Herefordshire's Cut the Cancer Misery Miles

8:03pm Monday 28th July 2008

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NEWSPAPERS campaign for many things on behalf of their readers - money for good causes like the Barrs Court special school hydrotherapy appeal or wrongs to be righted - but not all of them succeed.

But tonight's news that the three-year campaign to Cut the Cancer Misery Miles for Herefordshire cancer patients has succeeded is a great success.

The winners are probably not the many, many readers who wrote to us with their heart-breaking stories of distress, aggravated by the long journey to Cheltenham and back for life-saving treatment.

Some said they'd given up on the treatment rather than endure the misery of travel. Others told of the harrowing conditions they'd endured.

This was not a reflection on the fantastic hospital car drivers but on a system that couldn't provide care closer to home.

They all told their stories to stop others going through the same pain and that's now soon to be achieved, thanks to their courage.

Allan and Angela Lloyd have been the spearheads to this three-year endeavour and they deserve every thanks for their efforts.

And the people of Herefordshire, through their fundraising for the Macmillan renton unit have provided the home and the possibility of this achievement.

But we at the Hereford Times owe thanks to our health reporter Liz Watkins who has faithfully covered this story down the months ensuring that the county's case never went out of sight.

Ian Morris, our news editor, took her stories to the decision-makers last week and was in Cheltenham today with our photographer to record this historic outcome.

We've done what you - our readers - expect us to do and that's make the case for our county and its people in the strongest possible terms.

Thank you all for supporting us to this great achievement.