In March 2017 Climbers Against Cancer made a donation of £25,000.00 to Weston Park cancer research centre based in Sheffield UK.
This week myself and CAC trustee Susan Grimshaw had the good fortune to be invited to have a look around the hospital and to see the difference that the donation had made. We were greeted by Helen Gentle who is the deputy director of fundraising for the hospital.
We began the tour by visiting the information and support centre where we were told a little about the work they do for people affected by cancer. The lovely atmosphere and the caring attitude of the people involved shone through. It felt like it would be a haven for anyone going through such a trying time. Indeed we were told about a couple who had both suffered loss at the hands of cancer and who met on a bereavement course run by the centre, they went on to fall in love and marry. A lovely light to come from the darkness.
We then moved on to the research centre itself, this was of particular interest to us as this is the area where John always wanted the money that we raised to be used. We were told all about the ground breaking research that they carry out and also about the clinical trials that give people more options to recover and to survive this dreadful disease. They trial new drugs and new ideas and the results they receive are shared with research units around the globe.
The next stop was the MRI scanner to learn a little about how that works and how the treatment regime is built and put into place. We then saw the radiation machine that administers the intense doses of radiation that can reduce and hopefully, eventually, eradicate the tumour.
The staff who talked to us were not only lovely, kind and caring people but it was so obvious to us that they were very passionate about the work that they do. A massive emphasis was placed on the patient being relaxed and at ease and understanding what was happening and why during every step of their treatment.
We were honoured and humbled to be allowed to see where and how the money that you donate goes and how it is used.
Follow this link for further information about the hospital and all they do.
https://www.sth.nhs.uk/our-hospitals/weston-park-hospital
Also taking the tour with us were the team from Kaizen, an IT company based in Sheffield. The team have just completed a 700km cycle ride from Paris to Grenoble to raise funds for the hospital. They are aiming to raise £10,000 and are looking well on target to reach this amount. A huge well done to you all !
Thank you again to everyone who helps us make these donations, from buying a teeshirt to throwing a handful of change in a bucket, from buying a cake at an event to climbing the height of Everest at your local wall. Every single penny that you pass to us goes into centres all around the world that are similar to the one we visited in Sheffield.
Thank you all!
