A Gala Dinner at the Hogs Back Hotel in Surrey raised £22,000 for the new Royal Surrey Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre.

The event, held on Friday, March 28, brought together members of the public, local dignitaries, and businesses to celebrate 30 years since the founding of the Friends of the Royal Surrey charity, featuring a dinner and auction.

Businesses generously donated items for the auction, which included a range of prizes from jewellery to F1 Grand Prix tickets. The final bids were sealed by Farnham and Bordon MP Greg Stafford and Godalming and Ash MP Jeremy Hunt, who raised the gavel to conclude the auction.

The evening raised funds for the Cancer and Surgical Innovation Centre Campaign, which is set to open next year and will enable the treatment of an additional 7,000 patients.

Construction began last year on the centre, which will feature six new operating theatres and enhance the Royal Surrey's world-class services in both robotic and non-robotic surgery.

Judith Storey, chair of Friends of the Royal Surrey, said, “We are thrilled to be marking 30 years of the hospital trust’s charity supporting extraordinary care.

“We are very grateful to everybody who bid and won prizes in our first online auction run by Superstars. The lots were varied – from golf games to jewellery, to F1 British Grand Prix tickets. There was even a hand-painted Nepalese illustration made using one cat’s hair as the brush.”

Louise Stead, CEO of Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, shared her appreciation, saying, “The gala dinner was a fantastic event, and wonderful to see so many people coming together to support the Royal Surrey Charity’s Cancer and Surgical Innovation Campaign.

“This campaign has now raised over £570,000, which is a huge milestone. These funds will help bring cutting-edge surgical equipment and technology to the new surgical centre at the Royal Surrey, ensuring patients receive the very best care."

She added, “A huge thank you to the community fundraising group, Friends of Royal Surrey Charity, and Jeremy Hunt MP, who initiated this campaign from the start. Their unwavering dedication, generosity, and enthusiasm for this cause is to be commended and truly makes a big difference.

“The surgical centre is due to open in late 2026. It will add six state-of-the-art operating theatres, a recovery area, and dedicated short-stay wards. Importantly, it will enable us to perform 7,000 additional surgeries annually.”

Jeremy Hunt, MP for Godalming and Ash, expressed his gratitude, saying, "What an amazing event by the Friends of the Royal Surrey Charity. Huge thanks to organiser Judith Storey and her team for all their hard work, and to the event sponsors: CHD Living and Surrey AI. This is a considerable boost to our fundraising campaign."

Greg Stafford, MP for Farnham and Bordon, added, "It was a privilege to attend the Royal Surrey Charity Gala Dinner and witness such generosity and community spirit in support of one of our local hospitals.

“The funds raised will make a meaningful difference to patients and their families. I pay tribute to everyone who contributed and to those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the evening such a success."