Cancer charity receives ‘the best birthday present’ with £1 million triumph

Charity bosses have hailed the community for helping reach the first £1 million milestone of its £5 million cancer appeal in time for its birthday celebrations.

Lingen Davies Cancer Support – the primary cancer charity in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales – launched the £5 million Sunflower Appeal in June last year to grow cancer care across the region.

In a recent push to reach the first £1 million in time for its 47th birthday, Lingen Davies called on the community to ‘grant its birthday wish’ and get it across the finish line before the big day on Friday, 5 June.

Now, more than £1 million has been raised for the Sunflower Appeal within just 12 months of fundraising efforts – an additional £250,000 match funding pot from Telford & Wrekin Council means the total stands in excess of £1,250,000.

The Sunflower Appeal will fund the development of a Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at The Princess Royal Hospital in Telford by 2029. The new Centre will double chemotherapy capacity with 30 additional chemotherapy bays, alongside providing dedicated urology, lung, and outpatient clinics.

This development is part of the wider Hospitals Transformation Project run by The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

Naomi Atkin, CEO at Lingen Davies Cancer Support, said: “Reaching the first £1 million target just 12 months later and at the beginning of our 47th year truly is the best birthday present. To have reached this monumental amount so soon after launching the appeal is a wonderful achievement and really highlights how much our community wants and needs the new dedicated Cancer Centre in Telford.

“There’s still a way to go before we reach the £5 million target, but we are confident that we will achieve this total before the 2029 deadline with the continued support of our community. If every person living in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, and Mid Wales donated just £1 each to the Sunflower Appeal, we would surpass our target within minutes.”

Jo Williams, Group Chief Executive of SaTH, said: “Reaching the remarkable milestone of £1 million in just one year is a testament to the generosity, commitment and shared vision of everyone who has supported this appeal.

“Lingen Davies has been incredibly supportive of developments and investment in cancer services at SaTH. This achievement brings us one step closer to expanding and enhancing the care we can provide, ensuring more patients can access high-quality treatment and support closer to home.

“On behalf of everyone across the Trust, I would like to thank the charity, its supporters and all those who have contributed to this outstanding success – and wish Lingen Davies a very happy birthday.”

To support the Sunflower Appeal, a major match-funding campaign kicked off on 1st April with Telford & Wrekin Council pledging £250,000 to match donations and help boost funds. Every pound donated to the appeal since the start of April has been doubled.

Councillor Lee Carter, Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, added: “We are proud to have supported Lingen Davies Cancer Support through our match funding for the Sunflower Appeal, helping to make every donation go further. I would encourage everyone who can to support the appeal and help bring this vital project closer to reality.”

Since it was founded in 1979 by Bernard Lingen and Frank Davies, Lingen Davies Cancer Support has been dedicated to making a positive difference for people living with and beyond cancer in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales.

Find out more about Lingen Davies Cancer Support, the Sunflower Appeal, and how you can donate at lingendavies.co.uk/sunflower-appeal.