SCTU staff support local Cancer Research UK shop

The director of the CRUK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit made a Christmas visit to the Cancer Research UK shop in Romsey this week to hand over donations from staff.

Staff at the unit have been collecting items at their offices at Southampton General Hospital over the past few months.

The trials unit, which runs world-leading clinical trials to test new cancer treatments and help find ways to diagnose the disease at an earlier stage, is core-funded by Cancer Research UK.

“The CRUK shops around the country play a vital role in raising funds for cancer research,” says Professor Gareth Griffiths, director of the unit and Romsey resident.

“Earlier this year, our unit received a £5.5m funding boost from the charity to support the next five years of research and aid new clinical trials, and the work we would not be able to do without the support of the public.”

Gareth and his team handed over their donations to manager Amanda Judge and shop volunteer Pam Leith who has been working at the Romsey CRUK shop for over 15 years after her husband passed away from leukaemia.

“It’s amazing because we really do need donations all the time,” says Amanda. “We’re a busy shop in Romsey so we’re really grateful to all the staff from the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit. It’s so interesting to hear about the work they are doing and how the money that we are helping to raise here at our shop is helping to fund life-saving research. And it’s fantastic to have links between our shop, our volunteers and the local research community.”

Professor Griffiths continued: “We are extremely grateful to everyone here in Romsey, as well as all the staff and volunteers at all the Cancer Research UK shops, and to the charity’s supporters for everything they do to raise funds for our clinical trials. We wish everyone a very merry Christmas.”

Image (from left to right): Jayne Parsonage, Senior Administrator for SCTU; Amanda Judge, Manager of the CRUK Romsey shop; Professor Gareth Griffiths, Director of the SCTU; Pam Leith, CRUK Romsey shop volunteer.