Over 300 people helped cancer charity Hope for Tomorrow raise a staggering £60,000 in glorious sunshine on Saturday 26th June at the Fleet Support Group Charity Polo Day held at Beaufort Polo Club, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire.

The highlight of the day came when Charity Patron Sir Stirling Moss unveiled Hope for Tomorrow’s newest Mobile Chemotherapy Unit, announcing the latest Treatment Unit is to be operated in partnership with NHS Somerset. In keeping with previous launches of the Mobile Chemotherapy Units and supporting vehicles, this latest Unit was named "Bumble", with Stirling commenting, “The unveiling of Bumble is a great moment for me, as that is the nickname of my late mother-in law. I am one of those lucky enough to have had a warm and loving relationship with my late mum-in-law”.

Also joining Sir Stirling and his wife Lady Moss were other charity Patrons and Trustees including Derek bell MBE – 5 times winner of Le Mans – “It is such an honour to be involved with Christine’s ‘dream’ and to see the wonderful results of all her efforts coming to fruition. Hearing the patient’s stories makes one appreciate how much ‘Hope for Tomorrow’ has helped so many. There is a long way to go before fulfilling Christine’s dream of having a Mobile Chemotherapy Unit located in every county, but as this programme gathers momentum, I can see it happening.” and Hope for Tomorrow’s Chairman of Trustees Lord MacLaurin, and his wife Lady MacLaurin.

The stand out item of the charity auction was a unique prize of trip to see Chris Evan's BBC Radio 2 breakfast show being recorded in the studio, reading the weather live on air followed by a round of golf with Chris after the show. This one item raised a staggering £15,000. The charity would like to thank all the individuals, companies and the Army for contributing the superb prizes which helped raise the fantastic amount of £60,000.

Hope for Tomorrow was founded by Christine Mills in 2003 after the loss of her husband to cancer, raises money to provide Mobile Chemotherapy Units that bring this highly specialised treatment closer to cancer patients’ homes. In a unique partnership with the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the charity’s first Unit has treated nearly 3000 patients since it came into operation in 2007. Hope for Tomorrow now looks forward to forging a similar relationship with NHS Somerset, and in other counties as further mobile units are funded.

As Rachel Levenson. Associate Director of NSF Developments, for the Somerset trust commented, “NHS Somerset is delighted for the opportunity that Hope for Tomorrow will bring patients in rural Somerset. Being a very rural county, some cancer patients currently have to travel as long as an hour to hospital in order to receive their chemotherapy treatment. Access to this mobile service promises treatment much closer to home.”

If you represent a trust or would like to help raise funds to allow other counties around the United Kingdom to benefit from the Mobile Chemotherapy Units please contact us by clicking here.

Our thanks to Ruth Garner of www.ruthgarnerphotography.com for taking the photography on the day