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Tom Higgins, former chairman of St Patrick’s Hospital Fundraising Association, who retired recently. Photo: Ellen Lynch

The chairman of St Patrick's Hospital Fundraising Association, Tom Higgins, retired recently after giving 15 years service to the association, ten of them as the helm. As Tom looked back over his long involvement with the association this week, his pride in the new Dochas ward delivered for the hospital is obvious.

The association was founded in 2,000 with agreement reached with the then Minister for Health, Brian Cowen to deliver a new 30-bed unit for the hospital. The association, born out of the former Friends of St Patrick's Hospital, set out to fundraise for their portion of the cost. They became a limited company and achieved charitable status.

"It went from there. There was tremendous support, a lot of different people and clubs organised fundraising events. We had private donations too," Tom recalls. So successful was their fundraising drive that by 2004's AGM, they had €460,000 in the kitty, having begun with €380,000. Some of the former Friends stayed on the new committee which Tom says was a great help.

The project was not without its problems. "There was no great move on from the HSE to build the unit. We met with them on various occasions. We were told it would be done 'shortly'. The whole business of tendering was lengthy. In 2006 we were told progress was being made but there was no real movement and we were getting no real answers," Tom says. He remembers it as 'a very challenging and demanding time'.

He paid tribute to Teresa Risdon, secretary of the association who passed away in April of this year. Tom said Teresa did sterling work and made a valuable contribution to the group.

"Teresa gave me such great help and support. She had a big hand in the overall thing. I worked very closely with her. Her contribution is not forgotten."  Teresa was present for the official opening of the new ward. Tributes were paid to her by association members and hospital staff at a special Mass following her death.

Finally, in 2008, things started to move with the unit. The association had decided to hand over the money in three instalments, the last to be delivered when the unit was completed. They stuck to that.

In the end it was a 22-bed unit rather than the 30-bed unit that was planned for. Tom believes HIQA was responsible for the decision to cut back on the number of beds, to allow extra room for patients. It was disappointing, he says, but there was nothing that could be done.

Throughout it all, the association continued to fundraise for equipment such as hoists that would help with patient care and provide the means to enhance their stay. Their main fundraiser has been their annual church gate collection, taken up in parishes from Watergrasshill to Mitchelstown, Glanworth to Ballynoe, including Rathcormac and in Fermoy. While the economic downturn created a difficult climate for fundraising, Tom says their collections were actually up. It's testament to the goodwill the community hospital enjoys.

Tom, who is from Aghern, Conna, served on the committee under three different matrons, Sr Patricia O'Hannigan, Anne O'Connor and most recently Annette Clancy.

Tom firmly believes the project may never have been delivered if it wasn't for the association. "If we hadn't had that money, the unit wouldn't have been built. They axed an awful lot of projects at that time around the country and closed some units that had been opened," he recalls.

The unit safely delivered, Tom decided that this year was a good time to step back. The fundraising association has been in existence 30 years this year.

Tom this week extended his sincere thanks to the association officers and members for all the help and support he got from them during his tenure. He also thanked Director of Nursing, Annette Clancy and Paula Russell for their co-operation and help, especially with the purchase of specialist equipment.

"They always made sure to pick something that was badly needed," Tom explained. "Their focus was always on the needs of the patients, as was ours." The hospital is run to a very high standard, he says. "There are not many community hospitals of that standard. I've no doubt the association will be able to meet their needs in the years to come."

Tom, a farmer, said he wasn't familiar with the works of a hospital when he started with the association, but he learned over the years, helped by others along the way.

The next fundraiser planned is a concert by popular singer Louise Morrissey. "I hope it will be a great success. A lot of work has gone into it. It'll be a good night out for people and hopefully the association will benefit financially from it."

He doesn't plan to give up fundraising just yet though. He intends raising funds for new equipment for use in treating cancer patients at CUH. And there's a new way of administering medication to stroke patients which requires funding. He already has a first event planned - a 45 card drive being held in The Big Tree pub in Aghern on Thursday, December 12th.

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