A SEWING group presented a cheque for more than £700 to the Brighter Futures Appeal last week, raising money for a new radiotherapy centre at the Great Western Hospital.

At the Shaw Community Centre, Poppydown Quilters donated £770 to the cause, raised through crafting charity items which they sold at their annual sewing day in March.

This included a first prize of a beautiful quilt with matching carry bag.

Chloe Thomas, community and events fundraiser for Brighter Futures said she was delighted with the donation.

“It’s absolutely fantastic news that the quilters would take time out to make such beautiful things to sell, have cake sales and coffee mornings all to raise money for Brighter Futures," she said.

“We are so very grateful for their support which gets us ever closer to our dream of having a radiotherapy centre in Swindon.

The group, which has been running for 26 years and has more than 30 members, selected Brighter Futures as their chosen charity for the year.

Irene McGough, from the group said they were delighted to be able to help a local charity.

“We were very pleased to be able to present a cheque today for £770 to Chloe Thomas," she said.

“Each year towards the end of March we hold a Sewing Day, normally in the Royal Wootton Bassett Memorial Hall with the aim of having a lovely day sewing, meeting like- minded women from other local quilting groups and their friends and raising money for charity which this year was Brighter Futures.”

Great Western Hospital hopes to raise £2.9 million in the two year-appeal to pay for a dedicated radiotherapy centre. Brighter Futures, the fundraising arm of the Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust officially launched the bid last May, which could see long journeys for radiotherapy become a thing of the past.

In January the radiotherapy unit at the Great Western Hospital was finally given the green light. The Specialist Satellite Radiotherapy Unit will be built at the hospital and is currently due to open its doors at the end of 2017.

The appeal recently hit £700,000 but more than £2m is still needed to equip the new suite, so fundraisers are urged to continue their efforts.

For more information about the Brighter Futures appeal visit www.gwh.nhs.uk/support-us/about-brighter-futures/