County charity receives huge £90k boost

A county cancer support charity has received a donation of nearly £100,000.

The St James’s Place Charitable Foundation has given £90,000 in funding to Shropshire’s Lingen Davies Cancer Support.

The award comes following a successful application from the charity to ensure the continuation of an essential financial service that last year helped more than 1,000 patients access over £4million.

The free to access Lingen Davies Welfare Rights Service responds directly to the significant financial hardship many individuals experience following a cancer diagnosis, including loss of income, increased living costs, and additional expenses associated with treatment.

Steve Oliver, wealth management consultant at Throgmorton Associates, said: “As a long-term supporter of Lingen Davies, it was great to be able to support this bid for funding. They do incredible work at every stage of a cancer journey, making a huge difference for local people, and this programme gives even more support when it’s really needed. The St James’s Place Charitable Foundation is something we’re extremely proud to be associated with.”

The Welfare Rights Programme was previously delivered in partnership between Macmillan and City of Wolverhampton Council, however changes to the previous funding structure meant the long-running regional cancer charity was contacted by regional managers of the programme earlier this year to ensure its future as a local, personalised, and face to face service.

Lingen Davies Cancer Support’s recent £500,000 investment guarantees the continuation of operations for patients in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Powys undergoing treatment at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital’s Lingen Davies Cancer Centre until 2029.

Patients living in Mid Wales who receive cancer care at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals will also be supported by the service.

Sophie Crockford, trusts and foundations fundraiser at Lingen Davies, said: “This generous grant means we can ensure this service continues to be an accessible, face to face offering for local cancer patients whilst maintaining our ability to fund several other vital projects, including the free to access Wellbeing Programme which we fully fund for people across our region with cancer.

“We are incredibly grateful to Steve Oliver and Chimene Felton from Throgmorton Associates Wealth Management for their support with this application and for their continued support of our work to make a positive difference for local cancer patients and their loved ones.”

Lingen Davies Cancer Support works across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales, and is dedicated to making a positive difference for local people affected by cancer.

Individuals can be referred to the Welfare Rights Programme by Clinical Nurse Specialists, GPs, Primary Care Teams, Clinicians, or through self-referral at any point in their cancer pathway to benefit from the service. Priority will be given to individuals with an SR1 form who are terminally ill.

To find out more about the Welfare Rights Service, please send an email to [email protected].