I WANTED to write to acknowledge the fantastic work that the team from the Macmillan Unit in Christchurch do. My Dad, who was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer two years ago, sadly passed away in January of this year. He spent his final days in the unit and was made as comfortable as possible by the caring and knowledgeable team.

When you’re watching someone you love facing their final days with cancer, it is reassuring to know that they are being well looked after. Many of the team in the unit really do deserve medals. They manage to come in to work with smiles on their faces even though they are faced with great sadness every day. When you’re watching your loved one fade, it certainly helps to have positive people around. Prior to visiting the unit, I, like many people thought that it was part of the national Macmillan charity. However, I was surprised to learn that it is actually a separate entity in its own right, founded in 1974.

The charity doesn’t benefit from funds raised for the national Macmillan charity at all, yet it provides just as much vital care and support to both patients and patients’ families. My Mum and I, along with some help from our family and friends, raised more than £2,000 at my Dad’s funeral. We were proud to be able to present the money recently to the Macmillan Caring Locally trust secretary, Neal Williams.

All the money raised for the charity stays in our local area and Neal even asked us if there was anything in particular we would like to put the money towards. There are not many charities that would be able to provide such a personal touch. So I think huge thanks should go to the team that run the unit from the admin staff, to the doctors and the nurses, and even the volunteers that makes the cups of tea. We are very lucky to have these fantastic services right on our doorsteps, as none of us know if we might be the ones needing the services of Macmillan Caring Locally ourselves someday.

KATIE DAMIANI, Greenlands Rise, Bournemouth