'This is our biggest appeal to date' £5 million needed to bring cancer services to Telford – doubling chemotherapy capacity for the region

The ‘Sunflower Appeal’ has been launched by Lingen Davies Cancer Support, the region’s primary cancer charity, and the funds will be used to develop the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Telford's Princess Royal Hospital.

Not only will the centre offer up to 30 chemotherapy bays, it will also offer outpatient clinics, a specialist Urology Investigations Unit, and a lung diagnostic centre.

The £5m appeal, as part of the Hospitals Transformation Programme overhauling Shropshire's hospital services, is a collaboration between Lingen Davies, which was launched in 1979 to establish cancer services in Shropshire, and the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

Cancer services are planned to be available in Telford by 2029 and will be created in addition to the existing services and clinics running at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

The Lingen Davies Cancer Centre in Telford would help address capacity issues across the region – enabling people from Telford to access care and services closer to home, reducing stress and worry of travel.

The charity said patients from throughout Shropshire and Mid Wales would benefit from capacity created in the new centre, meaning they may be seen and start their treatment more quickly.

A special appeal launch event was held on Thursday (June 5) at the home of AFC Telford United, for specially invited guests including Telford MP Shaun Davies, the charity’s president Lady Jane Heber-Percy, patrons, major donors and Lingen Davies stakeholders, including the board of trustees, key volunteers, and staff.

The charity also announced a name change, from Lingen Davies Cancer Fund to Lingen Davies Cancer Support - a change intended to reflect its greatly expanded and diversified work in recent years.

Naomi Atkin, CEO of Lingen Davies Cancer Support, said: “Combined with the existing chemotherapy services at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, we will now be providing up to 60 bays for patients across the two hospital sites - that is doubling our capacity which is a vital step as we look to the future.

“This means patients across our entire region can access the treatment they need, where they need, quicker. More people will be able to access chemotherapy treatment when they need it, reducing waiting times and associated stress and worry, and helping contribute to improved outcomes. 

“This is a very important development for the region and one we are proud to be supporting. We have a series of events planned for our community to learn more about the project, and for those in our region who may not yet know about the work Lingen Davies undertakes, to find out more about us. See our website for full details about how you can get involved."

Tim Cooper, chair of Lingen Davies trustees, said: “The Sunflower Appeal is our biggest appeal to date, and certainly an ambitious one.

"We have set ourselves this four-year target and are fully committed to raising £5m to increase the capacity for cancer treatment and services. More people are being diagnosed with cancer, and thanks to earlier diagnosis, cancer prevention work, and better treatment options, more people are living with and beyond cancer. They all need our support.  

“We know that wait time and travel costs and times can cause a great deal of anxiety for patients and their families, who understandably want to be seen and be treated as quickly as possible. This project will reduce some of that anxiety and enable care to take place quicker. 

“As a team, we will be working hard with major donors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers to help us reach this target and make a tangible difference to the lives of those impacted by cancer and their families. Please do reach out if you can spare time to support us or have any fundraising ideas and our team will be on hand to support you."

Jo Williams, SaTH chief executive, said: “The development of cancer services at the Princess Royal Hospital has been a long-held commitment for the trust and will support us to deliver modern and high-quality care for our patients closer to home.

"We are extremely grateful to Lingen Davies Cancer Support for working with us to fundraise for this appeal. Lingen Davies has been incredibly supportive of developments and investment in cancer services at SaTH for 45 years. We are proud of our ongoing links to ensure local people can access excellent cancer services locally.”

For more information on the Sunflower Appeal and the work of Lingen Davies Cancer Support visit www.lingendavies.co.uk.