What an amazing response we’ve had to this year’s Medway Messenger Christmas campaign.

To date more than £11,000 has been raised for the Giraffe appeal.

The money will be used to buy vital life-saving equipment for the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Unit at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Raffle tickets sold to patients and staff at Medway Maritime Hospital last week, raised £325.

Staff at the Medway Messenger raised £78 after making my way round the office rattling a bucket.

Generous readers and listeners have sent in a further £841.50 in cheques, the Medway Singers raised £210.10 following a candle lit carol service at Frindsbury Baptist Church last week and the Mark1 Cortina Owners Club for Kent and the South East area raised £44.50 after having a whip round.

But it was a cheque presentation for £6,275.50 which really helped boost the total to £11,708.

The money was raised by Joanne Green who organised a 24-hour 10-pin bowling marathon to raise cash for the unit. Her son, Jack, was born three months early at 3lb 3oz and staff at the unit cared for him during those difficult early weeks.

To repay their kindness Joanne and husband Phil, who live in Chatham, decided to hold a bowlathon at Lordswood Bowling Centre to raise money for the unit

Phil said: “Jack’s just turned a year-old but without the unit he wouldn’t be here. He had artificial respiration from the moment he was born.

“The work they do there is more than fantastic; there’s no words to describe it. We’re so lucky to have the special care baby unit in Medway. If it wasn’t here Jack would probably have been moved to a London hospital which would have been nightmare to travel to.

“The bowlathon was our way of repaying the unit and its staff for what they did and it felt nice handing the cheque over. Joanne is already looking at holding another fund-raiser for the Trust next year. I would urge all readers to support the appeal.”

The appeal’s target is £25,000.

Pat Bagley, co-ordinator for the Oliver Fisher Special Care Baby Trust, said: “A big thank you to everyone who has donated to the appeal so far. ”