An easy access savings account linked to Rosemere Cancer Foundation has led the building society offering it to make a £10,877.55 donation to the charity, which will be spent on a new service helping former cancer patients overcome the debilitating condition PRD (Pelvic Radiation Disease).
Research shows that approximately half of all patients who undergo pelvic radiotherapy as a curative treatment for cancers such as prostate, cervical, womb and other gynaecological cancers, bowel and bladder cancer will experience PRD as the body heals1. Its symptoms can range from incontinence to bloating and stomach cramps as well as back pain and swollen legs.
Now a new service, which will be funded by Rosemere Cancer Foundation until the end of 2022, has launched to identify and treat those with the condition and the donation from Furness Building Society, which offers an easy access Community Savings Account linked to the charity, is going towards the project’s £283,521 running costs over the next three years.
Sarah Waine, Marketing Communications Manager at the Furness, which has a branch in Duke Street in Barrow as well as in Dalton, Millom, Ulverston, Kendal and Grange-over-Sands and in Lancaster, Preston and Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire, said: “Through our Community Accounts, customers can choose to support Rosemere Cancer Foundation as one of a number of local good causes.
“We then make a cash payment each year to Rosemere from our own funds. The amount is based on the collective total savings of customers, who save in a Rosemere Community Account. We are delighted to see this year’s Rosemere Cancer Foundation donation going to support such an important service that is set to help so many former cancer patients across Lancashire and South Cumbria.”
With this year’s donation and over the 11 years since Furness Building Society launched its Rosemere Community Account, it has given the charity a whopping £263,044.65.
Dan Hill, Rosemere Cancer Foundation’s chief officer, said: “We are immensely grateful to Furness Building Society for its support. Not only is it helping us with our new PRD project, its past donations have gone to support some of our other most innovative and important projects such as purchasing ground-breaking equipment to diagnose lung cancer in its earliest stages and providing the funding for a CPEX suite – Cardio Pulmonary Exercise Testing studio – to enable cancer patients to undergo vital pre-surgery health checks.
“We cannot thank Furness Building Society and its customers, who choose to support us, enough.”
The new PRD service will be based at the Royal Preston Hospital, where Rosemere Cancer Centre, the region’s specialist cancer treatment centre at which all radiotherapy treatment for Lancashire and South Cumbria is currently undertaken, is also based.
Throughout the time of its support by Rosemere Cancer Foundation, a business case for its permanent funding by local NHS Trusts from across Lancashire and South Cumbria will be made.
Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at the region’s specialist cancer treatment centre, Rosemere Cancer Centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties.
The charity funds cutting edge equipment, research, training and other cancer services and therapies that the NHS is unable to afford. For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk
To open a Rosemere Community Account, visit your local branch or call 0800 834 312.
