Smile4Rich

The Smile4Rich appeal is the focus of charitable fundraising in support of the Wessex Neurological Centre (WNC), the provider of specialist neurological services to over 3 million people across central southern England. Working alongside staff at the WNC, it strives to improve the range and quality of patient care by raising funds to provide new equipment and facilities that would not otherwise be available.

The charity also funds the research into neurological conditions that will have a direct bearing on patient care, or further the understanding of such conditions and their future treatment.

Why Smile4Rich?

In July 2002, 15 year old Richard Bowler collapsed whilst training with his local football club. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of QA Hospital in Portsmouth where he was found to have suffered a massive brain haemorrhage. Sadly, he never regained consciousness and died the following day. In the following 18 months over £29,000 was raised for local projects and charities, including donations of over £8,000 each to the Wessex Neurological Centre Trust (WNCT) and the Portsmouth Hospital's Rocky Appeal.

In April 2004 it was agreed that Smile4Rich would become the public face of fundraising for the WNCT and the trustees approved the launch of an £80,000 appeal to provide a dedicated Neuro Intensive Care Ambulance. That vehicle has been operational since March 2007 and is carrying upwards of 600 patients per year. The Smile4Rich Appeal is now the Wessex Neurological Centre's preferred charity partner and its current appeal is raising £145,000 to provide a Paediatric Video-Telemetry Suite. This suite will be used to assess children with severe Epilepsy, typically suffering between 20 and 50 seizures per day, to provide surgeons at the WNC with the detailed information needed in order to carry out life-changing corrective surgery.

For further information on the work of the charity, and for details of fundraising events, please visit www.smile4rich.co.uk