'Every single corner of the Island came together' — Wessex Cancer Trust reaches £100,000 target

In March last year, the Trust launched its Build for the Future Appeal to raise the funds for a new Cancer Wellbeing Centre on the Isle of Wight.

The centre needed a new home following the redevelopment of its leased building in Lugley Street, Newport, and the new centre — which will be created in an adjoining building — required extensive renovation.

From skydives to cake sales, inflatable colour runs to cyclathons, the trust has reached its target almost a year since the launch.

Inflatable Colour Run.

Lorraine White, community engagement officer, said: "The best thing about the fundraise is that it has been such a community effort.

"Every single corner of the Isle of Wight has come together to make this happen and the new centre will benefit all Islanders."

Piano Cafe donate to Wessex Cancer Trust.

Isle of Wight Flower Club donate to Wessex Cancer Trust.

Lorraine said she wanted to thank all the staff and volunteers at the trust who had put in hours and hours of their time to help at events and run their own fundraising events.

But the journey is not finished — any extra money that comes in will only make the centre bigger and better than ever imagined.

"We want to say that any continued fundraising will make the centre better than we envisaged," said Lorraine. "We can expand what we do and it will let us increase the services."

Key moments in the trust's calendar have included the arrival of the new daisy bus, the inflatable colour run and the New Year's Day swim.

The new Daisy Bus.

New Year's Day swim at Shanklin.

Lorraine said: "The inflatable colour run really was phenomenal. A group of 1,000 people turned up, and it was the first of its kind on the Island.

"It raised £40,000 in one hit so was a massive chunk of what we had to raise. All those people came out to support us."

Inflatable colour run.

The final amount of money was raised during a cyclathon at Isle of Wight Radio yesterday (Wednesday).

Well-known Island names from Level 42's Mark King, leader of the council, Dave Stewart, to gold-medal Olympian, Shirley Robertson, got on their bikes and cycled for the trust.

Large donations from Mark King and Chris Jarman alongside gifts Islanders dropped into the studio meant the trust collected the £4,000 needed to hit the target.

Shirley Robertson.

Claire Critchison and Dave Stewart.

Lorraine said: "It was such a good day. It was a little but unexpected to hit our target so suddenly, but it feels really great as well.

"Unfortunately, everyone has an encounter with cancer at some point in their life and this centre will help improve the lives of hundreds of Islanders."