I WOULD like to thank Jane Jarrett from the Jane Jarrett School of Dancing for presenting a very generous cheque in the sum of £1,500 to members of the Forest of Dean Supporters Group of "Hope for Tomorrow" (Mobile Chemotherapy Units) at Lakers School.

"Hope for Tomorrow" is a national cancer charity which was set up in 2003 and is dedicated to making life easier for those suffering from cancer, and helping their dependants and families to cope with the difficulties they face. The charity does this through their Mobile Chemotherapy Units which brings vital treatment closer to rural patients' homes.

The World's first Mobile Chemotherapy Treatment Unit is owned by the charity "Hope for Tomorrow" and is operated by the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The unit visits Ross-on-Wye, The Dilke Hospital, Cirencester, and Stroud, one day per week, which saves patients from travelling huge distances to their nearest busy Oncology Centre. Around 289,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK.

This state-of-the-art medical unit is able to treat five people on board at any one time and up to 20 patients a day. Since it became operational the first unit has given in excess of 3,000 chemotherapy treatments, and saved patients travelling a staggering 70,000 miles!

Since launching the first unit, "Hope for Tomorrow" have added more vehicles to their fleet – a Mobile Chemotherapy Assessment Unit (which will work alongside the Mobile Chemotherapy Unit), a Nurse's Support Vehicle and, most recently, a second Mobile Chemotherapy Unit.

If anyone would like information or could help with fundraising, please contact either Barbara Watkins (secretary) on 01594 833760, or Judy Gazzard (Chairman) on 01594 822333. We would be pleased to hear from you.

– Barbara Watkins, secretary, Forest of Dean Supporters Group of "Hope for Tomorrow" (Mobile Chemo­therapy Units).