RICHARD PARR The successful Save Wells Hospital campaign is to be toasted at a special public meeting tomorrow night .The old hospital's League of Friends is inviting everyone involved in the EDP-backed campaign, which played a major part in seeing the hospital re-opened later this year as a medical centre and hospice run by a charitable trust, to raise a glass to its success and to look forward to the next stage.

RICHARD PARR

The successful Save Wells Hospital campaign is to be toasted at a special public meeting tonight.

The League of Friends of the old cottage hospital is inviting everyone involved in the EDP-backed campaign, which played a major part in helping to get the hospital re-opened later this year,to raise a glass to its success and to look forward to the next stage.

At the meeting, starting at 6.30pm at the Alderman Peel High School, there will be addresses by League of Friends chairman, Lord Leicester, Save Wells Hospital campaign chairman, Peter Rainsford and Jonathan Hazell, chairman of the newly-formed local charitable trust, known as Wells Hospital and Hospice Trust.

Mr Rainsford said that everyone interested in the future of the new-look hospital is urged to attend the meeting which will include a question-and-answer session.

"The meeting is being hosted by the League of Friends and it will recognise the considerable amount of work undertaken by members of the community in helping to see the hospital re-opened. There will be an opportunity for us to tell people about all of the things we have so far achieved and to outline the next steps and the plans for the future. Afterwards we will raise a glass in a toast to the successful campaign," said Mr Rainsford.

He also pointed out it the meeting would mark the end of the Save Wells Hospital Campaign, which was formed in December 2004 after the sudden closure of the beds at Wells Hospital.

After a hard-fought fight to see the hospital re-opened, North Norfolk Primary Care Trust gave its formal approval earlier this year for it to be re-opened and managed by a local charitable trust. It s plans include re-development of the site to create a modern 18-bed community hospital offering comprehensive diagnostic and outpatient facilities.

During the meeting a wall sculpture, depicting a figure reclining and fashioned from Italian marble by sculptor Camilla Sawn, will be presented to Lord Leicester by a group of students. It will hang in the newly-opened hospital and a brass plate will acknowledge the important role played by the League of Friends in supporting the successful campaign to save the hospital.

Anyone wanting to know more about tonight's meeting can contact Mr Rainsford on 07789 967255.