TODAY marks a week until a mass march to save children's services at Dorset County Hospital- and we want you to join us.

The Echo is backing the event, organised by parents whose children have been treated at Kingfisher Ward or SCBU.

As reported in the Echo, the Clinical Commissioning Group is looking to overhaul Dorset's healthcare- and children needing special or long-term care would have to go to east Dorset.

Protestors will meet at the Top O'Town car park from 11am next Saturday and head down High West Street and through the town centre before finishing up at the Borough Gardens.

Organisers are calling on all who are opposed to the plans to join the march.

A delivery driver who has backed the Echo campaign to protect paediatric services at Dorset County Hospital will be dropping off petitions to businesses during her round.

Mandy Douglas has worked for Loose Moose Catering for one year and knows first-hand the importance of the Kingfisher Ward.

The Weymouth resident said her six-year-old son George, who attends St George’s School on Portland, was admitted to the ward after contacting blood poisoning.

Mandy added that the staff on the ward were ‘fantastic’ during her son’s illness and said: “As a parent you are so scared when your children are in hospital but the ward staff were so kind and helpful.”

Mandy has recently decided to deliver copies of the Echo campaign petition to various businesses across Weymouth at the same time as her deliveries for Loose Moose.

She told the Echo: “I go to so many companies on a day to day basis and I thought others must feel the same as me and want to keep the Kingfisher Ward open.

“Therefore I thought a good idea would be to take copies of the petition round with me so that anyone who did feel the same could sign them.

“When my son was ill I slept at the ward with him; this would have been a complete nightmare if the hospital had been further away, such as Bournemouth or Poole.

“Some people even find it difficult to travel to Dorset County Hospital as it is.

“I just couldn’t imagine what would happen if the ward was closed as part of the overhaul.

“I would urge anyone who feels the same as me to support the Echo campaign and sign the petition.”