Generous people in Wiltshire have helped to raise more than £17,000 for the Bath Cancer Support Group during the last year by donating items for sale.

In April the charity reopened its temporary shop in Castle Place Shopping Centre, Trowbridge, for a two-month period after closing early at Christmas because of the pandemic.

The shop raises thousands of pounds every Christmas for the cancer unit at Bath’s Royal United Hospital. By reopening in the spring, the BCUSG was able to raise a further £5,640 on top of the £9,228 that it raised during the festive period.

This, together with additional online sales, takes the total amount raised by the charity from goods donated during the last year to £17,049.

Sue Oliver, who is chair of the charity’s Trowbridge fundraising committee, said: “This is an amazing amount to raise given that we have been through a pandemic. We would like to say a big thank you to all our shop volunteers for their hard work, and to everyone who donated items and the customers who supported us. People were sad to see the shop close.

“We would also like thank Castle Place manager, Julie Davis, and assistant manager Donna Stephens, for providing us with storage space and shop premises for both the Christmas and spring shops. We couldn’t have reached this fantastic total without their support.”

The BCUSG has also received a donation of £500 from the Rotary Club of Bradford on Avon. Club members and friends, together with members of the Rotary Club of Wessex Mead in Trowbridge, recently carried out marshalling duties at the Trowbridge Covid vaccination hub.

The medical practices running the hub decided to donate £500 in recognition of their hard work outside in the cold and rain, and Rotary Club members decided it should go to the BCUSG. In addition, a plant sale at the monthly Makers’ Market in Castle Place Shopping Centre and plant sales online, have raised a further £643 for the BCUSG. The charity would like to thank Robin Dallimore who grew and sold plants to raise funds.

The BCUSG hopes to have a regular presence at the Makers’ Market, which is held on the first Saturday of each month, so please go along and support the charity.

The BCUSG is also currently looking for volunteers to help out and people with great fundraising ideas to get in touch. For more information please contact Sue at fundraising@bcusg.org

To make a financial donation to the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group, or discuss becoming a corporate partner, please email Alan Webb at fundraising@bcusg.org or phone 07896 741233.