A SWINDON-based firm last week handed Brighter Futures a whopping donation of £50,000.

Bosses from demolition and waste management specialists Lawson Group met representatives from Brighter Futures at the GWH last Friday to present the cheque.

Lawson Group this year celebrates its 25th anniversary and the generous donation follows fundraising initiatives led by the firm’s managing director and National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC) president Martin Wilson.

Martin said: “As a company with a 25-year heritage in Swindon it made perfect sense to celebrate our silver anniversary as a company by supporting the Brighter Futures appeal. It’s a fantastic cause and as a local employer for 25 years it’s very important that we are able to help to support the region with this much needed facility.”

The donation includes £25,000 raised by members of the NFDC, the only recognised professional body for the demolition sector.

As a celebration of Lawson Group’s silver anniversary, as well as its continued commitment to the people of Swindon and surrounding areas, Lawson Group has matched the amount raised by the NFDC, representing £1,000 for each year that the Lawson Group has been in business.

The cheque was presented by Martin Wilson to Steve Nowell, chairman of the Charitable Funds Committed of Brighter Futures, and in the presence of local MPs Robert Buckland and Justin Tomlinson.

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: “I wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Lawson Group for their very generous donation to the Brighter Futures radiotherapy appeal.

“The new centre will mean that patients from Swindon and the surrounding area will in the future be able to receive vital treatment in their own town without having to travel over an hour to the current nearest Radiotherapy centre in Oxford.”

The donation takes the appeal closer to its £2.9 million target for a new radiotherapy centre to be built on the site of the GWH.

Jennifer Green, head of fundraising at Brighter Futures, said: “We are thrilled to have come another step closer to our fundraising target of £2.9 million for a new radiotherapy centre in Swindon. This donation now brings the total funds raised to £1.2 million.

“To have achieved over a third of our £2.9 million target only 18 months after the campaign’s launch is down to the support of local companies such as Lawson Group as well as national organisations such as the NFDC and we are very grateful.”

South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said: “As a Swindon-based company it’s fantastic that Lawson Group and the national organisation the NFDC has chosen to support the Brighter Futures appeal. The new radiotherapy centre is a much needed resource in the town and surrounding regions.”

So far £1,190,834 has been raised for Brighter Futures. The team is very grateful for every single donation and wish to thank everyone for their support. To donate you can send cut out and send in the attached form or log on to www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk.