The Brighter Futures Radiotherapy Appeal has received a third donation of £25,000 from the Malmesbury League of Friends (MLOF), taking the appeal total to more than £1.87 million.
The group made their first donation of £25,000 back in June 2015, just after Brighter Futures launched its appeal to raise £2.9 million to fund equipment for the new radiotherapy unit at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
MLOF were inspired to donate another £25,000 last spring after hearing that NHS England had confirmed its support for the new unit in February 2016.
Their latest donation comes after Chairman David Hide paid a visit to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford, where many cancer patients from the Swindon and Wiltshire area currently go to receive radiotherapy treatment.
David said: “I was extremely impressed by the service, the dedication of the staff and the wonderful work they do for patients.
“Going there just reinforced to me what it must be like for people having to travel long distances for treatment. We know that many Malmesbury residents have to endure a daily 100-mile round trip to Oxford and having a new facility in Swindon will make this treatment so much less stressful.
“We are delighted to support Brighter Futures and are pleased to make this third donation to help the new radiotherapy unit become a reality for local people.”
And as an added bonus to the Radiotherapy Appeal, the £25,000 donation will be match funded by the Greenham Common Trust through their fundraising platform, The Good Exchange – which means the Appeal funds will receive a total boost of £50,000.
Catherine Newman, Head of Fundraising for Brighter Futures, said: “We are honoured that the Malmesbury League of Friends has chosen to make a third donation to the Radiotherapy Appeal and are hugely grateful for their support since day one.
“Their three donations, together with the match funding from The Good Exchange, means they have actually gifted us £100,000, which is absolutely fantastic.
“We continue to be overwhelmed by the support we have received from local people, groups and business across Swindon and surrounding communities and I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped the appeal so far.
“We’re determined to reach the £2 million mark by Christmas, so please visit our website www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk or call the Brighter Futures team on 01793 605631 to find out how you can show your support.”
The new radiotherapy unit will be an expansion of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s radiotherapy service, meaning local cancer patients no longer have to make the 70-mile round trip to Oxford for treatment.
Malmesbury League of Friends provides funds to help local people with specific medical needs. The money they give to a variety of good causes comes from fundraising, donations and legacies.
