On its 30th anniversary the Kings Head pub in Kingscourt, Stroud, has raised nearly £2,000 for a charity that brings cancer care closer to patients in the county.
From local donations to special fundraising evenings, a committee of locals from the Kings Head has raised £1,978.00 for Hope for Tomorrow, a charity that provides mobile cancer care units to NHS trusts, which can then deliver treatments to patients in their local communities.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was the first trust in the UK to take delivery of a mobile cancer care unit from Hope for Tomorrow in 2007 and since then has been providing treatment to patients across the county. The charity now allows NHS trusts to provide mobile cancer care in 11 counties.
Inside, the units are just like hospital treatment rooms, with four treatment chairs, chemotherapy pump stands, and medical storage facilities. They are equipped with air conditioning and a cooling and heating system for patient comfort, as well as a toilet and kitchen.
The Kings Head in Kingscourt was taken over by John and Carol Nicoll in 1993, however John sadly died of cancer last year. Keeping John’s memory alive was important for not just Carol and the staff at the pub, but also for all the locals so an events committee was formed to put together a fundraising programme to raise money for Hope for Tomorrow, their adopted charity.
The latest fundraising event was a ‘Stars in their Eyes’ evening where, like the TV show from the 1980s and 1990s, people impersonate famous singers in a bid to win a prize.
Adrian Major, one of the local Kings Head committee members, who won the Stars in their Eyes competition as Adam Ant, said: “We’ve been fundraising for Hope for Tomorrow since May when we did a fundraiser around the King’s Coronation. The latest Stars in their Eyes event was just great fun, everyone had such a laugh. So many locals got involved, including children, and we’re really proud to have raised this much for the charity.
“We all know someone who has been affected by cancer and these events are not just about remembering those who we have lost through cancer, but celebrating the people who have fought it, because it is beatable, and we should celebrate that. Carol has supported us 100% with the events and we are pleased to have been able to support her and the pub at the same time as raising the money.”
Tina Seymour, Hope for Tomorrow chief executive, commented: “We really appreciate the efforts of the Kings Head and all the locals who have spent the last year fundraising on behalf of Hope for Tomorrow – it looks like they had a lot of fun in the process, which is what it’s all about.”
“Just like the Kings Head, any organisation can adopt Hope for Tomorrow as its charity of the year and plan a range of fun activities to raise money. The funds raised by communities is hugely important and enables us to continue to maintain our existing units and expand our services.”
Nearly 30,000 treatments were provided by the NHS last year on Hope for Tomorrow’s mobile cancer care units. The charity’s latest feedback shows that, on average, for each treatment, patients saved over two-and-a-half hours in time, over £6 on fuel and parking costs and travelled 19 miles less for each appointment. With treatment lasting several months and sometimes years, the time and financial savings can be considerable. Seventy percent of patients said they can tolerate their treatment more easily on a mobile cancer care unit, while 50% felt that they were more likely to complete their full course of treatment.
For more information about Hope for Tomorrow, or to find out about upcoming fundraising opportunities visit www.hopefortomorrow.org.uk.
