THE Brighter Futures radiotherapy campaign united Swindon with its goal to raise £2.9 million which will kit out a new unit at Great Western Hospital.

The campaign kicked off in 2015 with a regular weekly feature in the Adver following its progress and highlighting the touching personal stories behind countless acts of generosity.

After many marathon miles, fetes, family fun days, head shaves, grants and community events, Brighter Futures smashed its target in December.

A £175,000 pledge from Swindon and Wiltshire Rotary clubs took the appeal over the top.

The unit will be built to stop cancer patients needing to make a gruelling daily 70-mile round trip to Oxford and back for radiotherapy treatment.

The journey added extra stress and inconvenience to patients during their toughest and most vulnerable times but now the facilities they need will finally be closer to home.