THIS week will see the Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital celebrate its 10-year anniversary.
And to help mark the major milestone, a team of determined staff chose to walk a mile for each of those years in an effort to raise funds to help improve care for patients receiving chemotherapy at the hospital.
Since the new Cancer and Haematology building was completed in March 2009 the centre has become a world-leader in cancer care, providing patients from across the region with the most advanced treatment and state-of-the-art facilities.
Celebrations are planned for this Thursday which will be a decade since the centre opened.
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So far the team has raised nearly £1,000 through sponsorship for the 10-mile walk on Saturday which took staff from the Cancer Centre in Headington, through Lee Valley Park, along the river and Oxford canal and eventually to University Park and Christ Church Meadow.
The money will go to the Day Treatment Unit (DTU) where patients receive chemotherapy treatment.
Manager at the DTU, Jane Burk, said: "We wanted to mark ten years of the cancer centre and thought a team walk would be a great idea.
"It also gives us a chance to raise extra funds for our area which means we can make it more comfortable and welcoming for our patients.
"A huge thank you to everyone who’s already sponsored us and hopefully we’ll get a few more donations."
Sarah Vaccari from Oxford Hospitals Charity added: ‘This is a great way to celebrate ten years of the Cancer Centre and we are delighted that hospital staff are willing to quite literally go the extra mile to make a difference for patients.
"We hope lots of people will sponsor their efforts."
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To sponsor the team visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dtu
The hospital is a leading centre for cancer treatment and research, serving a population of two and a half million from across Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties.
In the last few weeks concern has been raised by doctors and patients after NHS England decided to privatise vital scanning services at the centre.
The move has now been put on hold pending a government review into the decision.
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