The first of its kind in the county, the Pied Piper Appeal has purchased a brand new, advanced cardiovascular ultrasound machine for the Children’s Centre Outpatients department in Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, costing £79,000 and funded by the fantastic efforts of Freeman Events Partners.

Representing the latest technology in heart scanning, it is used to perform echo cardiograms, which are ultrasounds of the heart and will help reduce non-diagnostic examinations and overall patient cost of care.

Professor Robert Tulloh, from the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and Bristol Heart Institute said: “Up to now, each week over 24 children have had to travel down the M5 to see me and my team in Bristol for scans and second echos. Now we can deliver this service at the point of patient care in Gloucestershire. This amazing new scanner will dramatically improve the imaging quality and therefore completeness and accuracy of the diagnosis.”

Fund raising becomes very real when a worthwhile project is identified and gives the fundraisers a target to aim at. Hardwicke-based event & event firm, Freeman Events Partner, were up for the challenge. From cake sales, to non-stop Cotswold Way running, non-stop cycling to Paris and the company’s Christmas Raffle, the team successfully raised the full amount.

Freemans director, John Freeman, said:  “A big thank you goes to all of our staff for their passion, endeavor and achievement! Because we’re a local business, it’s important to us to support our community. We’re delighted to have raised a record amount for such a wonderful cause.”