AddThis SmartLayers

Donations top £40,000 in newspaper's cancer appeal

Donations to a weekly’s appeal to refurbish a cancer unit at a local hospital have this week topped £40,000 in just three months – including £2,000 from funeral mourners.

The Kidderminster Shuttle has joined forces with the hospital’s League of Friends to raise awareness and cash for its Millbrook Suite.

The Kidderminster Hospital League of Friends has donated £100,000 to the Millbrook Appeal, leaving the Shuttle to generate the remaining £150,000 through the generous support of its readers.

The appeal has been deluged with donations from a host of fundraising activities including exercise classes for over-65s, a raffle to win a bed and an amateur boxing show.

The Millbrook Suite was set up in 1998 using £340,000 raised by a public appeal.

Money from this latest fundraiser will be used to upgrade and extend the suite and equipment, build more consulting areas, buy new furniture and increased waiting space for family members.

Shuttle editor Clive Joyce said: “I am quite surprised I have to say but we’re ready for the long haul.

“We’ve had a page of stories every week. Our policy is once an appeal is launched we like to keep it in the public eye every week but with this one it hasn’t been difficult at all.

“People have responded very quickly and we’ve been oversubscribed with stories.

“It was set up by people in our district who were having to travel to other hospitals.

“The nearest one is Wolverhampton with patients having to have rather unpleasant road journeys after undergoing chemotherapy. The unit here makes this much less tortuous.”

Clive said the Millbrook Suite was massively valued by the local community and, although it’s under no threat of closure, locals were keen to use and improve it so it would stand up to any possible future scrutiny by NHS accountants.

“People have taken it to their hearts and they want to make sure it’s as comfortable and valuable as it can be,” he added.