Salisbury Reds has gifted a local hospital charity £23,000.

The bus operator donated the vast sum to local hospital charity Stars Appeal, after naming the charity its official good cause for 2024 and 2025.

Salisbury Reds is now is spending two years raising funds, and awareness, to help the hospital charity provide a wide range of services for patients and their families.

The Salisbury Reds General Manager, Andrew Sherrington, said: "Our relationship with the charity spans more than 10 years - with many of our staff benefiting directly from the support it provides.

"My colleagues have voted for Stars Appeal to be our official good cause, and I’m delighted to be boosting our support with this lump sum - which is in addition to our fundraising efforts this year and next."

Andrew added: "We hope this latest donation will help Stars Appeal support people across all wards and departments, with its particular focus on cancer, cardiac care and children."

As Salisbury Reds’ corporate charity for 2024 and 2025, Stars Appeal is also featured on a bus back, and on-board messaging, to help raise awareness of its work.

The Stars Appeal helps patients across wards and departments at Salisbury District Hospital, and supports the NHS staff who care for them.

According to the charity, it needs to raise over £1 million this year to continue its work.

The money raised will fund new equipment, enhancements to buildings, and ongoing projects supporting patients across the Hospital.

It will also go towards the Stars Appeal Wi-Fi, hospital chaplaincy, support for patients with cancer, and the Stars Appeal Play Assistant on Sarum Children’s Ward.

Amongst the projects the charity is fundraising for this year are 36 ‘by your side’ sleeper chairs, costing £50,000, so that vulnerable patients and those at the end of their lives can have a loved one stay by their side in comfort

The president of the Stars Appeal, Salisbury Hospital’s Charity, the Earl of Pembroke said: “We are extremely grateful for this incredibly generous donation which will enable the Stars Appeal to do even more to enhance the care for patients across Salisbury District Hospital now and into the future.

"On behalf of all those who will benefit, we thank Salisbury Reds for their continued support."

For more information about Stars Appeal, please visit starsappeal.org