Oaklands Hospital


Oaklands Red Cross  Auxiliary Hospital, Elton Road, Clevedon 

Part 2 - Financing and equipping the hospital

The problem of equipping the wards was handled in a very clever way, a number of parishes and associations offered help and these were organised and managed so that when the task had been completed the wards were named after them as follows : Yatton parish, Weston-in-Gordano parish, Long Ashton Farmers union, Wrington Farmers union, Jacko and the Clevedon Floral Committee. 

The VAD nurses and medical services members were accommodated at 'Margency', Victoria Road, which became known as 'The Red Cross Nurses Hostel', the house was kindly lent fully furnished by Miss Lury. 

Medical Officers for the Grange were Major Moxey and Captain R Handfield Jones both from the Royal Army Medical Corps Territorial Force. 

In 1915 the kitchen garden of Oaklands was handed over to Lady Bellairs, it had been neglected for some considerable time, so 15 ladies volunteered to get the ground in order. 

When this was completed, 2 ladies carried on the responsibility for the upkeep and cultivation of it, being ably assisted on 3 days a week by Mr. Harry Williams, their combined efforts resulting in produce to the value of £109 7s 3d being supplied to the hospital by the end of 1918. 

In addition Lady Bellairs organised a very successful egg collection in Clevedon, keeping the hospital in eggs and any surpluses being sold and luxuries bought for the patients. 

Special Egg Days were held, similar events being organised by Major F J Winter for Walton. 

One Egg Day in 1916 resulted in £50 being sent to the Red Cross in London to provide eggs for the sick and wounded in hospitals overseas. 

In 1916 Miss Edwards came to assist Lady Bellairs with the accounts and secretarial work, a job she obviously did very well as in the Red Cross Museum are records showing that between 1916 and 1918 they raised moneys to the value of £159 3s 0d and collected 10,715 eggs. 

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