Staff at the Trowbridge branch of Santander are raising much-needed funds for the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group (BCUSG).
The BCUSG funds vital medical equipment and facilities for the cancer unit at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) which treats patients from across Bath and West Wiltshire.
Santander staff - who have chosen the BCUSG as their charity for 2021 - have organised a fundraising Easter raffle and tickets can be bought from the Trowbridge branch for £1 a strip.
They have also organised a fun Zoom bingo event on April 17 which will feature cash prizes. Tickets, which cost £5 for five bingo games, are also available from the bank’s Trowbridge branch.
Anita Widdows, from Santander in Trowbridge, explained why the bank chose the charity. “Sue Oliver, who is the charity’s vice-chairman, came into the branch to ask if we had any spare pens for their Christmas wishing tree in Castle Place Shopping Centre, and we got chatting,” she said.
“Then when the staff were deciding which charity to support this year, the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group came up in the conversation.
"A couple of staff here have had family members who have been treated for cancer, so we thought it was a very worthwhile charity to support.”
Sue Oliver said: “We are delighted that staff at Santander in Trowbridge have decided to make us their charity for 2021. This has been a particularly challenging year for us as a charity so their fundraising efforts and contributions will be very welcome.”
The BCUSG will also be running a plant stall when the monthly market resumes at Castle Place on May 1. Green-fingered shoppers are being asked to come along and support the charity.
The BCUSG has raised more than £11,000 so far from donations through its pop-up shop in the run-up to Christmas and by selling items online during lockdown
Sue at her shop
“We have sold some interesting items all over the world,” added Sue. “We sold a designer Borse in Pelle handbag for £50 to someone in Switzerland and a Pentax MR camera to a buyer in South Korea for £45. “We have also been selling new clothes that have been donated with labels still attached, which has been really successful. We’d love to hear from people who may have made purchase mistakes or have unwanted presents that they are happy to donate.”
People who have items to donate can contact Sue at trowbridgefundraising@bcusg.org
The BCUSG also has a number items up for grabs on its Facebook items for sale page https://www.facebook.com/groups/778692742964265
To make a financial donation to the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, or to discuss becoming a corporate partner, please email Alan Webb at fundraising@bcusg.org or phone 07896 741233.
For details about running a stall at the Castle Place market please contact Donna.stephens@cpssp.co.uk
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