Take a bow! And an encore as well! In just 10 months, the Bronglais Chemo Appeal has exceeded its £500,000 target —a spectacular success in a campaign that relied on the generosity of the people of mid Wales.

The public appeal to fund a chemotherapy day unit at the Aberystwyth hospital — one that would the people within the catchment areas of Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd — was launched on 30 November 2021.

Since then, it has captured the imagination and support of so many. There is not a single family across Wales that has not been affected in some way by cancer. Consequently, the Bronglais appeal and the need to fund and build a chemotherapy day unit touched so many.

Whether it be through walking, cycling, running, swimming or singling like Elvis, people found creative ways to donate little or large amounts.

So many generous individual donors stepped forward to give to the appeal. So many more too organised a litany of events in our villages, communities and towns, collecting funds, volunteering in any way they could, to make this dream a reality.

We have all seen the pressure that our National Health Service endured through the long and dark months of the Covid pandemic. And the staff of the NHS — the backbone who make it work — have long been our heroes.

In its own way, the Bronglais chemo appeal offered a way for people to show that they care, that the service is vital, and that they wanted to help in any way they could.

As Bridget Harpwood, the fundraising officer for Hywel Dda Health Charities, rightly notes: “We’ve been genuinely blown away by the support from our local communities, it has entirely exceeded our expectations. “What’s become clear is how passionate people are about their local NHS – and how creative they are when it comes to fundraising!”

Yes, there are individuals and organisations that have gone above and beyond to make this appeal an amazing success. But there are many thousands of you, in this time of economic hardship, who managed to dig a little deeper and find those pounds that have funded this campaign.

We can’t wait for construction to begin next summer. Well done everyone!