'Six years and $6m later, we have ticked off Blair’s final bucket list'
A formal Southern Charity Hospital celebration for invited guests and the general public will be held at the Wicklow St, Invercargill, premises on Friday.
The Southern Charitable Hospital, the dream of the late Blair Vining, is now a reality.
A formal celebration for invited guests and the general public will be held at the Wicklow St, Invercargill, premises on February 28.
Blair passed away in 2019 after a battle with bowel cancer saw him become a passionate campaigner for more equitable cancer treatment in the south, alongside wife Melissa.
Blair’s vision was for a charity hospital which would help those in the south get timely access to, initially, bowel cancer diagnosis, to improve their chances of survival. The Southern Charity Hospital is modelled on the successful Canterbury Charity Hospital, which has helped thousands of patients since its inception in 2007.
“Six years and $6m later, we have ticked off Blair’s final bucket list wish,” Melissa said.
The building will officially be opened by Marjorie Cosgrove, supported by her daughters Andrea de Vries and Paula Menzies, and Blair’s daughters Della-May and Lilly Vining.
They will represent the many families who have lost someone due to the inequity of care - the “post code health lottery” which Blair campaigned against.
Beginning at 3pm, the celebration will include a selection of speakers to acknowledge the progress of the project and milestones that have been achieved. Entertainment will be provided by Southland ex-pat and Opshop lead singer Jason Kerrison.
“It’s a chance to thank the community for every donation and fundraiser, for every volunteer, tradesperson and media story, for the overwhelming support that has enabled us to build and equip the hospital,” Melissa Vining said.
With a large number of people expected to attend the opening, the Charity Hospital is unable to conduct physical tours to protect the operating equipment, however a virtual tour will be screened for attendees.
Many thousands of hours of work have gone into converting the ILT’s former Clifton Club Inn in south Invercargill into a working hospital, complete with reception area, community room, operating theatre, recovery rooms, patient consulting rooms and dental practice.
ILT President Paddy O’Brien said the board was delighted to see the Charity Hospital open its doors.
“We were always motivated to find a way to make a significant contribution to such a worthy project, and gifting the Clifton tavern was our way to help kick-start the development. While we’ve repurposed buildings before, we recognised that this hospital would be a uniquely vital asset for our community,” he said.
“Missy and the Southern Charity Hospital team have done an outstanding job bringing this vision to life. It’s a huge project to undertake, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see it become reality. We’re proud to have played a part in Blair’s legacy and to have supported this project from the start through to events like Pack the Park.”
A massive fundraising effort has included two popular Pack the Park rugby events at Rugby Park featuring a range of celebrities, an annual Red, Black and White Day and the purchasing of 13,220 bricks and 678 plaques by the community.
Following the opening celebration, the Charity Hospital’s patient list will initially start with three or four colonoscopies per day, progressing through to eight per day.
World-renowned surgeon Professor Frank Frizelle ONZM has committed his services to the new hospital, following on from the employment of Andrew de Guzman as the Clinical Nurse Manager in November.
An inspirational story and a wonderful legacy. Well done Vining family and well done Southland for all the support.