Kennet Valley Driving Group
In recent weeks the Friends have received and approved a number of grant applications from groups involved in helping those suffering from illness and disability in the local community.
The Friends have just approved a grant of £6,000 for Hope For Tomorrow to help with the financing of a replacement nurse support vehicle.
Hope For Tomorrow is a cancer charity dedicated to bringing cancer treatment closer to patients’ homes. Their mobile chemotherapy units (MCUs), which also visit Savernake Hospital, reduce the long distances of travel and waiting times for cancer treatment.
The nurse support vehicles are essential to the smooth operation of the MCUs, allowing nurses to travel independently of the units, bringing vital drugs with them and allowing them to maximise their shift time.
The Friends have also approved a grant of £10,000 to Julia’s House to assist with the financial costs of the construction of their new Devizes children’s hospice – the first for Wiltshire – supporting seriously ill children and their families.
A separate grant of £750 has been given by the Friends to the Kennet Valley Driving Group. Kennet Valley Driving Group provides the opportunity for those with disabilities, including blindness, spinal injuries, Hodgkin disease and cerebral palsy to come carriage driving. The Friends’ grant will assist with the costs involved in transporting disabled members and volunteers to the yards at Manton Estate.
Cotswold House, the specialist eating disorder unit at Savernake Hospital, have also benefitted from a grant allowing them to buy garden furniture so that the patients might enjoy their outdoor courtyard. The Jubilee Centre, meanwhile, has received a grant to cover the cost of their oven repairs. The Jubilee Centre in Marlborough is a day centre for the elderly providing activities, outings and a hearty nourishing meal for those who might otherwise be socially isolated.
Finally, the Friends supported the Queen’s Birthday celebrations on Ailesbury Ward on 11 June which had been arranged by the Ailesbury Ward nurses with assistance from the Savernake Hospital catering staff. Patients enjoyed an afternoon tea fit for a queen, complete with Union Jack bunting and flags. Friends’ Chairman, Janet Louth, who also attended the festivities with other Friends volunteers and trustees, was full of praise for the staff in having put together such a lovely, festive event which was clearly enjoyed by patients, families and staff alike.
