SWINDON rotary clubs donated a whopping £208,000 to Great Western Hospital which will help pay for equipment in the new radiotherapy unit. This formed part of the largest single donation to the Brighter Futures campaign which will cover the cost of the £2.9 million LINAC machine soon to be installed in the £18.4 million radiotherapy unit. Once it s operational, thousands of patients will benefit from vital cancer treatment that currently is only on offer in Oxford hospitals, forcing patients in Swindon who need the treatment to regularly make a 70-mile round trip. A total of 12 clubs in and around Swindon have now collectively donated one third of a million pounds towards the machine during a fundraising effort led by Howard Small which began in 2015 with a donation of £120,000.
Breast cancer patients in Swindon have not been forgotten by charities despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Volunteers for the clothing charity Dressability have made 50 drain bags for patients who have recently had to have a mastectomy. These shoulder bags carry the drain which remains after the operation to allow excess fluid to be removed. With the appearance of a fashion accessory, these bags mean women who have recently undergone the major surgery can carry on with daily life unhindered by the medical equipment. “This is such a worthwhile cause,” said Trisha Southard who has been leading the team of five volunteers all working from home to make the bags.
A ROTARIAN was awarded a fellowship for his vital work in helping to secure funding for the Great Western Hospital’s new radiotherapy unit. David Pratt from Haydon Wick received one of the Rotary’s highest honours for his outstanding contribution in obtaining a grant for GWH’s charity Brighter Futures. Overall, Rotary clubs of Swindon and Wiltshire have donated £369,000 to support the project. Brighter Futures’ appeal helped raise £2.9m to help kit out the centre, with the build is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. David wrote a Global Grant application in 2018 with the support of fellow Rotarians, including Peter Hayman and Peter Wells, which secured the funding.
FAMILIES who have escaped domestic abuse are enjoying a safe and happy Christmas thanks to generous Adver readers and a Swindon charity’s incredible efforts. The Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service received a whopping 1,500 presents after this paper backed their annual appeal for gifts that children of all ages can unwrap on Christmas morning. The vulnerable people the charity helps by offering a place in a refuge or support in the wider community have suffered a lot of hardship. But this appeal and special festive fun and games arranged by staff and volunteers have made this holiday season a special one.