Charities and clinical staff came together on 26 March to celebrate the opening of the newly-refurbished staff room at the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit (CCHU) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
The £30,000 cost of the refurbishment – which involved the staff room and a nearby patient kitchen at the Unit – was met by funding from the Cancer Care and Haematology Fund (CCHF), the charity that supports Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust's cancer and haematology service.
An important £8,500 grant towards the cost was also made by The Clare Foundation, the Aylesbury-based charity that brings together key stakeholders, partners, businesses and charitable organisations to facilitate and create positive change across society in Buckinghamshire.
Chair of CCHF, Nicola Gilham, told guests: “The goal of our charity is to make sure that every patient being treated for haematology and cancer conditions – ie their chemotherapy and other treatments for blood disorders – gets outstanding care and the extra comforts and time that is needed to help them through their journey. But good care is reliant upon great people delivering that care and it is therefore essential to ensure that the staff wellbeing is looked after too – I have a simple mantra of: happy staff means happy patients.
Nicola added: “The refurbishment of this staff room – and indeed the patient kitchen also – is testament to this and the transformation of this space to a welcoming, bright, clean and restful place allows staff to take a break in nice surroundings.”
Also present at the opening event was the Founder and President of The Clare Foundation, Mike Clare and his wife Julie. Mike said: “We’re absolutely delighted to support the refurbishment of the staff room and patient kitchen at Stoke Mandeville Hospital’s Cancer Care and Haematology Unit. The dedication and compassion shown every day by the nurses and staff is truly inspiring, and we’re proud to play a small part in enhancing the environment in which they care for patients.
He added: “Working in collaboration with the Cancer Care and Haematology Fund, this project reflects the power of partnership in making a meaningful difference to people undergoing treatment and to those who support them.”
31 March 2026
Our photo at top shows some of the guests from CCHF and The Clare Foundation (left to right): Mrs Julie Clare, Marcela Heime TCF Trustee and Director, Dr Ann Watson CCHF Trustee, Mike Clare TCF Founder and President, Nicola Gilham CCHF Chair of Trustees and Robin Walker TCF Chair of Trustees.
