Grantham A&E campaigner Jayne wins a community champion award

Jayne Dawson was nominated for Ancaster Co-op’s ‘Doorstep Challenge Award’ by campaign group SOS Grantham Hospital.

It comes as Jayne, of Angel Court, Ancaster, has single-handedly collected more than 15,600 signatures on SOS’s petition to bring back a fully functioning, 24-hour A&E to Grantham Hospital.

She began by going door-to-door in the village and those nearby, and went on to spend several days a week sat in Grantham’s Isaac Newton Shopping Centre to collect signatures from passers-by. This is despite suffering from spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

Jayne, 50, was presented with a hamper of goodies as part of Co-op’s ‘Doorstep Challenge’.

She said: “I was shocked to win it, very shocked. I thought the lady who brought it to my house was joking.

“It feels great to have been nominated and to have won.”

This picture was posted on Ancaster Co-op’s Facebook page by Kate Gulchard, who said: “Our next #doorstepchallenge Christmas stocking goes to Jayne Dawson, who has done an incredible amount of awareness and campaigning for SOS Grantham Hospital to reinstate the 24-hour A&E service.”

She added: “We wish the campaign group all the best and hope all your very hard work pays off!”

SOS Grantham Hospital has collected more than 40,000 signatures since launching the petition in August against United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust’s decision to close A&E between 6.30pm and 9am each day.

Campaigners are due to travel to London in the new year to deliver the petition to Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health.

You can follow SOS on Twitter using @SOSGranthamHosp or visit www.sosgranthamhospital.org.uk

Sign the petition at http://bit.do/SOSGH