A dedicated group of cyclists from the Lechlade and District Lions are gearing up to ride more than 100 miles from Lechlade to Bath and back to raise money for Gloucestershire-based cancer care charity Hope for Tomorrow.
Hope for Tomorrow brings cancer care closer to people by providing mobile cancer care units to NHS Trusts, which can then deliver treatments to patients in their local communities.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust took delivery of the first mobile cancer care unit in the world in 2007 and since then has been providing treatment to patients across the county. The unit, called Helen, in memory of a friend of the charity’s founder who passed away from cancer, currently allows patients to be treated in Cinderford, Stroud and Cirencester. Hope for Tomorrow now provides 14 mobile cancer care units and 11 nurse support vehicles to 9 NHS trusts. Last year the units allowed the NHS to deliver over nearly 30,000 treatments in local communities.
Each fully equipped unit houses four treatment chairs allowing NHS cancer care nurses to treat between 20 and 40 patients a day. The average time a patient saves for each appointment is 2.5 hours, which significantly reduces the impact on their working lives and their families. It also makes them less dependent on others for transport.
A dedicated cycling team made up of Lions members and their friends, have chosen Hope for Tomorrow as their charity of choice for their annual cycle ride. On Saturday, 15 July they will be riding from Lechlade to Bath and back, which is around 100 miles. Last year the group did a similar ride for Ukrainian refugees and raised £3,000.
Ian Thomas, President of the Lechlade and District Lions, said: “We serve our communities in and around Lechlade and Fairford and raise money for local good causes. The work locally by Hope for Tomorrow really helps those needing cancer treatment, so we decided to give all the money from our 2023 sponsored bike ride so that, literally, the wheels on the unit can keep turning and can bring the NHS care to our local residents.”
Tina Seymour, Hope for Tomorrow chief executive, commented: “We are delighted the Lions have chosen our charity for this long-distance cycle ride. Fundraising events and donations from local communities make a huge difference to the service we provide in Gloucestershire and in other areas of the country.
“It costs £212 a day to keep a mobile cancer care unit on the road so fundraising is vital to keep the service going. The money raised will enable us to continue to maintain our existing units and expand our services. I’d urge people to support the local cyclists and donate online towards the bike ride.”
You can make a donation to the Lions 100-mile cycle ride online, by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/lions100miler
