Weston Park MRI appeal reaches £2.15m after £150,000 gift from Dave Allen
Weston Park Cancer Charity’s appeal for a specialist MRI simulator has raised £2,151,030, with long-standing supporter Dave Allen contributing £150,000.
The ‘see it. treat it.’ appeal had set out to raise £1.85 million to purchase and install the equipment, which will help clinical teams plan more precise radiotherapy for patients across the region.
The Sheffield businessman announced his donation at a private event hosted at OEC Sheffield, where he explained the need for the machine and encouraged guests to support the campaign.
Dave said: “We employ about 350 people in Sheffield. Many of those are going to require the services of Weston Park, so we’ve made money in Sheffield. I’d like to contribute a little bit back so that they’ll benefit from it.”
A&S Leisure Group employs hundreds of people in the city and includes Owlerton Stadium and OEC Sheffield, as well as Napoleons Casinos & Restaurants.
The MRI simulator will provide clinicians with clearer images of tumours and surrounding healthy tissue. This will allow treatment to be planned more accurately while reducing damage to healthy areas. Weston Park Cancer Charity expects between 12 and 18 patients to benefit from the equipment each day.
For suitable patients with prostate cancer, the technology will also support shorter courses of stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy, known as SABR. The treatment can reduce the number of radiotherapy sessions from 20 to five, cutting visits by 75% for eligible patients.
This could mean fewer hospital journeys and less time travelling to and from appointments for patients and their families.
The contribution continues Dave’s support for healthcare in Sheffield. He previously donated £50,000 to Weston Park Cancer Charity to help fund its community support bus and services, as well as £1.3 million towards a surgical robot at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
His long-standing friend Dr Kash Purohit, Patron of Weston Park Cancer Charity, joined him for the cheque presentation. Dr Purohit spent many years caring for patients at Weston Park.