We’re proud to share that Dave Allen, Director of our parent company, A&S Leisure Group, has donated £150,000 towards a new MRI simulator at Weston Park Cancer Centre in Sheffield.
The donation supports Weston Park Cancer Charity’s ‘see it. treat it.’ appeal, helping fund specialist equipment that will allow clinical teams to plan more precise radiotherapy treatment for patients across our region.
Dave announced his contribution at a private event he hosted at our sister venue, OEC Sheffield, where he spoke about the difference the equipment could make and encouraged guests to support the appeal themselves.
Giving back to Sheffield
For Dave, a long-standing supporter of Weston Park, the donation is about giving back to the city where our group employs hundreds of people.
As Dave explained: “We employ about 350 people in Sheffield. Many of those are going to require the services of Weston Park, so we’ve made money in Sheffield. I’d like to contribute a little bit back so that they’ll benefit from it.”
His latest contribution follows previous donations of £50,000 to Weston Park Cancer Charity to help fund its community support bus and services, alongside £1.3 million for a surgical robot at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.
What will the MRI simulator mean for patients?
The MRI simulator will give clinicians a clearer view of tumours and surrounding healthy tissue, helping them plan treatment more accurately and reduce damage to healthy areas. The charity expects the equipment to benefit between 12 and 18 patients every day.
For suitable patients with prostate cancer, it will also help make shorter courses of radiotherapy possible. A treatment called stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy, or SABR, can reduce the number of treatment sessions from 20 to five, with MR simulation needed to plan this treatment.
For those patients and their families, that could mean fewer journeys to hospital and less time spent travelling to appointments during an already difficult period.
Celebrating the appeal’s total
Dave was joined for the cheque presentation by his long-standing friend Dr Kash Purohit, Patron of Weston Park Cancer Charity. Having spent many years caring for patients at Weston Park, Dr Purohit understands first-hand the difference investment in cancer care can make to local people and their families.
On Friday 2nd October, Dave attended the Master Cutler’s Challenge event at Cutlers’ Hall alongside the Weston Park team and other businesses and organisations. During the afternoon, the charity revealed that the appeal had raised an incredible £2,151,030, exceeding its £1.85 million target.
Here at Napoleons, we’re delighted to see Dave’s support contribute to such an important milestone for cancer care in our region.
To learn more about the equipment and the difference it will make, visit Weston Park Cancer Charity’s ‘see it. treat it.’ appeal page.