The bus provides a daily return service to Orange to enable cancer patients to receive radiotherapy.

Each club donated $3500 to the service as part of this year’s ClubGRANTS.

Daffodil Cottage also received funding for ‘saddle chairs’ for cancer patients.

Bathurst RSL president Ian Miller said, all up, the clubs donate more than $150,000 to the community each year.

“The donations also highlight how important it is that the State Government ClubGRANTS legislation allows us to put money back into the community,” he said.

The ClubGRANTS scheme allows clubs throughout NSW to offset part of their poker machine tax liability by providing grants to community organisations.

“This year there were 36 applications for a total of $178,640,” Mr Miller said.

“Between the two clubs, we handed out cheques for $70,000.”

Chairman of Bathurst Panthers Norm Mann said the Bathurst Radiation Bus and Daffodil Cottage were “fabulous services”.

“They benefit the whole community because cancer can affect anyone,” Mr Mann said.

Bathurst Community Transport manager Leonie Schumacher said ongoing community support had guaranteed the future of the radiation bus until at least June 2017.

“The service does not receive government funding, so it is the community that is getting the bus on the road five days per week, 51 weeks of the year, along with our wonderful volunteers,” she said. 

“The community owns this service.”

Ms Schumacher said, on average, seven or eight cancer patients use the service each day.

The Bathurst Radiation Bus will celebrate its second anniversary in November.

“We will be inviting everyone who has used the service, as well as sponsors, donors and driver volunteers, to attend an afternoon tea sponsored by Reliance Credit Union,” Ms Schumacher said.