Centenary project

Rotary International Ceredigion and Mid Wales Centenary Appeal
Palliative care unit, Bronglais, Aberystwyth

All 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.