Appeal committee chairman Lord Sharman, Sally Peaty (left) and marketing administrator Hannah Paye with the signed England rugby shirt.A LIFESAVING heart unit for Salisbury is now in sight, after £100,000 was raised for the Ace of Hearts appeal in the past week.

The current appeal total now stands at about £710,000 but more is needed quickly if the £1m unit is to be operational by next April.

People from all over the city have come together to help raise the money by holding a variety of events and street collections.

During the past week, Salisbury Hospital's charity Share launched the start of the 12-day final fundraising push, staging an auction last Thursday night at the city's Guildhall.

The event raised £27,000, including £3,000 for a signed England rugby shirt, £1,000 for a Manchester United shirt and £750 for a week's stay in a Corfu villa owned by former mayor of Salisbury Lady Benson.

Sally Peaty, director of fundraising for Share, said: "People really have rallied round over the past week to help raise our target by December 15. The end is now in sight and it would be great to push for that final amount.

"Salisbury desperately needs this heart unit and patients can't wait forever. If we can just raise this last amount, we could have our cardiac suite by April.

"That means more patients could be seen without joining a 15-month waiting list at Southampton General Hospital.

"If anyone could spare a few hours over the weekend to help with street collections, that would be an enormous help to us."

Figures show that as many as four in ten deaths in the Salisbury area are due to heart disease.

The £1m raised will pay for the capital costs of the cardiac suite, which will be based within the north wing of the hospital.

The NHS has agreed to match the funds by providing a further £1m over 10 years for the running costs.

The suite will house sophisticated digital X-ray equipment, an examination room, a purpose-built relaxation room and a conference facility.

There is still time to organise an event or make a pledge. Please contact Share on 01722 429005, c/o Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 8BJ or by e-mail: share

charity@salisbury.nhs.uk

Fundraising

Monday, December 15

Table-top sale, Salisbury District Hospital.

Street cash collections, Old George Mall, Salisbury.

Tuesday, December 16

23 Salisbury Scout group, carol singing around the Stratford Sub Castle area.

Sunday, December 21

Carol singing around the village of Bishopstone.

Friday, January 23

Dance '60s-style to Ricky Vernon & The Pathfinders, Mike Ireland (The Shadows) and Yan & Pat (Pay Day), Winterslow village hall, 8pm. Tickets: £10 from Central Stores Winterslow and Nu-Clean, Salisbury.