It hopefully won’t be long before Patricia Hewitt gets sacked as Health Secretary in a radical Cabinet shake-up after Tony Blair hands over to his successor.

People up and down the country are campaigning to save their vital health services from savage cuts or closure.  No campaigner could be more determined than Grant Shapps, MP for Welwyn Hatfield, who will be taking part in a sponsored walk this weekend to help save his hospital’s vital facilities.

He is inviting people to join him on the annual fund-raising  Rotary Walk this Sunday, 13 May – with a choice of either walking 5 or 10 miles to raise money for his hospital’s campaign, and says:

“We’re particularly anxious to raise a sufficient sum of money in order to properly promote the Hospital SOS day of action in June and we need around £2,500 just to get this up and running. So, if we can find a number of volunteers who are prepared to walk for our hospital then we would have a good chance of raising the all important initial sum.

“I’ve personally done the Rotary Walk for the past few years and it is great fun! The full route is 10 miles, but for those who prefer something more relaxed on a Sunday morning there’s a 5 mile finish too (which is the one that I usually do). There’s a certificate for everyone who takes part and a trophy for the person who raises most for their good cause. The Rotary Club ask for 25% of whatever you raise which they then distribute to their own good causes in turn.

“I know that the entire community is concerned about saving our hospital, but unless we stand up and be counted it will close.”

For more information, including the route and the entry form, please go here:
http://www.welwynhatfieldrotarywalk.org.uk

Unfortunately I can’t make the walk, but I will gladly sponsor Grant’s excellent cause, a cheque is in the post.