A TETBURY-BASED charity which launched the world’s first Mobile Chemotherapy Unit (MCU) is celebrating after bringing treatment closer to thousands of cancer patients.

Hope For Tomorrow, which provides Mobile Chemotherapy Units to NHS trusts in eight rural counties across the UK, has saved cancer patients the stress of travelling a total of 500,000 miles since 2007.

On December 1, it is launching its countrywide Chemotherapy in the Community Week to raise awareness and vital funds to supply more MCUs and keep existing units on the road.

Sandra and Graham Freeman from Stroud are among those who are grateful to the charity.

For Sandra, chemotherapy would have meant a round trip of 50 miles.

“It wasn’t the fault of the wonderful staff but the sheer numbers of people needing treatment,” she said.

“My first treatment meant a wait of seven hours and the second, six hours.”

She then began having treatment closer to home on the MCU.

“It meant less travelling and hardly any waiting, so I could get home quicker,” said Sandra.

Sadly, her husband Graham was also diagnosed with cancer.

He said: “Cancer is a very frightening word, not only to the person diagnosed but also to their family.

“You need something positive and by using the Chemo Bus and not having to travel so far nor wait hours for treatment, I was more positive about my own prospects of surviving.”

Each MCU costs £260,000 to build and maintain for three years.

Readers are invited to help by organising an event – for fundraising packs and ideas see hopefortomorrow.org.uk