The Lions Club of Frome organised their 6th annual Golf Day in aid of The Forever Friends Appeal on Friday 16th May at the Orchardleigh Golf Club.
38 teams enjoyed a challenging but rewarding game of golf on Orchardleigh’s Parkland Course of 18 spectacular holes set amidst the stunning Somerset countryside.
Keen golfers from around B&NES & Somerset areas put their ‘clubs’ together and raised a fantastic £5,500 towards the RUH Cancer Care Campaign. Orchardleigh members, local residents, as well as colleagues and clients from many different kind of local and national businesses have all shown their kind support towards this local cause which will benefit over half a million people in the RUH catchment area.
The Day was won by Mogers Solicitors Team from Bath with 111 points and the runners up were Natwest Bank with 109 points. Various fun prizes were won for the straightest drive, longest drive and nearest to the pin.
In partnership with the NHS, The Forever Friends Appeal is raising £8.5m (33.3 / 66.7% partnership) towards a new pioneering Cancer Centre. The charitable funds will allow the clinicians to extend their ambitions and the vision for the building.
Clinicians want to be even more imaginative, inspired and innovative in their vision for the design of the building, its therapeutic environment, and how it works. The plan is to take a holistic approach to the build, creating a soothing and relaxing environment which will welcome the patients and make them feel special, comfortable and supported during their treatment.
Chairman of the golf committee Keith McLeod said, “The Golf Day was held in glorious sunshine, on a course that had been prepared for the Somerset County Championships. We are very proud to support The Forever Friends Appeal and so pleased we raised such a fantastic amount towards this worthy cause. We would like to thank our many sponsors and teams for their generosity and continued support. Of course, if it wasn’t for Orchardleigh Golf Club we wouldn’t have been able to run this Golf Day, the clubhouse, staff and food was first class, thank you to you all.”
The RUH’s plans for the new Cancer Centre is part of an exciting £110 million five-year plan which will see old buildings demolished, paving the way for the construction of a new Cancer Centre, pharmacy building and integrated therapies unit – enabling the Trust to deliver a first class diagnostics service and the highest quality patient-centered cancer care.
James Scott, chief executive said, “The Trust is on the cusp of one of the most exciting periods of development and improvement in its history. We’ve had a fantastic year of delivering great quality care, as highlighted by our good Care Quality Commission report earlier this year, and our commitment to improving safety was confirmed by our selection as one of 12 Trusts chosen to lead the national Sign up to Safety campaign.
“We now have an exciting five-year plan firmly in place which will help us to build upon our reputation for providing the half a million people we serve with highest quality care. Transforming the site means we can transform the services we provide our patients, and our newly-approved Estate Strategy will enable us to do just that – sweeping away poor quality buildings and providing a hospital estate that we can all be proud of.
“We are now poised to take the first step in what will be a very exciting journey. These plans will ensure we are in the best position to deliver excellent care now and in the future.”
Zoe Tainton, community fundraiser at The Forever Friends Appeal said, “We are truly grateful for all the support we receive from all our supporters, each and every one of you is amazing in our eyes! Together we are making this dream possible and transform cancer care for all those affected by cancer around us. I would like to give a big thank you to the Lions Club of Frome for choosing to support us, this incredible amount which will make a HUGE difference.”
Every penny which is donated will now help this pioneering building to be truly exceptional and vastly improve cancer care in this region.
To find out more about the plans for the new Cancer Centre, please visit: www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk or call 01225 825825
