strong field that includes national charities such as the Samaritans, the NSPCC and Cancer Research UK, and high profile individual nominees, including Dame Esther Rantzen.

Clare Panniker, chief executive, said: “This nomination is a well-deserved accolade for the team who willingly devote a lot of energy and effort to raise money for improvements that give our young patients a better experience.

“The Polly Parrot Appeal is very popular in our local area, and this national recognition is a great way to raise its profile and hopefully attract even more support.