About Cobalt Appeal Fund

The Cobalt Appeal Fund has gone from strength to strength since it was established in 1964. The Charity has evolved naturally over this period from one simply raising funds to provide equipment for local hospitals to a medical charity in its own right providing advanced diagnostic services to the community.

Since 1964 the Cobalt Appeal Fund has established a remarkable track record of success by making a real difference to the quality of life and the outcomes for those suffering from cancer and other diseases, their families and friends.

We work in partnership with the Gloucestershire Breast Screening Service and are able to provide both equipment and the accommodation from which the service operates. Since 1989, the Gloucestershire Breast Screening Service has been housed in Cobalt’s Linton House. This service, following a £4.2m investment by Cobalt and a subsequent £1m capital appeal will shortly move to its new permanent home in what was once Thirlestaine Court in Cheltenham. This new breast clinic will bring screening, diagnostic and symptomatic services together under one roof for the first time. This will enable doctors to make a more rapid assessment of cases and share information and expertise quickly and efficiently.

Additionally, Cobalt has its own purpose built diagnostic imaging centre where it provides both MRI and PET/CT scanning facilities to aid in the diagnosis of cancer and other serious illnesses. Cobalt also supports research projects in the local NHS and provides a Cancer Education and Prevention Service. We continue to work closely with the NHS providing funding for equipment and services for patients with all types of cancer across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire

Our history

1964 The Cobalt Unit Appeal Fund was established by Dr Fred Hanna who was responsible for Radiotherapy in the county.

1966 – 1986 Establishing the Cheltenham Oncology Centre

The Cobalt Unit (or Cheltenham Oncology Centre as it has now become) was established at Cheltenham General Hospital in 1966, with a two-storey extension added nine years later. In 1978 an x-ray body scanner was purchased and housed followed by another in 1982. In 1986 a Cancer Prevention and Early Detection service was established.

1987 – 1997 Establishing Breast Screening and a mobile MRI scanning service Cobalt has always been involved in the fight against breast cancer and, in 1989, was instrumental in establishing the Gloucestershire Breast Screening Service via the purchase of Linton House from which the service operates. In 1990 a mobile mammography unit was purchased followed by a second in 1998.

Meanwhile Cobalt launched an appeal to purchase a mobile MRI scanner for detection of the early signs of disease. Cobalt’s mobile MRI service came into operation in 1992 scanning patients throughout Gloucestershire. This was quickly followed by a second mobile in 1995 extending the service to patients in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Cobalt’s mobile MRI service proved so successful that, due to further expansion, the charity moved its headquarters to Linton House in 1997 from where it still operates.

1998 – 2008 Establishing the Cheltenham Imaging Centre and the Cobalt Breast Clinic As well as establishing its own services, from the very beginning Cobalt has raised funds to support the Oncology Centre at Cheltenham General Hospital and has provided funding for research projects, equipment and specialist staff throughout the three counties.

However, due to the success of Cobalt’s own diagnostic MRI service, in 2005 work began on the construction of the Cheltenham Imaging Centre at Linton House at a total cost of £7m including scanning equipment. The Centre, opened in 2006, houses the UK’s first high-field Open MRI scanner, an extremely powerful 3T MRI scanner, and the region’s first PET-CT scanner capable of diagnosing cancer at molecular level.

In 2007 Cobalt purchased Thirlestaine Court to provide a new state-of-the-art combined breast screening and symptomatic clinic for Gloucestershire. The project, to be run by the NHS, is expected to cost in the region of £5.2m and is due to open to patients in the autumn of 2009. The facilities and equipment will enable doctors to assess cases more rapidly, make faster, more accurate diagnoses and see more patients.