A 'FABULOUS legacy' for a young man who died aged just 30 has been unveiled at the new Dorset County Hospital radiotherapy unit.

The Robert White Centre was officially opened by West Dorset-based actor Martin Clunes in December.

Ducks & Drakes Cancer Trust raised and donated £75,000 towards the facility and a plaque has now been placed on the door of consulting room 4 remembering Andrew Drake. The trust was founded in his memory.

Annette Drake, Andrew's mother and the charity's co-founder, has thanked all their supporters for the 'generous donations and tireless fundraising' that made it all possible.

The trust was founded to boost awareness of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, particularly in young people, along with financially supporting young bowel cancer patients and their families and local cancer services such as the Dorset County Hospital Cancer Appeal. The total amount of £1.75m raised locally funded the cancer and haematology outpatients department, which was built on top of the new Radiotherapy Unit.

Annette said: “We are very proud to be part of this incredible new state-of-the-art cancer treatment centre and are especially proud that our charity name is represented by a plaque on the door of Consulting Room 4, in memory of my son and co-founder, Andrew Drake, who died aged 30, from bowel cancer. Andrew always found a way to create hope and positivity out of sadness and this is a fabulous legacy for his never wilting courage and determination he showed throughout his six year illness.”

Simon Pearson, head of fundraising at DCH, added: “Ducks and Drakes have supported us from the beginning of the Cancer Appeal and we are very grateful to them for their very significant donation of £75,000. The money they raised has helped us to reach our appeal target and will allow us to continue to provide the best possible care for all our patients at the new Robert White Centre in Dorchester.”

The £9 million centre is an extension of the Poole Hospital-based Dorset Cancer Centre. The Dorchester unit is equipped with the latest linear accelerator (LINAC) which enables patients to receive the best-possible radiotherapy treatment. This means that cancer patients in the north, south and west of the county can receive this care in their local hospital, instead of having to travel to Poole for treatment.

To find out more about the work of Ducks & Drakes visit ducksdrakescancertrust.org.uk