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Under One Roof February 2008
The Centenary
Project, “All Under One Roof”, which the Rotary Club
of Aberystwyth ran in partnership with the Rotary Clubs of Tywyn,
Machynlleth, Llanidloes, Aberaeron, Cardigan and Lampeter, has
now been completed and all the funds have been approved and distibuted
by the trustees of the Ty Geraint Trust. The trustees consisted
of 7 Rotarians, one from each club, the consultant physician with
interest in oncology, the chairperson of the NHS Trust, a general
medical practitioner, a Macmillan nurse and a lay carer involved
in palliative care.
The appeal to equip a centre for palliative care in Bronglais
Hospital which covered our area, was launched by the Rotary Clubs
involved in February 2003. £29,000 was needed and it was
given the name “All Under One Roof”.
The generosity of the local community, good publicity, and hard
work from Rotarians soon indicated that this target would be passed.
It was decided at this point that rather than just equip the centre
we would equip it as a centre of excellence. By the end of the
project over £90,000 had been collected.
The building of the centre at a cost of over £250,000 was
completed in late 2005. It was named “Ty Geraint”,
Lord Geraint having been the president of our appeal. With prudence
the estimate of £57,500 to equip the centre as a centre
of excellence was reduced to just over £41,000 without sacrificing
any of the standards already set. The equipment was installed
in January 2006.
Ty Geraint was officially opened by the Minister of Health in
August 2006. The Rotary plaque is prominently displayed in the
entrance hall.
So successful was the appeal that there was over £50,000
left to spend on palliative care in the region. As
had been previously agreed the money was to be spent to the maximum
benefit of the patient, rather than on administration, and had
to cover the area as fairly as possible. The last criterion proved
quite difficult and in the end individual medical practices had
to be telephoned directly to ask whether they needed equipment
for the palliative care of their patients. This equipment purchased
included syringe drivers, Tens Machines, Omnifuse and oximeters
given to medical practices, Video Conferencing equipment for Llanidloes
and Cardigan Hospitals, syringe drivers and Tempur- Med mattresses/
cushions to Tywyn and Machynlleth community hospitals. £3,000
was spent on additional equipment to Ty Geraint and £900
was spent on two massage and relaxation courses for lay and professional
carers at Ty Geraint A Tywyn nurse who had palliative care qualifications
has been sent on two lymphoedema courses at a cost of £975,
This means that the treatment of lymphoedema, a very painful condition
following cancer treatment, can now commence in the Tywyn area.
The £30,000 remainder of the fund has been donated to “Beacon
of Hope”, an organization providing a Hospice at Home service
in the area.
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