A NEW FUNDRAISING drive to help provide special facilities for children with severe epilepsy is being launched at Southampton General Hospital this week.

The Smile4Rich Appeal's latest project will be unveiled at the charity's open day, taking place at the Wessex Neurological Centre at SGH tomorrow.

Organisers are hoping to raise at least £145,000 to provide special facilities where the centre's doctors can assess youngsters with severe epilepsy to determine their suitability for life-changing corrective surgery.

Neil Westbrook, Smile4Rich appeal co-ordinator, said: "This facility will benefit children whose lives are completely dominated by their condition - affecting their educational achievement, social development and future prospects. With the help of the public we can make a real difference and give these children the chance they deserve."

The hi-tech video-telemetry suite would enable Wessex Neurological Centre surgeons to dramatically improve the lives of up to 40 children every year and the Southampton-based charity wants to help experts assess these youngsters by providing a dedicated paediatric video-telemetry suite.

The Smile4Rich Appeal, set up in memory of teenager Richard Bowler, pictured, has been the official face of fundraising for the Wessex Neurological Centre Trust since April 2004.

At Saturday's open day, the charity and Wessex Neurological Centre staff will be showing off the centre's new specially equipped Smile4Rich ambulance, used to return recovering patients to their home hospital elsewhere in the region.

Anyone with connections to the Wessex Neurological Centre or who would like to help the Smile4Rich Appeal achieve its goal is welcome to attend the open day, which runs from 10.30am to 3pm on Saturday.

For more information about the Smile4Rich Appeal and how you can help, contact Neil Westbrook on 01489 582259 or 023 8079 8882, or e-mail info@smile4rich.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can visit www.smile4rich.co.uk