A NEIGHBOURHOOD residents' group says it is still waiting for a thank you, four months after giving 18 pictures to brighten the bare walls of a unit at the Great Western Hospital.

The 12 paintings and five prints were hung when Swindon Intermediate Care Centre opened in Spring.

And according to Gwenda Barnes, secretary of Pipers' Area Residents' Associa-tion, which raised £630 to pay for the paintings, they have proved a hit with patients and visitors to the unit.

"Members of staff have also said they like them," she said. But so far the group has not received even a brief formal letter of acknowledgement from Swindon Primary Care Trust, which runs the unit.

"We don't want any glory for having given this gift," said the Association's secretary Mrs Gwenda Barnes. "But we think the people who contributed to this total deserve to know that it has been spent on what we were raising it for.

"The pictures were carefully chosen to be restful. Many patients are elderly, so we thought they would like to look at local views and scenes from places where they might have enjoyed holidays. We had the impression that the Primary Care Trust would have preferred modern art. There's a lot of that at the hospital."

The collection they bought includes ten original paintings by respected local artist Diana Crafer and five prints of her work.

Mrs Crafer said she was surprised and gratified that the group chose her work.

"I think it's a great shame they haven't had recognition for the care and effort they put into this," she said.

The money to pay for the pictures came from a series of craft fairs and other events.

But centre manager Gillian Croll said the gift was acknowledged in a speech thanking everyone who had contributed when the Intermediate Care Centre was opened by Sir Nigel Crisp.

A press release was also sent to the Advertiser which covered the event. "But I will be writing to the Residents' Association," Ms Croll said.