THE Brighter Futures team is celebrating reaching £770,000 following a generous donation from a Swindon-based technology company.

Global firm TE Connectivity has helped pushed the appeal total well over the three quarters of a million mark by donating £10,000, a cheque for which was given to the appeal on Wednesday July 13.

The company has named Brighter Futures as its Charity of the Year for 2016 and is making the donation through its corporate giving programme, which supports community projects across the globe.

Neil Steptoe, Swindon community ambassador for TE, said: “The Radiotherapy Appeal is something that anyone living in Swindon has been touched by. We desperately need a new Radiotherapy Unit in the town.

“The appeal has a personal resonance for me as I used to take my brother-in-law to Oxford for radiotherapy treatment, who has sadly since passed away. He had to make the journey from Swindon for four months in 2015 and it was horrendous for him.

“I am pleased that we are able to support Brighter Futures and the local community by helping to bring radiotherapy closer to home.”

Jennifer Green, head of fundraising for Brighter Futures, said: “This fantastic gift has taken the amount raised for the Radiotherapy Appeal to £770,000.

“We are very grateful to TE Connectivity for this donation and thank them for their support to the appeal.

“We’re calling on all local people and businesses to get behind the appeal and help us get to that all-important £1 million mark by the end of the summer.

“The summer months are particularly exciting for us as we’ve got a jam packed calendar of fundraising opportunities coming up. From tea parties to cycle rides, there’s something for everyone.”

Brighter Futures celebrated the first anniversary of its Radiotherapy Appeal in May and has raised £2,000 every day since the appeal was launched.

All money raised will go towards the £2.9 million needed to fund specialist equipment that will be at the heart of a new Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust radiotherapy unit on the Great Western Hospital site.

So far £770,000 has been raised, which means we’re still some way off the target. To donate you can send cut out and send in the attached form or log on to www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk.