TODAY marks the start of the final 12 days of fundraising to give Salisbury its own lifesaving heart unit.

People all over the city will be joining in the £1 Million In A Million Seconds final push, which will finish on December 15.

There is about £350,000 left to raise.

If the £1 million target is reached within the target time, Salisbury District Hospital will have its own heart unit by next April.

Many fundraising events have already been organised, but more are still needed.

So that people know exactly how much is left to raise, a totaliser has been set up at Chicago Rock Caf.

Marking the start of the campaign is a dinner and auction to be held at The Guildhall tonight.

One of the lots available is an England rugby shirt, as worn by Salisbury's own Richard Hill, and signed by the whole World Cup winning team.

Advanced bids have already started and offers have now reached £3,000.

Sally Peaty, director of fundraising at Salisbury District Hospital's charity Share, said: "We can now see the end in sight and it would be a fantastic achievement to raise this remaining amount before Christmas.

"If we manage that, then the unit could be operational by next April.

"It was never meant to be a long drawn out appeal, because patients need the heart unit now.

"We simply cannot afford to raise the money over a long period of time, because equipment costs are rising all the time."

Figures show that as many as four in ten deaths in the Salisbury area are due to heart disease, yet patients have up to a 15-month wait and then they can only be seen at Southampton General Hospital.

The £1 million 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 £1 million 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 and anyone who is interested can contact Share on 01722 429005.

To make a pledge, write to: Share, c/o Salisbury District Hospital, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 8BJ.

To make contact by email: sharecharity@salisbury.nhs.uk.

Editorial staff at the Salisbury Journal have agreed not to send one another cards this Christmas - and to instead donate the money they would have spent to the Ace of Hearts appeal.