Tenovus Cancer Care Lovelight Concert

Tonight we were in St Mary's Church for the Tenovus Cancer Care Lovelight Concert. It was an outstanding event starring the Swansea Tenovus Cancer Care Sing With Us Choir, the Hywel Girls Choir and Angelicus Celtis.

Sing with Us Swansea were one of the first Tenovus choirs to be established back in April 2012. Since then, they've gone from strength to strength and now have over 90 members. As the website says, the Sing with Us choirs are fun, uplifting and friendly, and are open to anyone affected by cancer whether they are a patient, survivor, carer or someone who has been bereaved through cancer.

Members don't need to read music or be a great singer to join - every voice counts. The Tenovus Cancer Care choir leaders are all professional musicians who work as part of our Cancer Support Team and are supported by volunteers who make sure all the new members feel welcome.

If the Sing With Us choir was exceptional and fun, the performance of the Hywel Girls Choir and Angelicus Celtis was extraordinary. Some of the girls choir were as young as eight, but they all performed as equals with outstanding voices and ability. The standing ovation at the end of their set was well-deserved.

Early on we all lit a candle to remember a loved one who had been taken from us through cancer. In the 18th anniversary week of the loss of my father from prostrate cancer, this was especially poignant for me. The Lovelight concerts are one of the charity's main fundraising event of the year all over Wales.

Tenovus' Mobile Support Units have been bringing cancer treatment and support closer to home since 2009. Since then, they have treated more than 5,000 patients and delivered nearly 25,000 treatments. Over the years, they have saved patients hundreds of thousands of miles in journeys to hospital.

They have two Units; one specialising in chemotherapy and the other, a Mobile Lymphoedema Clinic, the first in the world. Their Units mean we can treat people in their own communities, saving them long and expensive journeys to hospital but they cost £800 a day to keep on the road.

I hope that they exceeded their target at tonight's concert to help keep these and other services on the road.