“It made me forget about what I was going through”: Barry’s transport service story

When 79-year-old Barry Watts was told he’d need 20 days of radiotherapy as part of his prostate cancer treatment, he was immediately concerned about how he’d get to his appointments.

Barry and his wife Lorraine live in Upper Cumberworth – which is roughly a 45-minute drive away from Weston Park Cancer Centre. Both Barry and Lorraine drive, but they were worried about managing traffic and parking in Sheffield.

“We have a good community of friends,” said Lorraine, “and originally we’d drawn up a rota of people who had offered to take us to Barry’s appointments.”

During a trip to see the consultant, the couple paid a visit to the Weston Park Cancer Charity Support Centre.

“We got talking to a lovely man called Kane,” said Lorraine. “He told us all about the charity’s free transport service. He said that the seats on the bus were prioritised for patients, but if there was a spare space I could use it too.

“That was just brilliant, because it meant that I could come along to Barry’s appointments and support him. It was a big relief.”

Weston Park Cancer Charity’s free transport service was launched in 2021, and has since provided thousands of patients with safe, reliable transport to and from their appointments. The service runs several routes and caters for passengers based in Chesterfield, Barnsley, Rotherham, and Meadowhall.

Barry and Lorraine, who used the Barnsley service, soon got to know the volunteer drivers and fellow passengers.

“It made a big difference being able to have a chat and a laugh with the other passengers,” said Barry. “It made me forget about what I was going through. It got to the point where we’d look forward to going!

“There were a couple of times where the bus was completely full, so Lorraine couldn’t come on those days. But I was so glad that she could be there for my first week of treatment.”

“All of the drivers were fabulous,” said Lorraine. “We ended up making lots of friends on the bus and we’re still in touch with them to this day.

“When we started using the service we weren’t sure whether we’d have to sit around for ages after Barry’s appointments.

“But we never had to wait long. The charity team would make us a nice cup of tea, and then it was time to get on the bus and go back home again!”

After Barry completed his radiotherapy, Lorraine organised several fundraising events in support of Weston Park Cancer Charity – including a raffle, a coffee morning, and a lunch at her local church. In total she raised a fantastic £1,700 for the charity.

“We wanted to raise some money for the charity because we were so grateful,” said Lorraine. “Both for the transport service and the treatment that Barry received at Weston Park Cancer Centre.

“Looking back, I don’t think we could have managed without the charity’s transport service. It relieved us of so much stress.”

“I’ve recommended Weston Park’s transport service to so many people now,” said Barry. “Whenever I hear that someone in the area has been diagnosed with cancer I say, ‘Get yourself on that bus!’. You can’t beat it.”

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