A SURPRISE £25,000 donation yesterday got the Maison Million Home Appeal off to a flying start. Brecqhou-based businessmen Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay endorsed the fund-raising initiative as a particularly worthwhile cause.

It is a welcome boost for the appeal, which was launched in Wednesday’s Guernsey Press and aims to help raise £1m. to enable building work to start on a new specialist unit for dementia and Alzheimer’s care in the island.

‘I wanted to kick-start the Guernsey Press campaign for the Maison Million and, by doing so, I hope that others will contribute generously to what I believe is a very worthy cause,’ said Sir David.

Maison L’Aumone chairman Paul Le Boutillier said it was a fantastic gesture to help the quest to connect Maison de Quetteville to Maison L’Aumone and a brand new 29-bed unit.

‘I’m very pleased to hear about their donation. It’s a marvellous start to the campaign and really gets us going.

‘The reaction from all the people I have spoken to has been very positive. Everybody is of the same opinion that the island certainly needs this facility.

‘There’s a huge amount of empathy for it and we hope to raise the money as soon as possible so we can get it built and get it going.

‘The Guernsey Press joining forces with us has really helped and hopefully that will continue.’

David Hodgetts, who served successive Lt-Governors for 18 years while on the staff at Government House, is the appeal’s chief fund-raiser. He was extremely pleased to learn that Sir David and Sir Frederick had chosen to support it.

‘It’s really good news. Obviously this donation is the biggest we have received so far, but it doesn’t mean that any of the other donations we have received mean any less.

‘Every donation makes a difference. I don’t really know how well we expected the appeal to go, but it’s been a fantastic start.’

* The Guernsey Press will be keeping readers up to date on the appeal all the way. Anyone planning to stage a fund-raising event can tell us on 240213.

How to donate:

By cheque, payable to The Alzheimer’s Care Project, and sent to David Hodgetts, La Collette, Les Croutes, St Peter Port, GY1 1QH.

By transfer to Barclays Private Clients International Ltd, PO Box 41, Le Marchant House,

St Peter Port, GY1 3BE. Sort code: 20-35-32; account: MHA Re Alzheimer’s and Further Care Project; number: 10088919.