Doncaster cancer charity Firefly has record year

  • By Hannah Norbury

A charity which takes people with cancer to and from their appointments has had its busiest year since its launch.

Firefly uses 12 minibuses to transport patients in South Yorkshire to hospital, with 76 volunteer drivers ensuring 60 to 80 people are able to attend their treatment each week.

It was founded in 2006 by Doncaster woman Denise Dunn after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and discovered that many people were struggling to get to their treatment in Sheffield.

The charity was taken over by her fiance, Ian Bacchus, following Miss Dunn's death in 2014.

Denise Dunn set up the charity in 2006

He said they provide a lifeline service to many of their clients.

"We get told [by] some of them [that they] wouldn't make the journey, they wouldn't have the treatment," he said. "And that's it really - if they're not going to have the treatment, they're potentially not going to survive.

"This has been our busiest since we've been formed and currently we are going to hit 13,000 appointments this year.

"There is no-one that we turn away. As long as they live in the area of Doncaster, Retford, Worksop, Rotherham, we will take them, it's not a problem to us."

Mr Bacchus said the growing demand is partly due to better technology allowing earlier diagnoses.

One of those who was helped by the service is John Aston, from Doncaster. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 53.

Firefly takes people to their appointments in Sheffield

"It's a bus into town, then a train to Sheffield, and then from the train station a bus to Western Park hospital.

"I called Firefly and Ian put my mind at ease in two minutes. And that was it. I had eight weeks of treatment Monday to Friday."

Rick Fuller, a volunteer driver for the charity, said: "It's incredibly rewarding, picking people up at arguably the worst point in their lives and hopefully relieving some of that stress, is what it's all about and getting them their safely with no worry.

"There is no money involved so that relieves the financial burden as well, because some people might be suffering financially because of the diagnosis."

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