Hospital scheme benefits from Thatcham church funding

Cheque presented to the Rosemary Appeal

A THATCHAM church has contributed to a £4.5m scheme to build a state-of-the-art cancer care and renal dialysis unit in West Berkshire.

Thatcham United Reformed Church chooses a local and an international charity each year to receive money from donations collected over Christmas.

For its local charity, the church has donated £250 to the Newbury and Thatcham Hospital Building Trust, which is raising funds to build the two units at the West Berkshire Community Hospital.

Minister at Thatcham URC the Rev John Lee, said the trust was chosen as the Thatcham community cared greatly about the hospital and jumped at the chance to support the appeal.

“It’s very much in the hearts and minds of everyone, so clearly it came top of the list and we were happy to make an offering to them,” he said.

Trust secretary Rob Tayton said: “Every penny is very much appreciated we have a lot of money to raise.

“We are very grateful to the United Reformed Church.

“I went to a service there, which was lovely, and they were very appreciative about what the appeal does and is about to do.”

Dr Tayton said that the trust was hopeful that work would start in the coming weeks.

The Greenham Common Trust has agreed to match-fund the donation, taking the total amount donated by the church to £500.

The church chose Open Doors, which supports persecuted Christians across the world, as its international charity.