A NEW charity has been formed to save a vital cancer support centre in Romsey from closure.

Shockwaves were sent around the town in July when Wessex Cancer Trust announced it was closing Jane Scarth House to concentrate on services in larger towns and cities– forcing clients of the popular Romsey cancer counselling centre to travel to Southampton, Winchester and further afield for help and advice.

Wessex Cancer said larger support centres would be opened in Salisbury, Bournemouth and Portsmouth during the next 12 months and Jane Scarth House clients would be offered free transport to alternative centres.

This sparked anger from supporters of the much loved befriending centre which opened in 1995 and was once described by the trust as its “flagship”.

Now a rescue package has been launched that will allow Jane Scarth House to continue to serve the town and surrounding villages.

Jane Scarth House costs around £60,000 a year to run and last year about 1,700 clients passed through its door.

Those behind the rescue bid have formed a board of trustees from the town and they are currently looking for temporary premises to bridge the gap between the time Wessex Cancer vacates Jane Scarth at the end of October and the reopening of the centre which is likely to be in November.

A spokesperson for the new charity, Romsey Cancer Centre, said: “It is our intention to lease Jane Scarth House as soon as it is vacated, this should be mid to late November. We have founded a new charity with the intention of continuing the work of Jane Scarth House and we have applied for registration to the Charity Commission but this process can take weeks.

“To help support the centre we intend to open a charity shop, the lease is not yet signed but the anticipated opening is at the beginning of December. We will soon be asking for donations of goods to help stock the shop.”

The group is now looking at ways of raising funds.

“As a new charity we start from a position of having absolutely no money but we have already received a very significant offer to help to get us started and have many supporters who recognise the excellent work done in the past by Jane Scarth House,” said the spokesperson.

Chairman of Romsey Cancer Centre Mike Gratton said “This is very good news not only for the centre and the shop but also the people of Romsey who have been very worried about the future of Jane Scarth House. We have an excellent board of about a dozen trustees. We have been able to move forward and put a package together to save Jane Scarth House and all we need now is the backing of Romsey with fundraising and I have no doubt the people of the town will get behind us.” 

The first big fundraiser for the new charity will be a Supper Dance with a live band at St Edward’s School in Sherfield English on October 18. Tickets cost £15 and for more details email info@janescarth house.co.uk.