Diocesan News19 Jan 11

Belle Isle Dinner in aid of Holy Land Medical Relief Fund (Clogher)

The Holy Land Medical Relief Fund emerged as an urgent response to the need for medical equipment in the Holy Land following three very successful pilgrimages there from the Diocese of Clogher. Participants saw the need on the ground and decided to respond. To date almost £70,000 has been raised and the Neo-natal Unit in St Luke’s Hospital, Nablus has been completely refurbished and half of the equipment for the Cardiac Clinic in Ramallah has been purchased.

The Belle Isle Dinner on Friday February 11th 2011, by kind invitation of the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn, will provide further funds for the purchase of essential hospital equipment. The Holy Land Medical Relief Fund has been inspired by a talented and committed group of six people. There are no overheads and all monies raised go directly to the hospitals in the Holy Land.

Commenting on the dinner, the Bishop of Clogher the Rt Revd Dr Michael Jackson said: “I am most grateful to the people who have worked so hard and been so generous to the Holy Land Medical Relief Fund right across the community and the Diocese of Clogher. Such selflessness is all the more impressive when I consider the harsh economic times through which we are living at home. Indeed this sort of willingness to think ahead and to think about others whose need is much more pressing than our own is a tremendous inspiration and testimony to human goodness. From first-hand experience I know that the people of the Holy Land are overjoyed at what we have been able to do in partnership with them. My personal thanks go to the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn for taking this cause to their heart and for opening Belle Isle so graciously and hospitably to us on Friday February 11th.”

All donations welcome: post to Bishop Michael Jackson, The See House, 152a Ballagh Road, Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone, BT75 0QP.  Please mark the envelope HLMRF (Holy Land Medical Relief Fund) and indicate if you wish your donation to be gift-aided (UK only) by stating the following:  ‘I am a UK taxpayer and I wish my donation to be gift-aided’.