The Buckham Fair Committee has raised a record-breaking amount of £138,000 for the Emergency and Critical Care Appeal. All proceeds taken at Buckham Fair, held on Sunday 2nd August 2026, have been donated to the DCH Charity Appeal.
The Emergency and Critical Care Appeal is aiming to raise £2.5 million to fund enhanced equipment and facilities for the new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit currently under construction at Dorset County Hospital (DCH). This significant donation helps the Appeal reach the £2 million milestone.
Founded by Martin and Philippa Clunes, Buckham Fair welcomed thousands of visitors this summer, after an eight-year break. Over 8,000 local people and visitors from as far as Seattle and Italy enjoyed a fun-filled day of dog shows local trade stalls, delicious food stands, the famous beer tent, action-packed displays, fun fair and Heavy Horse Village. Neil Morrissey and Martin Clunes were re-united to judge the dog show together, with the very special category of ‘dog most like Neil Morrisey’ for fans to enjoy.
The Buckham Fair Committee announced support for DCH Charity’s Appeal in January 2026. In March they attended a tour of the Tilbury Douglas Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit construction site to find out more about the project and how the Appeal will fund enhanced facilities and equipment to benefit patients, staff and loved ones.
The Buckham Fair Committee, said, “Thank you to all our volunteers, friends, neighbours and supporters, not to mention the thousands of happy visitors who came from far and wide making the whole day such a success. We are so proud to support DCH and this Appeal and its essential work to furnish this splendid new building.”
Simon Pearson, Head of DCH Charity, said, “We feel incredibly grateful and privileged to be chosen as the benefitting charity for the return of Buckham Fair this year. We would like to share heartfelt thanks to the Buckham Fair Committee, and all the volunteers and staff from DCH and the wider community who have come together to give their time and expertise to help make this fantastic event happen. The atmosphere on the day was extraordinary, and visitors were so keen to support our Appeal, which is something we truly appreciate. This major donation has taken us over the £2 million milestone for our Appeal, which will benefit so many local people using our local hospital, for generations to come.”
Funding for construction of the £100 million project has been provided by the Government’s New Hospital Programme and is due to be completed in 2027.
Donations raised through the Emergency and Critical Care Appeal will fund facilities and equipment including: overnight accommodation for relatives, a patient winter garden to aid recovery, state-of-the-art equipment such as ventilators and a mobile x ray machine, and rest facilities for our hard-working staff.
To find out more about the Appeal, other areas it will fund and how you can help, visit Emergency and Critical Care Appeal – dchcharity.org.uk.
