Friends of Botesdale Health Centre
It all started with a series of meetings some 43 years ago...
It all started with a series of meetings some 43 years ago...
It all started with a series of meetings some 43 years ago, initially with Dr Bill Cordeaux in the Chair and with £300 in the funds. The Constitution declared the aim to be ‘… for the relief of sickness of patients attending and comfort and care of users of the Botesdale Health Centre, by the provision of equipment and other amenities to support the charitable work of the said Centre.’
Over the years, the Friends have raised many thousands of pounds for a range of items - from, in 1982, a hair-dryer which could blow cold air onto skin ulcers to, in 2008, the X-ray machine and onto providing furniture for the extension and the shelter for the dispensary queue.
You are cordially invited to join as a member to promote a charity that endeavours to care for a vital village facility and the wellbeing of the local community.
The Friends of Botesdale Health Centre Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 2 July 2025 at 19.30 at the Centre.
It will consist of three sections:
A report on the finances and activities of the charity and the election of its committee
Presentations about the new ‘Triage’ system and about the workings of the Dispensary
Drinks and light refreshments while members meet one another
FoBHC AGM Agenda
A fund-raising event will take place at Parkview Chapel, Botesdale, on Saturday 30 August 2025. Doors will open at 19.00; the sessions will begin at 19.30 with questions compiled by the quiz-master, Kev Gladwell.
Tickets, available from 2 July, will be £5 per person and teams of six will either be organised in advance or arranged shortly before proceedings.
The Friends of Botesdale Health Centre is a charity that raises funds from membership subscriptions, donations, funeral collections, legacies and events to make purchases that enhance facilities available to doctors and their patients. The concept is of endeavouring to create ‘a local hospital without beds’.
Funding in 2022 included the annual charge for the Cryo service, no longer offered by many other surgeries, for the use of extreme cold to freeze and remove abnormal tissues. An Amplivox Audiometer has improved assessments of hearing. Clinical rooms have benefited from new furniture items. The shelter for queues to the dispensary was constructed in early 2023.
Making friends is not always easy; joining the Friends of Botesdale Health Centre is!
There are three ways:
You will soon be able to Complete the Renewal of Membership 2025 form online and submit it via Stripe. In the mean time you can download the form below:-
FoBHC Membership form
FoBHC Membership Renewal
Completed membership forms can be delivered or posted to:
The FoBHC Chairman
Elm Lodge
Garden House Lane
Rickinghall
Diss IP22 1EA
or left in the FoBHC box at the Health Centre.
The methods of payment are either by cash, cheque or BACS transfer to The Friends of the Botesdale Health Centre - Sort Code 20-26-34 Account 73459691 or shortly by Stripe through this website.
Contact the Chairman either on 01379 890270 or 07510 127014 and he will arrange for a form to be delivered to you.