A family-run business is calling on others to lend their support to local cancer services after donating more than £6,350 over the last 10 years.
Gasco UK Ltd, a central heating business owned and run by two brothers, Steve and Ian Thomas, became the first ever corporate supporters of Lingen Davies Cancer Support in 2015 following the excellent care given to a close family member.
Steve Thomas, Managing Director of Gasco UK Limited, said: “Our mum was diagnosed with cancer in the late 80s. After she received a bone marrow transplant at Birmingham Hospital, she came back closer to home to receive treatment at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
“It’s only when you look back that you appreciate just how incredible the care and support she received was. I was too young to understand it at the time but now, looking back, I’m overwhelmed by the outstanding care she received at Shrewsbury.”
Steve and Ian’s mum passed away in 1994 following seven years of cancer treatment at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre.
Time to give back
After taking some time to process their loss and develop the family-run business, in 2015 Steve and Ian decided it was time to give back to the place which had been such a rock to their mum during her treatment.
Steve said: “I approached Lingen Davies after me and my brother had spoken about how nice it would be for our business to support a charity. We know there are some bigger charities we could’ve chosen but it was really important to us to support Lingen Davies after everything they did for our mum.
“We started our monthly £50 donations during the early days of the charity, and it’s been fascinating to watch it develop. Back then it was a small team, and we’ve had the pleasure of watching it grow – both in the support it receives from people in our region to the support it gives back to people when they most need it. We didn’t know it back then, but we were their very first corporate supporters!”
Continued support
Alongside a monthly donation the family continue to support the charity in a variety of ways, including participating in some fundraising activities and attending social events to help raise cancer awareness.
To date, Gasco UK has raised £6,395 for Lingen Davies Cancer Support.
“Even during the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges life has thrown at us we’ve always said that we’d keep the monthly donation going and do anything else we can to support them. It’s a great purpose and even greater to know that we’re helping the charity go further in ensuring everyone in the region has access to excellent cancer care.”
Lingen Davies Cancer Support, previously Fund, is the region’s leading cancer charity which works towards creating a positive difference for people living in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.
£5million Sunflower Appeal
The charity recently launched its largest ever appeal – a £5million Sunflower Appeal to develop cancer services in the region and double capacity through the creation of a Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital.
Gasco UK Limited is a central heating company based in Bridgnorth which has provided heating and air conditioning services to homes in Shropshire and the West Midlands since 1986.
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