Charity heralds festive season

THE countdown to Christmas is firmly under way after a North East cancer charity switched on its festive lights.

Families wrapped up warm as they gathered outside the Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care centre in Gosforth, Newcastle, on Wednesday night to see the illuminations being turned on.

Forty thousand multi-coloured lights filled the night sky as Andy Welch, medical director and acting joint chief executive of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, flicked the switch.

The charity transports patients to and from hospital for treatment in a fleet of brightly-coloured ambulances, and has grown from strength to strength over the years.

And each light, which covers a towering Christmas tree and the walls of the centre, represents a journey a cancer patient will make next year.

Before the switch-on, families and volunteers burst into song, singing a variety of Christmas classics such as Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells.

Former millionaire Brian Burnie, who invested huge sums of money to launch the cancer charity, said: “It’s unbelievable having everyone come together. This is what cancer care is all about, having everyone together. It is a real team effort and everyone works so hard to help.”

Today, more than 300 volunteers work for the charity, who are committed to making life more bearable for people suffering from cancer.

Over the last seven years, the organisation has grown from just two ambulances to a fleet of more than 20 and they have made around 30,000 patient journeys this year.

Next year, the charity hopes to offer its service to even more people, helping to make the stressful and often painful trip to hospital a little easier.

Mr Welch said he was honoured to be asked by the cancer charity to switch on the Christmas lights.

“We’ve got a very close relationship with Daft as a Brush and it is a fantastic cause,” he said.

“It is much more than just taking patients back and forward when they have to go to hospital for their treatment.

“The staff really care for the patients and make sure they are well cared for. Brian and the staff are really lovely and do a great job.”