Friends of ANCHOR is hosting a unique event to show its supporters how their donations have been spent.
Exclusive laboratory tours and interactive wellbeing sessions are on the agenda for the charity's ‘Supporter Thank You’ event on Friday October 7.
The event is open to anyone, and in addition to tours and talks, there will be a pop-up wellbeing station where guests can sample the wellbeing therapies and services on offer from Friends of ANCHOR.
Charity director Sarah-Jane Hogg said: “We want to show our fundraisers and donors exactly how their support has made an impact in the North-east of Scotland, in the lives of those we know and love who are undergoing treatment for cancer or a haematology illness.
“Every time someone takes on a fundraising challenge or makes a pledge, every penny they raise is carefully spent in ways that directly benefit ANCHOR Unit patients and the staff caring for them.
“This event will bring to the fore some of the ways in which Friends of ANCHOR has been able to provide that extra layer of support, all thanks to the kindness and generosity of those who get behind the cause. We hope to see a great number of people there on the day and we look forward to giving them a chance to see first-hand the power of their pounds.”
Guests will be given the opportunity to participate in interactive laboratory tours hosted by scientists who have undertaken research funded by Friends of ANCHOR. The tours, which must be pre-booked, are each themed, and include ‘analysing DNA’, ‘blood clots: the good, the bad and the ugly’, and ‘new treatment for lymphomas and ovarian cancer’.
Guests are asked to register their attendance in advance for the free event, and all tours require pre-booking. To book your place, please tap here. The event will be held from 1pm to 4pm at the Institute of Medical Sciences, on the Foresterhill campus in Aberdeen (Friday October 7).
As well as tours and ‘impact sessions’ hosted by the charity, guests will be able to hear from clinicians who use some of the cutting-edge equipment funded by Friends of ANCHOR.
Mrs Hogg added: “Thanks to our supporters we continue to provide crucial funding for equipment, research and wellbeing. We are grateful to each and every person who makes this possible, whether they fundraise, donate, attend one of our events, gift their time as a volunteer or sign up as a monthly donor.
“On October 7 we’ll be expressing that gratitude and giving donors the chance to see the difference their money makes right here in the North-east of Scotland for cancer and haematology patients.”
Spend committed by the charity in the last year includes £56,000 to half-fund four cutting-edge OmniBoards; a state-of-the-art immobilisation system for patients requiring radiotherapy treatment, and £27,000 of funding for radiofrequency breast tags and detector probes, which are used to prepare patients for surgery to remove breast tumours.
The charity also funds up to £100,000 annually for pioneering early stage cancer and haematology research that form the building blocs of future changes in diagnosis and treatment.
Friends of ANCHOR’s patient-facing support includes bespoke care packs for every ANCHOR patient during different stages of their treatment, and wellbeing services including massage, mindfulness, podiatry and reflexology.