Local Rotarians were given a private tour around the new radiotherapy centre at Great Western Hospital, is due to be completed later this year, following their major fund-raising efforts being transferred to the project team.
The Rotary Clubs of Swindon and Wiltshire, and International Rotary became the biggest donors to the Brighter Futures Radiotherapy Centre appeal, giving more than £300,000 to the new centre, the largest ever Rotary Foundation Global Grant to be awarded to a project based in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Rotary’s first donation in 2015 kick-started the Brighter Futures appeal and their pledge in December 2018 closed the £2.9 million appeal and ensured radiotherapy treatment was coming to Swindon.
Peter Wells, District Rotary Foundation Chair and member of the Global Grant Team, said: “This is a local effort by local Rotarians from Swindon, Royal Wootton Bassett and Marlborough, backed by Rotary International.
“This is what Rotary is all about: delivering practical projects that provide potentially life-changing solutions to local problems. We are pleased today as Rotarians to be serving by our actions the people of Swindon and beyond.”
Kevin McNamara, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive, said: “We are eternally grateful for the support of the Rotary Club – quite simply, without their extremely generous donation this major project would not be taking place.
“Work on the centre has really taken off over the past few months and I was pleased the Rotarians were today able to see first-hand how their contribution is helping to bring radiotherapy treatment to Swindon.”
The centre will be an expansion of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s radiotherapy service, meaning most Swindon patients will no longer need to travel to Oxford for treatment.
