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

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

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.

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.