Dave Allen donates £150,000 towards Weston Park MRI appeal

Dave Allen, Director of A&S Leisure Group, the company behind Napoleons Casinos & Restaurants, has donated £150,000 towards a new MRI simulator at Weston Park Cancer Centre in Sheffield.

The donation supports Weston Park Cancer Charity’s ‘see it. treat it.’ appeal, which aims to raise £1.85 million to purchase and install the specialist equipment, helping clinical teams plan more precise radiotherapy treatment for patients across the region. 

Dave announced his contribution during a private event he hosted at OEC Sheffield, where he spoke about the need for the machine and encouraged guests to support the appeal themselves.

For Dave, a long-standing supporter of Weston Park, the donation reflects a commitment to giving back to the city where A&S Leisure Group employs hundreds of people.

Speaking about his support, Dave said: “We employ about 350 people in Sheffield. Many of those are going to require the services of Weston Park, so we’ve made money in Sheffield. I’d like to contribute a little bit back so that they’ll benefit from it.”

The MRI simulator will give clinicians a clearer view of tumours and surrounding healthy tissue, helping them plan treatment more accurately and reduce damage to healthy areas. The charity expects the equipment to benefit between 12 and 18 patients every day.

For suitable patients with prostate cancer, the technology will also help make shorter courses of radiotherapy possible. A treatment called stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy, or SABR, can reduce the number of treatment sessions from 20 to five. MR simulation is needed to plan this treatment, which means 75% fewer radiotherapy visits for eligible patients. 

For those patients and their families, that could mean fewer journeys to hospital and less time spent travelling to and from appointments during an already difficult period.

The £150,000 contribution continues Dave’s support for healthcare in Sheffield. His previous donations include £50,000 to Weston Park Cancer Charity to help fund its community support bus and services, alongside £1.3 million for a surgical robot at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. 

Dave was joined for the cheque presentation by his long-standing friend Dr Kash Purohit, Patron of Weston Park Cancer Charity. Having spent many years caring for patients at Weston Park, Dr Purohit understands first-hand the difference that investment in cancer care can make to local people and their families.

Later, on Friday 2nd October, Dave was invited to attend the Master Cutler’s Challenge event at The Cutlers’ Hall alongside the Weston Park team and other businesses and organisations. During the afternoon, the charity revealed that its ‘see it. treat it.’ Appeal had raised an incredible £2,151,030!

To find out more about the MRI simulator and support the ‘see it. treat it.’ appeal, visit Weston Park Cancer Charity’s appeal page.

Together with Napoleons Casinos & Restaurants, A&S Leisure Group includes Owlerton Stadium and OEC Sheffield, the venue for the private event where Dave called on others to get behind the appeal.