A fundraising campaign to fully kit out a new acute adult ward at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital (RNOH) in north London is drawing close to meeting its target.

Supporters of the London Irish Appeal, which aims to raise £480,000 to build a new London Irish Ward at the Stanmore hospital, were recently informed that it had already reached a whopping £380,055.

But yesterday that figure was increased further following a check presentation of £10,000 donated by Irish Post Publisher Elgin Loane.

The check was presented to Irish businessman Tim Kelly, whose firm The Kelly Group are sponsoring the London Irish Appeal, and Rosie Stolarski, Director of Fundraising and Development at the RNOH Charity, at the RAC club in central London.

It brings the total now raised to more than £390,000.

 Money raised through the campaign, which was launched at Kelly's Bar in Hendon earlier this year, will see a new 32-bed acute ward, fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, built at the RNOH.

The RNOH Charity explain: “The new ward will allow the hospital to extend and improve their vital and lifesaving services to more people than ever before.”

 The RNOH is among the top three centers in the world for the diagnosis and treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions, including spinal cord injuries, bone cancer and complex hip problems, and treats patients from all over the world including the Republic of Ireland.