Charity Concert by “The Military Wives Choir ‘’
A charity concert by “The Military Wives Choir ‘’ organised by The Rotary Club of Bradford on Avon was held on Saturday 16th November at the Holy Trinity Church, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1LW
There was also an Enonite Clarinet Ensemble. Proceeds of the event came to BCUSG and other Rotary supported charities.
Creative Aquatic Swimming School
One of Bath Cancer Unit Support Group’s current projects is to raise £15,000 in order to fund a Paediatric Oncology Nursing Associate at the RUH who will visit paediatric patients at home or school every week to obtain monitoring blood counts and use the results to adjust treatment doses rather than the children having to visit the hospital. These children tend to have lengthy treatment plans and minimising hospital visits will avoid their schooling and normal lives being interrupted on such a regular basis and make a real difference to them.
A current Paediatric Oncology patient who is a member of the Creative Aquatic Swimming School at Frome mentioned this to the people there. This led to 155 of their members doing a sponsored ‘Swim to Space’ in a 15 metre pool, swimming 24,900 lengths (starting at 5am some mornings!) and covering the equivalent of the distance between the earth and space (100KM) with a target of raising £4,000. The children actually raised an incredible £35,339 funding the new nurse for almost
two and a half years.
Pictured are members of Creative Aquatic’s incredible fundraisers along with people from the Paediatric Oncology Department at the RUH and Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, with a very ‘big’ cheque.
Steeple Rocks Choir
On Thursday November 7th the Steeple Rocks Choir performed at The Boathouse, Bradford on Avon. The event was to support the work of BCUSG and was attended by an audience of around 100. It raised nearly £1000.
Bingo evening
A Bingo evening was held at Wesley Road Social Club on Friday 18th October . Around 65 people played and a great response for the raffle . Thank you to Wesley Road Social club for hosting event which raised a grand total of £697.10
October 25th 2024
The Shires Trowbridge Bucket collection
The Shires Trowbridge Bucket collection and Table Top Sale , Friday 27th and Saturday 28th September . Total raised £ 531.21. Thank you to The Shires management , Staff and customers for their support
October 25th 2024
Uniform Services Day Trowbridge
BCUSG were invited to have a tabletop sale at the Uniform Services Day in Trowbridge Park on Saturday September 14th . A supporter had donated a number of military books, which gave us the opportunity to sell these as a theme for the day . Total raised £109.98 .
The book which Denise and Sue are looking at is covering the building of Spitfires which were built in secret factory in Trowbridge during World War 2. We also made one man’s day as sold him the book of HMS Coventry which he served on through the Falkland’s war.
A lovely sunny day and great opportunity for the awareness of our charity ‘
Trowbridge Town Council’s annual Uniform Services Day took place in Trowbridge Park on Saturday, 14th September. Building on the success of the first Uniform Services Day, that took place in 2023.
October 13th 2024
Asda Trowbridge Bucket Collection
Asda Trowbridge Bucket Collection – Friday 13th and Saturday 14th September . Total raised £535.55. Thank you to Asda for hosting this event and to Asda customers for their support
September 20th 2024
Joss's Big Swim raises £3,629 for Bath Cancer Unit Support Group
On Saturday 31st August Joss took part in the ‘ChillSwim Windermere End to End’ Swim Event – the entire 11 Miles of it!!!! I’m aiming to complete it in around 6-7 hours.
Joss was raising money for two charities that are extremely close to his heart. The two charities being ‘The Grand Appeal’ and ‘Bath Cancer Unit Support Group’ who have supported my son in his Leukaemia diagnosis and treatment during the last 14 months.
In May 2023 Joss’s then 8 year old son, Jack, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. The journey began at the A&E department of the Royal United Hospital when Jack was complaining of chest pain and became very lethargic and a mere shadow of his usual self. A chest x-ray revealed that Jack had pneumonia and would require admittance for antibiotics. It came a few minutes later that his blood results were abnormal, at this point we feared the worst. You know it’s not good news when you are asked to accompany the medical staff to the ‘Quiet Room’ where they were told the devastating news that Jack had cancer, our world turned upside down.
They were then taken by ambulance to Bristol Children’s Hospital where Jack spent the first week in intensive care, he had surgery and started chemotherapy and steroid treatment right away.
We spent a fortnight in Bristol, They were allocated a room at a local CLIC house, this meant they could take turns to be by Jack’s side and the other could get a good night’s rest. it meant that they could all be together as a family. This was an unbelievable help at a time when it was needed most. They were supported incredibly well, from medical staff to admin staff, nothing was ever too much trouble.
Jack’s medical team in Bristol are phenomenal, they quite literally saved his life. There are no words to explain my gratitude for these people, Joss hopes the Windermere swim goes a little way in showing just how grateful the family are.
Joss successfully completed the challenge and raised a stunning £7,259 split between Bristol Children’s Hospital The Grand Appeal and Bath Cancer Unit Support Group.
September 20th 2024
Table top sale raises over £500
On Friday 30th & Saturday 31st August at the Shires Trowbridge we held a Bucket collection and Table top sale raised £560.45.
September 9th 2024
Her Majesty the Queen officially open the Dyson Cancer Centre
Our Trowbridge branch Chair was thrilled and honoured to be invited by the Royal United NHS Foundation Trust to the official opening of the Dyson Cancer Centre (RUH in Bath) by the Queen today.
Now other charities are moving towards other appeals for the hospital , Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, will continue to raise valuable funds supporting both the adult and children units.
We have now raised over £6 million since the start of the charity, and looking forward to raise our next million.
Source: Credit: Sue Oliver Sue Oliver, Bath Cancer Unit Support Group Vice chair with fellow fundraiser
September 3rd 2024
Bradford -on -Avon Lions Craft, Choir and Cake Event
A fantastic time was had on the 13th July 2024 at the “Choirs, Crafts, Coffee and Cakes” event organised by The Bradford on Avon Lions Club at Holy Trinity Church.
We sold lots of the beautifully painted glass that has been generously donated to our charity. It was wonderful to engage with people and discuss our cause, and as a result, we raised just under £200. I extend a heartfelt thank you to the Bradford on Avon Lions Club for their continued support.
September 1st 2024
Trowbridge Town Council General Grant
Thank you to the Trowbridge Mayor, We received £1000 as a Trowbridge Town Council General Grant.
Trowbridge Town Council offer grant funding support to local Community Groups and Organisations, supporting projects and initiatives which will directly benefit the residents of Trowbridge Town and the surrounding areas.
September 1st 2024
Southwick Ladies
Southwick Ladies invited us to Mains & Pudding Lunch & Bring and Buy Sale at Southwick Village Hall on Friday August 16th, Over 100 people attended and £ £1072.40 was raised . Many thanks for their hard work to make this event so successful.
August 20th 2024
Trowbridge Branch Garage & Garden Sale
Many thanks to our Trowbridge Volunteer , Linda , who held a garage and garden sale in Southwick on Wednesday 17th July . Lovely refreshments and great bargains . A super £509.70 raised.
August 20th 2024
Trowbridge Asda Bucket collection
Bucket collection was held at Asda Trowbridge on 12th July and £219.23 raised . Thank you to Trowbridge Asda hosting and customers for supporting our cause
August 20th 2024
Trowbridge Branch Bucket Collection & Table Top Sales
Invitation was received from Gloucester Road Allotment Trowbridge , for BCUSG to attend their Open Day on Saturday 6th July . Table top Sale and Bucket collection raised £103.70. Many thanks to the committee for their invitation and support to BCUSG
August 20th 2024
Trowbridge Branch Bucket Collection & Table Top Sales
Friday 24th & Saturday 25th May – The Shires Trowbridge Bucket collection and Tabletop sale raised £675.01.
Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th June – The Shires Trowbridge Bucket collection and Tabletop sale raised £431.58.
Friday 26th & Saturday 27th July – The Shires Trowbridge Bucket collection and Tabletop sale raised £568.50.
Many thanks to The Shires Management for hosting the above events and customers for supporting our cause.
August 20th 2024
BCUSG (Trowbridge Branch) Charity Golf Day
A massive thank you to Trowbridge committee member Ian Gray and his awesome team of friends who supported him in arranging and running the event.
Photos are of Sue Oliver (Trowbridge Chair and Bath Vice-Chair) awarding the winning players and teams from the day with their trophies
August 20th 2024
Paediatric Oncology Cake Sale
The RUH paediatric oncology that is based in the Children’s unit organised a cake sale event & raised £340.
One of BCUSG’s current projects is a pilot for a Paediatric Oncology Nursing Associate, 12 hours per week this will be a pilot post for 1 year. Find out more details on our projects page here
BCUSG Donors' Evening, Wednesday 22 May 2024
The donors’ evening was held in the outpatients’ waiting area in the new Dyson Cancer Centre at the RUH. BCUSG Chairman Mike Taylor introduced the founder of Bath Cancer Unit Appeal, farmer Chris Norman from Shepton Mallet.
Dr Polly Bates of Paediatric Oncology, Catherine Gilleece Matron of the Cancer Centre, Alison Ryan Chair of Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Dr Emma de Winton Consultant Clinical Oncologist each briefly explained the ways in which BCUSG continues to assist with patient care and outcomes at the RUH.
Our grateful thanks to the Mayor of Bath, Dine Romero who presented certificates to selected donors:
May 2024, We begin providing flowers in the Dyson Cancer Centre reception area.
We have been supplying flowers to decorate the desk in the old cancer outpatients waiting area (A12) for many years, but had to cease when Covid reared its ugly head.
Now with the opening of the Dyson Cancer Centre BCUSG are providing flowers to the reception area again.
We continued to provide tea coffee and biscuits for out-patients throughout the pandemic.
Sunday 28th April. Sad news - Tino Polledri dies.
Bartolomeo (Tino) Polledri passed away at the Royal United Hospital, Bath on the 28th April. He was 87 years old.
Tino had one of the longest records as a supporter of BCUSG joining in 1988, being Vice Chairman of BCUSG from 2006 to 2020, and Chairman of the Trowbridge group from 1989 until 2020.
Chairman Mike Taylor said “His hard work for BCUSG over so many years is why we are where we are today. He will be remembered for many years for that hard work and devotion to the cause.”
Our sympathies go out to his wife Jennifer, and all his family and friends.
Funeral Service was at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Trowbridge on Thursday 30th May.
Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April, Bucket collection and table sale in The Shires, Trowbridge
There was a bucket collection and table sale of childrens items and plants on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th April in The Shires, Trowbridge. The total raised was £795.81.
A huge thank you to The Shires management and staff for hosting the event, and customers for supporting our cause.
19th April 2024, Quiz Night at Wesley Road Club, Trowbridge
Friday 19th April saw the staging of the seventh BCUSG Trowbridge Branch quiz, held as before at Wesley Road Club in the town.
The quiz master for the evening was once again Trowbridge Branch committee member Dave Birch. The event had been publicised around the area on notice boards in Cafes, supermarkets etc. and via BCUSG social media pages.
Despite initial fears that numbers may be down due to peoples other commitments, there was a steady flow of keen quiz attendees, many coming in well before the start time, in order to secure a seat. In total there were 11 teams competing for the quiz trophy, once again kindly produced by Trowbridge group supporter Glenn, who also made the “wooden spoon” for the tail-end team.
The format remained unchanged, with nine rounds of general knowledge questions, plus a picture round, which this time was to identify 10 former UK Prime Ministers from their photos. The level of scores achieved was very high, with two teams “Just Us” and “Allsorts” sharing number one position with 96 points, with a tie-break question needed. “Dart Girls” graciously accepted the wooden spoon, being tail-end team with a very creditable 55 points.
Overall the evening was great fun and a successful fund-raising event for BCUSG. A total of £481 was raised on the night, £270 on the door plus £211 coming from the raffle.
Once again big thanks to all who attended, thanks to Trowbridge Committee members and supporters for their help on the evening, and thanks to Wesley Road Club for providing us with such a good venue to hold our quiz.
New association with the Paediatric Oncology team at the Royal United Hospital
The trustees of BCUSG are delighted to have a new working relationship with the paediatric oncology team at the RUH.
They are are a small team comprising two doctors and two clinical nurse specialists plus associated supportive multidisciplinary team members.
The Bath catchment area has fifteen to twenty new paediatric oncology diagnoses per year and their treatment schedules are long, meaning that they have twenty-five to thirty-five children and young people receiving active treatment at any time.
They work closely with Bristol Children’s Hospital as the Primary Treatment Centre providing local chemotherapy and supportive care for their patients.
They work hard to deliver child and family centred care. Their service delivers both inpatient chemotherapy and outreach supportive care, promoting school attendance and preserving family life as much as possible.
Their team is passionate about the service they deliver and we look forward to working closely with them on various projects which we know will have such a positive impact on our young people, families and service as a whole.
The team: Sarah Fay, Jagadeesh Ramachandra, Polly Bates & Lucy Bridges
Saturday 23rd March 2024, cheque presentations by Frome Lions and The Richard Oatley Foundation
Representatives of Frome Lions presented a cheque for £11,500, the money raised at their Club Charity Dinner on the 1st February.
Trustees of The Richard Oatley Foundation presented a further £11,500 cheque in matched funding for the Lions Club Charity dinner.
Sunday 17th March 2024, Bath Half Marathon
The 42nd anniversary Bath Half Marathon took place on the 17th March with around 8,500 runners and an estimated 20,000 spectators lining the route including bands & many volunteers and organisations in support.
This year’s race posed some additional challenges as in order to return the race to its pre Covid traditional March date it took place just 5 months since the previous event.
Bath Cancer Unit Support Group runners gathered at the BCUSG stand before and after the race in a very muddy (due to recent heavy rain) runner’s village.
A big thank you to our 5 runners who all made the finish and raised a fantastic £3,101 in sponsorship for BCUSG.
The 2024 race was the fourth time in succession that Ian McPherson has run the Bath Half in aid of BCUSG and in total has now personally raised an incredible £5,613 in sponsorship. Many thanks to Ian who has already put his name forward to do it all again for BCUSG in 2025.
The next Bath Half Marathon is scheduled to take place on the 16th March 2025 and if you or someone that you know is interested in running for BCUSG and helping us to make a real difference for local cancer patients, then please register your interest by e-mailing: fundraising@bcusg.org
Friday 15th March 2024, Main and Pudding Lunch at Southwick Village Hall
Southwick ladies held a lunch and pudding event at Southwick Village Hall with Bring and Buy tables. 60 people attended and £537.40 was raised . Thank you to ‘head cook’ Barbara Vincent and for the waitresses and washing up volunteers that made this lunch so successful
Tuesday 5th March 2024, Trowbridge Men’s Shed at Andil House Trowbridge
The Trowbridge Men’s Shed raised £772.45 through selling their handmade goods throughout the year. Thanks to the group for their support.
Cheque presentation photo by: Trevor Porter
Weekend of 2nd & 3rd March 2024, Bucket collection at Frome Asda.
After a snowy start to Saturday, we are pleased to have raised a total of £833.35. Many thanks to Asda Frome for hosting us, and for the kind donations by Asda customers.
Monday 12th February 2024, Scalp Coolers are appreciated.
We have today received a letter from Caroline Gilleece, Matron of oncology/haematology and a trustee of this charity, thanking us for the donation of Scalp Coolers. These were brought into service in January and and have been much appreciated by patients undergoing chemotherapy at the unit. Here are some comments:
My first session today so fingers crossed! I’m most grateful to have had the opportunity to try this equipment.
Scalp cooling has been an absolute godsend! As a young woman the thought of hair loss is one of the worst parts of having chemotherapy. Scalp cooling gives me the chance to minimise hair loss as much as possible. I’m four weeks into treatment and although I’ve got some shedding happening, people have commented on how well my hair is doing. I’m so grateful to be able to have the scalp cooling.
It’s great that I’ve been able to choose to have scalp cooling during my treatment. It’s given me peace of mind that I hopefully won’t loose all my hair and my regrowth has been protected by scalp cooling.
I was grateful to be offered the chance to try scalp cooling which helped me keep most of my hair during chemotherapy. i found I could endure the freezing head and was relieved not to loose my hair as a side effect of treatment.
Thank you so much for the scalp cooling as it has helped me not to loose my hair which is very important to me.
Thursday 1st February 2024, Frome Lions Club Charity Dinner
This black tie charity dinner organised by Frome Lions on behalf of BCUSG at Elmhay Park in Orchardleigh had 184 attendees including nine representing the charity. The guest speaker was Steve Backley.
The Lions Club approved at its recent meeting a slight rounding up of the Dinner proceeds, after all expenses, to £11,250, to which of course will be added the £200+Gift Aid we received direct from one of the guests at the dinner, and with the Richard Oatley Foundation contribution doubling that, the evening will have realised £23,000 for the Charity.
Our grateful thanks to Frome Lions for organising such an enjoyable evening, and to all the generous guests. And of course special thanks to the Richard Oatley Foundation.
Birthday Fundraiser
A cheque for £420 was received from Malcolm Clift which was raised through his birthday fundraiser. Thank you Malcolm for your continue support for BCUSG
Friday 19th January 2024, Trowbridge Branch Annual Meal
Trowbridge Branch Annual Meal was held on Friday 19th January . Sixty volunteers and supporters attended, and an interesting talk was kindly given by a metal detectorist from The Rodney Cook Memorial Team of Westbury, which has raised thousands for cancer treatment. Many thanks to The Farmhouse Southwick for hosting the event
December 2023 - January 2024, Pop Up shop in The Shires, Trowbridge
The Shires kindly hosted BCUSG to hold a pop -up charity shop from 13th December 23 through to 19th January 24. Total raised through the doors came to £9,128.45 which with Gift Aid should bring the total to over £9,243.00. Many thanks to our customers and support from The Shires team
December 2023 - Christmas Tree Festivals
BCUSG attended Christmas Tree festivals at St James Church Trowbridge and Holy Trinity Church Bradford on Avon. A super opportunity to promote the charity and for visitors to leave messages and tributes to friends and loved ones.
St James Trowbridge
Holy Trinity, Bradford on Avon
Thursday 7th December 2023, Bucket Collection – The Shires Trowbridge
An enjoyable Christmas collection of £279.49 alongside The Men’s Shed Charity who are supporting BCUSG in 2023 ( total raised for year to be advised soon) and Glenn selling carved wooden birds, raising £350.50. Thank you to all for help and support
Wednesday 29th November 2023, Frome Christmas Fatstock Show
BCUSG were in attendance at the 123rd Frome Christmas Fatstock Show spreading the word about our activities. A bucket collection raised £127.03 and one Euro!
Saturday 25th November 2023, Glass sales at Trowbridge Rugby Club
On Saturday 25th November Andrea and Kim, from Trowbridge Branch of BCUSG spent the day selling hand painted glass which has been kindly donated by one of their supporters. The Christmas event, organised by Trowbridge Rugby Club, raised £97.00. Thank you to Trowbridge Rugby Club for allowing us to be there, and to everyone who came along and supported us.
Quiz nights at Valeroso Lounge
Valeroso Lounge has supported BCUSG in 2023 with several fundraising quiz nights, raising a total of £362.23 for the charity . Thank you to Valeroso management, staff and customers
Friday 17th November 2023, Quiz Night at Wesley Road Club
The quiz night raised £621. An enjoyable evening with 15 teams taking part Thank you to Wesley Road Club for hosting the event and a thank you to Dave Quiz Master for his hard work in preparing the questions
Saturday 4th November 2023 - Bucket collection at The Shires in Trowbridge
The collection held 4th November raised £320.61 Thanks to the management and Staff of The Shires Trowbridge for hosting the charity and customers for their kind donations
Saturday 21st October 2023 - Craft Sales and Bucket collection in the Shires Trowbridge
Successful day for Craft sales at The Shires Trowbridge – Hand Craft wooden bird gifts raised £257
Bucket collection in The Shires Trowbridge on Saturday 21st October 23 raised £480.24 . Many thanks to The Shires Management and customer
Sunday 15th October 2023 - Bath Half Marathon
Bath Half 2023 race day was on the 15th October and our ten BCUSG runners did a fantastic job in both completing the race and in raising a stunning sponsorship income of £10,281 for the charity.
BCUSG had a stand in the runners village in support of our runners and it was great to be able to meet them both before & after the race and to hear of their experience of running in an event with around 10,000 runners and an estimated 20,000 spectators lining the route around the iconic course.
Next year’s race has been brought forward to the 17th March 2024 and if you or someone that you know is up for running it and gathering sponsorship for BCUSG to help us in making a real difference for local cancer patients, please e-mail fundraising@bcusg.org for details and an application form.
Wednesday 11th October 2023, Charity Choir evening – The Steeples Rock Choir at The Boathouse Bradford On Avon
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th October - Collections at Frome Sainsbury's
These collections brought in a total of £707.46. Our thanks to Sainsbury’s our loyal volunteer collectors, and Sainsbury’s generous customers.
6th October - Shepton Mallet Tesco
The charity bookshelves in Shepton Mallet Tesco for the past 2 months have raised £520.
Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September, store collection at Lakeside Garden Centre, Crockerton
Frome branch raised £252.28 at this event.
Friday 15th September 2023, Bingo at Wesley Road Club
Despite it being a fairly quiet night, the bingo raised £468:62
Saturday 9th September 2023, Frome Group at Frome Cheese Show
£84.94 was raised by Frome branch at this event.
Saturday 2nd September 2023, Corsley Ceilidh
On a balmy evening in September a traditional ceilidh was held in the Corsley show field. Over 125 people attended and enjoyed the live music supplied by the White Horse Band.
The caller was great fun (and very patient) as he guided us through the dance steps. The night was filled with lots of laughter and it was wonderful seeing all the generations dancing together, with strangers becoming friends.
The event was organised by Lisa Tolson (Radiotherapy Service Manager, RUH) and Christine De Groot, but wouldn’t have been possible without the huge support of our friends and family who manned the bar, built the stage and most importantly came and supported our fundraising.
We’re delighted that we have been able to donate £2738.03 to BCUSG.
Saturday 2nd September 2023, Asda Frome Bucket Collection
At Frome ASDA a bucket collection was held on 2nd September . A total of £693.13 was raised .
Many thanks to ASDA Frome, their generous customers and our volunteers.
Southwick WI fundraising on Wednesday 16th August
Southwick WI held a Ladies Lunch and bring and buy sale on Wednesday 16th August at Southwick Village Hall . A most enjoyable few hours. £465 was raised for the charity .
Thank you to the WI ladies for all the hard work put into this event to make it so successful
Frome group bucket collection on 12th and 13th August 2023
A total of £881.69 was raised at Sainsbury’s. Our thanks to our volunteers and all the generous shoppers.
Saturday 5th August 2023, Shires Trowbridge Bucket collection
Volunteers collected over £300 on the day.
July 23
QUIZ NIGHT AT VALEROSO LOUNGE
Trowbridge Branch supporters held a Quiz Night at the Valeroso Lounge at St Stephen’s Place in Trowbridge.
Half the entry fee came to BCUSG.
The ‘Loungers’ have now raised over £200.
July 15
TABLE TOP SALE
Kim and Sue from the Trowbridge Committee sold hand painted glass, kindly donated by one of their supporters at the Bradford on Avon Lions craft fair on the 15 July 2023 held at Holy Trinity Church, Trowbridge. They raised a total of £122.50 at this wonderful community event of crafts, choirs, cakes and coffee.
June 30
GOLF DAY
A Golf Day held on the 30 June raised the magnificent sum of just over £6731. Despite the weather trying to dampen spirits all the participants seemed to enjoy themselves. Congratulations to the winning team – The Stokers.
A massive thank you to all the teams who return each year to make the event such a success and also to all the companies providing sponsorship.
June 24
HILPERTON COFFEE MORNING
A Coffee Morning was held at Hilperton Village Hall, Trowbridge on the 24 June. Our thanks to the WI for their hard work at this event which included a Bring and Buy Stall, Lucky 50ps, Cake Stall and Raffle. Thanks to the generous support £300 was raised.
June 17/18
FROME GROUP STORE COLLECTION
Frome Group held a store collection at Sainsburys, Frome on the 17 & 18 June, collecting a magnificent sum of £796.65. The Store have very kindly agreed other collections on the 12 & 13 August and 7 & 8 October.
Store collections will also be held at the Lakeside Garden Centre, Crockerton on the 22 & 23 July and 16 & 17 September.
Thanks are given to both stores for their help with our fund raising activities and offers of help at any of the above collections would be gratefully received.
A pitch has also been booked for the Frome Show on 9 September.
See the Forthcoming Events page for details of the Ceilidh being run by supporters at the Corsley Show on the 2 September.
May 24
DONORS & SUPPORTERS EVENING
After 4 years of Covid Cancellations, the Charity was able again to hold an evening in May to thank many donors, supporters and fund raisers. It was good to get together to celebrate the achievements of so many supporters.
Certificates were presented to recipients by the Mayor of Bath, Councillor Rob Appleyard.
Two doctors, from the RUH, thanked the charity for recent donations of equipment and told us of the successes with each. Another medical speaker outlined the major gains which will be achieved when the current appeal for Surface Guided Radiotherapy Equipment is concluded which should be very soon. Matron Caroline Gilleece from the Cancer Ward, explained our next project to purchase 8 scalp coolers to reduce hair loss for patients during chemotherapy.
Photos by Geoff Parselle
Apr 26
MEN'S SHED, TROWBRIDGE
Members of the Trowbridge Mens Shed have made Christmas decorations, Christmas reindeers, bird boxes and hedgehog boxes for sale at the Weavers Market. The sum of £837 was given to Sue Oliver, the Chair of BCUSG Trowbridge Committee by Chairman, Dennis Drewett and members Richard Griffiths and Pat Johnson.
Photo by Trevor Porter
Apr 21
TROWBRIDGE QUIZ NIGHT
The 5th BCUSG quiz was held at Wesley Road Social Club, Trowbridge with Dave Birch as question setter and quiz master. The event hosted over 100 people forming a total of 23 teams and a raffle run during the evening was well supported.
The winning team was “Musks Martians” who picked up the coveted quiz trophy, closely followed by “Daniel In The Lions Den” and “Sextet” in joint second position. Overall the evening was greatly enjoyed and raised £1008 was raised. All the winning and runner-up teams declined the cash prizes which was a very generous gesture.
Thanks to all who helped make the event such a success and we look forward to the next quiz, planned for the autumn/winter.
Mar
23
Bucket collection in Frome
Asda Frome Bucket Collection held over the weekend of 25th and 26th March raised £1054.51. The collection was supported by volunteers from both Trowbridge and Frome. A huge ‘Thank You’ to Asda Frome, for allowing us to hold this event in their store.
Mar
23
Frome branch raises £3,600
Frome branch raised £1,100 through an Opus 111 Concert, and a further £2,500 donation from Frome Selwood Rotary.
Feb 23
Bucket Collection Castle Place Shopping centre Trowbridge
The first bucket collection for Trowbridge this year was held in Castle Place, Trowbridge on Saturday 25th February, and brought in £174.15. Thanks to Castle Place Shopping Centre management, and shoppers.
Feb 23
Mini music festival at Komedia
On the 10/02/23 Komedia (the comedy club located in what was formally the Beau Nash cinema in Westgate Street, Bath), in conjunction with Bath Spa University, held a mini music festival event from 5.45 pm to 10.00 pm featuring five of the best local bands across two stages. Tickets were available via their online ticket portal ‘free with the option to pay-what-you want in aid of Bath Cancer Unit Support Group’.
Tickets sales amounted to £923, and bucket collections £293.36. And a good night out for all concerned, including the bucket shakers!
Dec 22
CONGRATULATIONS - Pop up shop breaks target
Volunteers at the BCUSG pop up cancer shop announced they beat their target raising £19,734 in the run up to Christmas and New Year. Treasurer Kim Single Bloom with the team celebrate at Castle Place precinct as they close down the shop after announcing the final figure for the Bath Cancer Support Unit Group.
Mike Taylor (Chair of the BCUSG) gave thanks to Sue Oliver (Chair of Trowbridge Branch), all the helpers and volunteers; thanks also to Donna and Castle Place Shopping Centre. Finally thanks to all the donors of the goods sold and our customers who purchased goods for making this a spectacular year with all monies going to the Cancer Unit of the RUH in Bath. Photo courtesy of Trevor Porter
Nov 22
Donation of £3000 by Hawksmoor Investment Management
The Trustees were delighted to receive a donation from Hawksmoor who have very kindly offered to support some fundraising events by the Charity in 2023. We are very much looking forward to working with Ian, Rob and Dean in 2023. More information about future events to be released in the New Year.
Nov 22
CHARITY ART AUCTION RAISES £2600
Councillor Graham Hill, the Mayor of Trowbridge opened the Art Auction, held at the Court Street Gallery to whom thanks are due for providing an exhibition and auction space. Thanks also go to the 36 talented local artists who donated 50 pieces of work to be auctioned. 42 pieces were sold with only 8 not reaching the reserve price, although buyers are currently being sought.
The evening was a great success with a relaxed atmosphere. Wine flowed thanks to generous donations by Andrew Brownsword and Tescos. Thanks also to St Brendan’s College in Bristol who provided both the posters and the auction catalogue.
Jen Hamblin and Mary Brading headed up the organisation for this wonderful event and the auctioneer did a great job keeping order as the live auction got underway.
The final piece to be sold was a painting of Marilyn Monroe by a local Trowbridge student who was the inspiration behind the event.
Oct 22
Bath Half 2022 - Runners Raise £5706
The 40th Anniversary Bath Half Marathon took place on the 16 October 2022 with over 7000 runners taking part. Spectators lined almost all the route and included several bands, parties taking place outside pubs and open topped buses with cheering parties. Runners wore technology that identified their times and race positions.
Six runners ran the race for BCUSG and raised sponsorship for the charity totalling a fantastic £5,706.
BCUSG would like to thank all our runners for their support and hard work in both running the race, raising sponsorship and taking the time to visit our stand in the Runners’ Village.
Next year’s race is on the 15 October 2023 and BUCSG has a limited number of secured runners’ places available to book now. If you or someone you know is up for the challenge in participating in this major event in the running calendar and would like to help us in making a real difference for local cancer patients, please e-mail Alan Webb on fundraising@bcusg.org for details and an application form.
The leading sponsorship raisers for BCUSG were Martin Hender, Ian McPherson and Helen Essery.
Martin Hender who raised £3,552
Ian McPherson who raised £1,466 shown here with Rebecca Nottingham
Helen Essery who raised £624 seen here with Mike & Alan in the Runners’ Village (photo courtesy of Richard Clarke Photos)
Sep 22
Corsley Ceilidh
Many thanks to the organisers of the Ceilidh which was held on the 3 September and raised £4836.16.
Another event is planned for next year. Check our Forthcoming Events page later for further details.
May 22
Rotary Club of Bradford on Avon Golf Day
BCUSG is very grateful to members of the Rotary Club of Bradford on Avon who made the charity the sole beneficiary of the Golf Day held at Cumberwell Park Golf Club on 19 May.
This event had been postponed twice for Covid but was held on a sunny day with little wind. Ideal for golf!
The event, which included a Raffle and Auction, enabled a donation of £6550. Presentation of the cheque was made at the end of the prize giving.
An event of this type requires a lot of hard work from the Rotary Club members and the staff at Cumberwell. Many thanks to them all.
BCUSG itself entered a team which played well but unfortunately did not win any of the prizes.
Rotarian David Gray, Mike Taylor (Chair of BCUSG Trustees), Rotary President Chris Foggett and BCUSG Trowbridge Branch Committee member Ian Grant.
BCUSG Team comprising Mike Taylor, Ian Gray, Ian Grant and Peter Dunn
Apr 22
Mad March Mile Presentation
Sean and Gretchen, the organisers of the Mad March Mile attended a presentation at Southwick Country Park on the 23 April. Sean gave a short speech and Mike, the BCUSG Chair thanked all the participants as well as the wonderful organisers and outlined the current fundraising project. An amazing sum of £3000 had been raised during the event which included a donation by the photographer, Martin Pearce. Mike, Sue, Alan and Jude helped to distribute named mugs to the participants and three further mugs were sold raising another £30.
Mar 22
Mad March Mile Raises £2,729 for Bath Cancer Unit Support Group
Mad March Mile Raises £2,729 for Bath Cancer Unit Support Group (BCUSG)
BCUSG was delighted to be selected as the beneficiary charity for the Mad March Mile 2022 fundraising event.
The Mad March Mile is an informal social media group of runners and cyclists headed up by Sean Price and his sister Gretchen Tucker who organise this fundraising event on an annual basis. People signing up for the 2022 Mad March Mile could choose to run or walk a mile each day, or even cycle or swim as long as it took a similar amount of time as running a mile (about 15-20 mins).
BCUSG Fundraising Lead Alan Webb said “we’d like to say a huge thank you to Sean, Gretchen and all the participants in the Mad March Mile for their efforts and generosity in raising such a fabulous sum for Bath Cancer Unit Support Group helping us to make a real difference for local cancer patients”.
Nov 21
Launch of appeal for two Advanced Radiotherapy Positioning Units at the RUH
See Current Projects page for details of the units which will transform cancer treatment for patients at the RUH.
Lisa Tolson, Radiotherapy Service Manager at the RUH stated “The prospect of having this new technology in our department is really exciting. We’re so thankful to the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group for making it the focus of their new fundraising campaign.
“Every year the number of cancer patients needing treatment at the RUH is increasing, so we are always looking at efficiencies while maintaining the very highest standards of healthcare so that patients have the best possible outcomes. This is exactly what surface guided radiotherapy technology provides.
“It will give reassurance that patients are receiving the right doses of radiation in exactly the right place, thereby ensuring their safety at all times. So please support the fundraising campaign and help ensure that patients at the RUH can benefit from this ground-breaking technology.”
BCUSG Vice-Chair Sue Oliver has personal experience of radiotherapy treatment that leaves permanent marks. “For a woman who has had breast cancer, it’s a reminder every time I look in the mirror of the disease, my treatment and my fight against it,” said Sue.
“So, when we were asked to fund the two SGRT systems for the RUH, I supported it one hundred percent, not only because other patients won’t have to live with permanent markers, but also because the technology will allow healthcare professionals to position patients more accurately and target treatment more effectively.”
Nov 21
5,000 Patient to be scanned on PETCT scanner
Martyn Evans, Consultant Medical Physicist has estimated that in the 3rd week of November the 5,000th patient will be scanned on the PETCT scanner.
He says “5,000 patients seen locally due to the fantastic work and generosity of BCUSG.
“On behalf of all those patients and our team, THANK YOU!”
Sep 21
Bath cyclist completes epic two-day ride for cancer unit charity
Energetic cyclist Mat Belgrove has completed a gruelling 200-mile bike ride from Bath to Brighton in aid of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group (BCUSG).
The father of two from Combe Down has raised £1,051 (what’s final total?) so far and the money will be split equally between the charity, which funds vital medical equipment for the Royal United Hospital’s cancer unit, and the MS Society.
Mat was waved off on his epic ride at the RUH by his children, Lily (11) and Harry (8), who were joined by supporters of the BCUSG. He then cycled to Brighton via Marlborough and Henley on Thames, with an overnight stay in Windsor. Mat set off the following morning at 6am and cycled to London’s Clapham Common to meet friends who joined him for the final leg down to the south coast.
Mat said: “About six months ago, I convinced four friends – who only had one suitable bike between them – to complete the London to Brighton bike ride with me. I thought it would be a nice way to catch up and raise some money for charity.
“Cancer has impacted our family, with my father-in-law and his wife both having had successful treatment in Bath. Previously my grandpa died of cancer despite receiving the best care from the RUH. My auntie also passed away having battled ovarian cancer.
“And a close friend’s dad suffers from multiple sclerosis, so we all decided to raise funds for the MS Society on the London to Brighton leg of the ride.”
Mat Belgrove is waved off on his epic ride by BCUSG supporter Peter Duke, the Charity’s Head of Fundraising Alan Webb and its Chair, Mike Taylor.
Mat added: “I ride regularly and have done a number of 100-mile journeys, so I’m familiar with the training needed for this distance, but I’ve not attempted to do them back-to-back before. Despite having a slightly sore bottom, it was great feeling of achievement to finish the ride and support two such great causes.”
BCUSG chairman Mike Taylor said: “We’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to Mat for his Herculean efforts in the saddle. He really did pull out all the stops to help us improve outcomes for cancer patients at the RUH.”
May 21
Quiet Room completed
The new quiet room is providing a much valued space:
- to support family meetings away from the wards
- for one to one support meetings with clinical staff from across the trust
- to support virtual training sessions, both for staff within the hospital and for staff across our local area
- to support virtual meetings to plan and enable coordinated palliative and end of life care across our hospital, but also with partner organisations
The new storage facility within the quiet room also provides a dedicated and dignified space for the resources used to support compassionate patient care across the hospital, including Memory Boxes, Wedding Boxes, Butterfly Comfort Bags and Butterfly Bereavement Bags.
May 20
Tireless charity fundraiser steps down
The face of the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group in West Wiltshire has retired as Chairman of its Trowbridge branch after several decades with the charity.
Tino Polledri steps down after 33 years on the local committee during which time the small branch has raised more than £600,000 for the cancer unit at Bath’s Royal United Hospital. Tino, who was branch chairman for 30 years, has also retired as a trustee of the main charity where he was vice chair for many years.
Mike Taylor, chairman of the BCUSG’s trustees said: “We all owe a huge debt to Tino who has been inspirational and hard working for all of those years. The substantial sums which he has helped to raise have made huge differences to many of those who have received cancer treatment at the RUH during the last few decades.”
Tino is not retiring completely, however, and says he will continue to help whenever needed at BCUSG fundraising events.
Jun 18
John Carter receives MBE
In 1985 John Carter helped with the establishment of BCUSG becoming its Vice-Chair for 13 years and in 1998 was appointed Chair and Honorary Chief Executive, only retiring in 2017.
John is shown here receiving the MBE which was awarded in the Birthday Honours List in June 2018.
Copyright: Bath Cancer Unit Support Group.
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Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, No 292643
19A Westwood Road
Trowbridge
BA14 9BR
Thanks to:
Krystal Hosting for free website hosting.
Pearson May for their continued support.
Geoff Parselle for many of our photographs.
image sources
- Her Majesty the Queen officially open the Dyson Cancer Centre: Credit: Sue Oliver