“I’m not sure what I would have done without it”: Nick’s transport service story

“When you’re diagnosed with cancer there’s so much going through your mind,” said Nick. “It’s not until later that you think about practical things like transport.”

Nick, a retired picture framer based in Rotherham, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2024. He was told that he’d need a 20-day course of radiotherapy, which would start just before Christmas.

Nick has MS and often uses walking sticks or a wheelchair to get around.

“I’m fairly independent,” said Nick. “I like to drive myself about and if I know I’ll be going any distance I get my wheelchair out. I want to do as much as I can for as long as I can.

“But when I’ve come to Sheffield for appointments before I’ve struggled to find parking spaces. Then it can be a problem actually getting to the hospital because you need to navigate all the pavements and kerbs. Everything just takes a bit more time.

“When I found out that I needed to come in for almost three weeks of radiotherapy, I was concerned that the transport side of things could be a real hassle.”

Nick’s sister had heard about Weston Park Cancer Charity’s free transport service and suggested that he get in touch to find out more. The charity organised a place for Nick, and he caught the bus every day from NY Stadium in Rotherham.

“I brought my wheelchair to the bus and the drivers stored it away for me which was great,” said Nick. “There was also an extra step which made it easier for me to get on board.”

Weston Park Cancer Charity’s free transport service launched in 2021, and since then it has provided safe, reliable transport to thousands of people. The service runs twice a day from stops in Rotherham, Chesterfield, Barnsley, and Meadowhall. All of the buses are driven by volunteers, who clocked up 45,704 miles between them last year alone.

“The volunteer drivers were absolutely cracking,” said Nick, “and it was really easy to get chatting to people on the bus. I’m not a big worrier. But if you were anxious about treatment, I should think having people on the bus to chat to would help a great deal.”

Weston Park Cancer Charity’s free transport service is funded by generous donations from supporters. In the future, the charity hopes to expand the service further so that even more people across the region can benefit from it.

“I would absolutely recommend the transport service to others who are going through treatment,” said Nick. “I’m not sure what I would have done without it. It made such a difference not having to think about morning rush hour or parking.

“If the charity ever adds a hand-controlled vehicle to the transport fleet, I’ll be volunteering to drive it myself!”

To find out more about Weston Park Cancer Charity’s free transport service head to westonpark.org.uk/transport-service or contact us on 0114 553 3330.