Talk on www.arkcancercharity.org.uk

BASINGSTOKE - The New Ark Cancer Care Centre


Mark Jones, former Editor of the Basingstoke Gazette was currently finding his feet at the Charity in his new job with a purpose of raising awareness of the new centre.

The planned centre will be in addition to the Trauma Hospital with a total cost of some £18.5m, £5m of which will be directed at the Complementary Services i.e. to get the environmental matters right and Patient Care etc.


 
He thanked members of the Basingstoke Rotary Club, as we had provided him with his first cheque for the Charity following the very successful fundraising dinner for The Arc Cancer Care Charity at Audleys Wood on 12th November 2014. £500,000 had now been raised by the charity up to the time of the meeting.

Mark said that he became a Journalist to make a difference. Out of his thirty years in journalism, eighteen years were spent at the Basingstoke Gazette. Sadly only 10 staff remained when he changed jobs at the end of January, following a new way of working and system called “Knowledge”. So the local Basingstoke newspaper are now partly designed in Wales.  He noted that there are only a few independent newspapers left now.

It is for the people by the people. Their goals are:

•    To provide care and support

•    To provide a range of support services

•    To raise £5m

The new Centre will be designed by professionals and patients working together. The quality of the patient's environment is the key to the design ethos with everything planned under one roof, with no corridors and lots of natural daylight and overlooking the open countryside. A Centre will be provided with the 'wow' factor - with courtyards, water features, a calming environment. I will be a beacon facility for the NHS with whom the project will be developed.

Thankfully, more people are now surviving Cancer and this facility will help by including yoga and exercise classes and smart chemotherapy chairs. It is estimated that some 70,000 patients will attend in a year. The intended access times for patients driving in will be 20 to 30 minutes maximum. There will be Clinical Trials too that will benefit others in the longer term. However they will not deal with childhood cancers.

The plan is to create the facility near Dummer, but a Plan B if totally necessary, would be to build at Basingstoke Hospital. Critical Treatment Hospital.
 
 Mark asked the club and the public at large to help make it happen by:

•     Organising a fund raising event
•     Spreading the word
•     Making a donation or a legacy

Mark’s job as an Editor has helped him get the Arc Charity position, so his formers skills will help put together newsletters about the project.
 
 Planning will hopefully be granted at Dummer in September/October
 They then move into the NHS Planning Phase.
 Then can approach organisations, trusts  and charities for grants and large donations.
 
 The charity wants to comence building end of 2016 and finish by 2019 and this will also require the improvement of the infrastructure on the A30 near Dummer.
 Integration of Social care. Need to be able to also get there by bus.
 
 John Upshall, in proposing the Vote of Thanks to Mark Jones,mentioned that this is an essential addition to our local Community and reminded members that Mark had in the past also been awarded a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow for the work he had done in supporting the community.
 

Mark was also warmly thanked by President Mark Flower.