Prof Brian Bellhouse has had an outstanding career in bio-medical engineering.

Now in retirement, he is determined to continue contributing to the well-being of our society.

He and his wife Elisabeth are giving a staggering £500,000 to the Oxford Children's Hospital campaign.

The donation will be a major boost to the £15m appeal.

The Bellhouses' money will go to the cardio-respiratory ward at the new hospital, and should make it a world-leader in this work.

These are exciting times as the new hospital takes shape on the John Radcliffe site at Headington.

But while big donations will always get big headlines, we should not forget the many other people who have organised fundraising events and have collected more modest amounts.

Every little helps, and they all deserve our thanks.