NHS Trust Pay Tribute To The Berwick Cancer Cars Volunteer Team

“Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust pay tribute to the Berwick and District Cancer Support Group volunteers.”

On Thursday 20th July, 2023, The Berwick and District Cancer Support Group were delighted to welcome Sir James Mackey, chief executive of the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, who, along with his NHS Trust colleagues, travelled up to Berwick-upon-Tweed to say a special “thank you” by hosting a lunch buffet reception at Pier Red, Castlegate for our charity volunteers.

Chair of Trustees, Cllr Paul Jackson, introduced Sir James who paid tribute to our charity and its volunteers, recognising our 31 years of service in helping those with cancer in our community, and for the integral and vital role played by Berwick Cancer Cars in supporting the NHS since our formation in 1992. Committee Chair, Andrew Smith, then thanked Sir James and his Trust colleagues before everyone retired for official group photos at The Berwick and District Cancer Support Group building on Tweed Street.

Also in attendance at this special, landmark occasion were hospital ward staff from Berwick Infirmary’s oncology department, with whom our charity works closely, as we do with many other hospitals in the North of England, the Scottish Borders and beyond, to help our clients transport needs to run smoothly. Our thanks to John Robertson, Mayor of Berwick, for being able to join us at the event. John is a great ambassador for our cars, having chosen The Berwick and District Cancer Support Group as his nominated charity during his tenure as Town Mayor.

Our free transport service, which covers an approx. 20 miles radius of Berwick, including Wooler, Norham, Belford, Lowick and Holy Island, is provided for those with an existing cancer diagnosis who need assistance to reach their cancer related hospital appointments. A number of Berwick Cancer Cars clients live in rural towns and villages and have limited access to public transport. On average our dedicated volunteer team assist 50 individual clients every month, many of whom are required to attend multiple appointments for their treatments, sometimes up to five days each week.

The Berwick Cancer Cars team is comprised entirely of volunteers, currently 56 in number, made up of trustees, committee members, client coordinators and drivers. Entirely self-funded, the charity relies on donations and fundraising from the local community and its supporters further afield.

Chair of volunteers Andrew Smith said of the occasion “This is wonderful recognition for our charity. We were initially approached by Sheila Budzynski, now a former colleague of Northumbria Healthcare, with a view to hosting an event for our volunteers in Newcastle, before the pandemic. Understandably things had to be postponed. After a number of meetings with the current Northumbria Healthcare team, a date was set for an event to be hosted here in Berwick, close to our new home so that we could give the Trust a tour of our building, and to introduce them to our six cars and to our amazing volunteer team. Our thanks to Sir James and his fellow NHS Trust colleagues, both past and present, for their roles in making the event possible and for making the journey to Berwick-upon-Tweed to meet us. Thanks also to the management and staff at Pier Red (“our new neighbours”) for looking after us all so well. To be recognised in this way is a momentous occasion, as a charity we feel very proud of what we have achieved over the last three decades and look forward to an exciting future as we continue to develop and grow, as we continue our dedicated service to those touched by cancer in the Berwick and District community.”