Another successful year as ArCaS hands over £63,000

The charity shop of the Arran Cancer Support Trust (ArCaS) had another successful trading year.

The 27th annual general meeting of ArCaS held in the Glen Cloy suite at the Auchrannie Spa heard the shop at Brodick pier made £102,065 and £7,073 was received in donations for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2016.

Over the same period, patient transport costs were £30,552 and the gifts made by ArCaS totalled £63,011. They were given to: GP services £4,298, complementary services £1,290, Arran War Memorial Hospital £3,300 and mainland hospitals received £54,123. This included £26,000 to the Maggie’s Centre in Glasgow, to provide therapies for cancer patients.

The trust was set up in 1989 to help relieve the suffering and distress of people with cancer on Arran. Their fundraising takes the form of a charity shop at the pier in Brodick selling items provided by the generous donations of Arran people and staffed by volunteers.

The funds raised are used to provide transport to hospitals on the mainland for cancer patients. Any excess funds are dispersed to the community nurses, Arran general surgeries and mainland hospitals that provide diagnostic services and support for cancer patients and their carers.

The trustees are: Douglas Johnston (chairman), Elizabeth Ross (treasurer), Keith Cheshire (transport coordinator), Janet Rawlin (secretary), Aileen Auld and Andrew Walsh. Committee members are: Sue Girbow (shop manager), Lisa Remmington and Jan Grant (assistant shop managers).

Kelly Craig from the Maggie’s Centre gave a very interesting and informative talk, explaining to the meeting the services and support offered to cancer patients and their families by the centre.

She thanked ArCaS for the donation which will provide courses at the centre on mindfulness, relaxation and expressive writing.

The trustees and committee of ArCaS would like to thank the generous people of Arran for their donations and support. They would also like to thank all the volunteers who have staffed the shop and all the mainland drivers for their excellent service.

If anyone wishes to know more about ArCaS and the support offered to cancer patients, please stop by the shop and pick up a booklet or visit www.arrancancersupport.org.