LAST month, Swindon Thamesdown Rotary Club organised its annual Walkley midnight walk to raise funds for the Brighter Futures appeal. A father and daughter took part in memory of one ‘amazing' woman.

On June 11 Rod and Wendy Beechey each donned their comfiest pair of trainers and trekked the 21 miles from Avebury to the Nationwide headquarters in South Swindon, starting at 11pm and finishing just before 6am.

Rod, 70, of Cricklade, said: “The walk was very hard. I would have to think twice about doing something like that again.

“I was quite proud of myself afterwards, though, despite having blisters on my feet the size of 50 pence pieces. Still, it was all for a very good cause.”

Wendy, 42, who lives in Cricklade with her eight-year-old son Lewis, agreed. “It was really hard work,” she said. “I didn’t realise it would be so hilly. It was tough going but we did it for a good cause and it was a great feeling of achievement when we’d finished.”

They did it in memory of Wendy’s mum and Rodney’s wife Rosie, who sadly lost her battle with cancer around eight weeks ago at the age of 64.

Rosie received radiotherapy treatment at Cheltenham General Hospital and both Wendy and Rod are adamant that a unit should be built in Swindon.

“It’s such a long way to go for such a short amount of time and making that journey is the last thing you want to do when you’re ill,” said Wendy.

“I think having a radiotherapy unit in Swindon will help so many families to be closer to home instead of having to travel all that way. I know it would’ve made mum’s life a lot easier.

“It affects everyone because we all might need to undergo treatment at some point and we’d all be much better off if we didn’t have to trek to Oxford.”

Rod said: “We live in Cricklade and we were very lucky to be sent to Cheltenham. But so many people have to go to Oxford, which is an awful journey, especially when you’re undergoing radiotherapy treatment.”

“We were in the hospital a lot when Rosie was ill and we used to see the appeal and say we would definitely do something to raise money for it because Swindon really should have its own treatment centre.”

Rosie was diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Eve 2012 and started a course of radiotherapy in the winter of 2014.

“Dad drove mum every day for 5 weeks,” said Wendy. “It was tough going but they got through it eventually.”

Rod said: “She was an amazing woman. She was in pain but she wouldn’t take any medication for it because she wanted to stay alert.

“I looked after her at home for the last few months because she didn’t want to be in hospital.”

The family are hosting a barbeque at their Cricklade home in September to raise further funds for the Brighter Futures appeal and have encouraged others to do all they can to help Swindon get its radiotherapy unit.

To donate log on to www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk.