The Courier is delighted to support the Ninewells Cancer Campaign which hopes to raise £2 million over the next year to create The Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre. In the first of a three-part special, Caroline Lindsay meets those behind the fundraising appeal.
A new centre on the Ninewells Hospital campus is to be named after Jacqui Wood. The centre will house more than 150 research scientists, working closely with clinicians to improve cancer treatment and our understanding of the disease.
Jacqui, who died in May 2011 after a long battle with cancer, led the Ninewells Cancer Campaign for 20 years and during that time raised an incredible £17 million to support cancer research and treatment at Ninewells.
The Jacqui Wood Cancer Centre will be housed in a five-floor building on the Ninewells site and will fulfil Jacqui’s wish that Dundee should continue to further develop close ties between the research scientists and clinicians, which will undoubtedly result in improved treatments for cancer patients.
The special appeal in her memory, run entirely by volunteers, is to raise £2 million to create an outstanding research centre and to attract even more world-class research scientists to Dundee.
Lady Fiona Fraser has succeeded her friend and colleague as chairwoman of the campaign and is delighted that £700,000 has already been raised.
”I love the fact that what we’re doing will make a difference as we all have friends and relatives who have suffered from cancer. I’m proud of the fact that this is a local charity every penny is being spent in Dundee and it’s a unique local charity,” she said.
”I’m also very proud of the importance of Dundee in the cancer field it is world-renowned and it will be hugely exciting to have an actual cancer research centre. It will be an iconic building and will guarantee the long-term future of dedicated cancer research and treatment.”
The amount raised so far comes from legacies, fundraising, individual donations as well as those from clubs and groups and charitable trust and funeral donations. Lady Fraser is keen to stress that any sum raised, however large or small, is a massive help and very welcome.
”We do appreciate major donations, but we are also so grateful for the support we receive from the local community,” Lady Fraser said. ”If anyone reading this would like to organise an event, we’d be delighted to hear from them and we also have sponsor forms for anyone who wants to raise money that way.”
A key way to donate is text giving: you simply donate anything from £1 to £10 by text message. Just enter the code NHCC50 followed by a space and then the amount in pounds to 70070.
Events from which the appeal will benefit include Forfar’s Marafun, a ladies’ golf tournament at Kingennie, a fashion show organised by the Montrose Inner Wheel, a collection for the appeal during the interval at the Proms at Glamis in August and a dance at the Invercarse Hotel. Dundee Rotary Club has recently donated £2,500 and, like The Courier, is keen to be with the appeal every step of the way.
Ninewells Cancer Campaign’s aim is to raise the £2 million pounds within the year.
”I don’t underestimate that ambition but it would be great if we can achieve £2 million within that timescale,” Lady Fraser said.
With ‘Help Dennis Beat the Menace’ as the logo, the message is simple the sole aim of the appeal is to beat cancer.
The last word belongs to Jacqui’s husband Aubrey, vice-chairman of the appeal: ”I am sure Jacqui would have been very enthusiastic about the centre and would have worked hard to raise the money, although, knowing Jacqui, she would have pulled back from having it named after her.
“Jacqui was always so proud of the fact that every single penny raised was spent in Dundee and no-one was ever paid or claimed expenses.”
To find out more, call 01382 385102 or email b.henderson@dundee.ac.uk or ladyffraser@hotmail.com.In Tuesday’s Courier: Dr Colin Fleming, consultant dermatologist at Ninewells, describes how the appeal has benefited his department, and we meet a former skin cancer sufferer