The South Wales Evening Post’s Cancer Appeal has hit the magic £1m figure. That’s double the target when the appeal was launched as a project for the millennium five years ago.

When the Post’s appeal was launched in September 1998 some believed that the aim of raising £500,000 for a regional cancer centre in Swansea was too ambitious.

But it struck a chord with the readers and within two days the fund had received £10,000. Within two months that figure had leapt to £100,000 and the £500,000 target was reached three months’ early which enabled building work on the South West Wales Cancer Centre to begin.

In May 2000 the first phase of the cancer centre opened but money continued to pour in. The fund now stood at £700,000 so it was decided to close the original appeal and replace it with a permanent Evening Post Cancer Fund to equip the centre with the latest technology.

October 2001 saw the opening of the second phase, The Cancer Institute, to concentrate on research and trials of new cancer drugs. Welsh Assembly health minister Jane Hutt visited the site and praised the appeal. She announced the Assembly would contribute £250,000 to the next phase, the Breast Care Unit.

“The Evening Post has been able to steer the support and dedication of the people of Swansea and West Wales and now the Assembly is coming in to see that final stage is completed,” she said.

In July this year building work was completed on the new Breast Care Unit which will be taking its first patients this autumn.

Chris Rees, managing director of South West Wales Publications which publishes the Evening Post, and one of the Cancer Fund’s trustees, said: “This is an amazing achievement.

“When the campaign began we never imagined hitting the £1 million mark. Our thanks go out to all those who contributed to the fund and to those who worked so hard to make the appeal such a huge success.”

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