Donation made to Doncaster chemotherapy suite in memory of local business woman

Kate co-owned Ecofficiency along with her husband, Simon, and their business partners Johnathan Hodgett and Peter Taylor. As a family orientated and tight-knit organisation, Kate’s passing had a huge impact on everyone at Ecofficiency. The team decided to do the walk to bring everyone together in support of Simon, and in memory of Kate, whilst giving back to the unit who cared for her during her last months.

Elanor Sudbury, SHEQ Manager at Ecofficiency, said: “We wanted to do a fundraiser but something that would give us all a chance to celebrate Kate and bring our families together at the same time. The walk was two laps around the fields and was followed by a family fun afternoon with parents, children and dogs alike. all in attendance for a competitive game of rounders. It was exactly the kind of thing that Kate would have absolutely loved so the perfect way to get together and give back.”

The team initially set themselves a target of raising £1000 for the Chatsfield Suite but the generosity of all those in attendance on the day, and those who sponsored them, meant they were able to donate over £2,300.

Donations to the Chatsfield Suite have previously paid for a breakaway room, which is a non-clinical area within the unit that is furnished with homely décor. The room provides a quiet place that families and patients can use if they are feeling a little overwhelmed during treatment sessions, or if they need to feel surrounded by home comforts.

Donations have also recently facilitated the opening of a private garden for patients at the Chatsfield Suite which is a tranquil outdoor area, visible from the suite’s conservatory where many patients receive their treatment. The space also includes a nice seating area, offering shelter from the sun so patients and their families can spend some time amongst nature during their visits.

Lara Cunnane, Ward Manager of the Chatsfield Suite at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, said: “We are so very grateful to everyone behind this donation and we can’t say we are surprised so many people wanted to give generously in Kate’s memory – she really was an incredible woman. During her time on the unit, Kate spoke to all of the other patients and to all of the staff and she was very much a part of our family here.

“Kate was so excited when the work started on the charity garden but, unfortunately, she never got the chance to see it finished. We asked all our patients at the time for their input on the design of the garden and what they wanted from the space and Kate made a few suggestions. I know she would have been so pleased that her legacy will benefit patients receiving treatment here in the future.”

The Chatsfield Suite is currently looking into installing LED ceiling tiles and windows in some areas of the unit. Lara said: “We’ve done lots of research into what makes a good environment for a chemotherapy unit and we know that natural light plays a big part in creating a calming and positive space. Unfortunately, due to the geography of our suite, we only have this benefit in half of our rooms. The installation of the ceiling tiles and windows is an innovative solution to that. Donations like this one in Kate’s memory are what help us to provide these extras that make a world of difference to our patients’ experiences here.”

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospital’s Charity support a number of projects which help to improve hospital experiences for local people. If you have a fundraising idea and you would like to support one of our projects, you can head to our website for more information at dbthcharity.co.uk