TODAY the Journal launches the Battle of Evesham 2005. Residents in towns and villages throughout the Vale and Broadway are being urged to show their strength of feeling about planned £4m cutbacks at Evesham Community Hospital.

The campaign has been launched following the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust's proposals to close down two key wards at Evesham Community Hospital and transfer orthopaedic services to a private firm in Kidderminster to help save £4m.

We want every residents to sign the petition form printed on page 2.

Later in the campaign, readers will be asked to attend a rally and target key people with floods of objections to the hospital cuts.

Dr Neil Townshend, a GP at the Barn Close Surgery in Broadway, who is leading the campaign, said: "The public's response to the monstrous proposal to save money by closing wards will make a difference, but only if people respond to the call in their thousands.

"Apathy and complacency will be the best weapon in the PCT's armoury which would hit this campaign on the head - that must not happen."

At a meeting of Evesham Town Council on Monday, the mayor of Evesham and chairman of the Friends of the Hospital, Frances Smith, rallied town councillors.

She told them: "Doctors are unanimous in their belief that these proposals are short-sighted, negative and unworkable. The League of Friends concur and a campaign group has now been established which includes Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff."

Town councillors resolved to send a letter to chief executive Mike Ridley objecting to the proposals. Their statement reads: "This council is deeply concerned that the implementation of these proposals will completely destabilise the hospital. We request the PCT to look again at other ways of achieving financial balance and do not deprive Evesham of valuable dedicated medical services currently offered at Evesham Community Hospital. The hospital's radio station is also very much behind the cause.

Manager, Martin Brian said: "I am told the staff cannot do anything to interfere with the decision of closing the wards but I will. We have 2,5000 watts of sound and we are willing to use our system to help. "