Autumn 2016
In this issue: • Royal seal of approval • Courses reach new ground • Pioneering project concludes
A pleasure to welcome our royal patron Welcome to this autumn edition of Connect. Summer proved very busy for us, with a special visit from our patron, The Prince of Wales. It was a fantastic opportunity to update His Royal Highness about our work and for him to meet staff and some of the clients who use our services. He also planted a new cedar tree in the garden to represent our continued commitment to offer lifechanging services throughout the UK. We are ever-focused on reaching as many people affected by cancer as possible, and are delighted to be piloting courses in Bridlington, East Riding, and the Portsmouth area. We have also enjoyed our key role in the NHS England-funded ‘Realising the Value’ project, set up to empower people to self-care. The findings are due at the end of the year and we will keep you posted.
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Please join us in supporting the many and varied fundraising events we are planning over the coming months. We rely on donations to continue our free services and are incredibly grateful for all the support we receive. Best wishes
Laura Kerby CEO
High praise from HRH The Prince of Wales, our patron, met clients, staff, volunteers and supporters in a celebration of our work, before planting a commemorative tree during a visit to our National Centre in July. His Royal Highness was welcomed by the Penny Brohn Community Choir, enjoyed a cooking demo, our flourishing four-acre gardens and speaking with inspirational clients and dedicated volunteers. The Prince then planted a sapling to replace a 180-year-old Cedar of Lebanon, which was enjoyed by many over the years, but had sadly become too diseased to save.
Our CEO Laura Kerby said: “ It was fantastic – everyone enjoyed meeting the Prince, who was in high spirits, eager to hear about our achievements and ambitious plans to reach even more people affected by cancer.” 3
Be part of the Penny Brohn family
“ I think of Penny Brohn as Jen’s place. But it’s also mine and yours, available to anyone who needs it and I think that’s well-worth supporting.” Andy Russell.
Annually, we reach 10,000 people facing cancer in the UK. With your help – we can reach more. A regular gift will help someone find the practical, emotional, physical and social support they need to live as well as they can with the impacts of the disease. Why is regular support so important? A monthly gift allows us to plan for the future because it provides a secure financial foundation. It helps encourage others, including organisations, to give, as it shows that we have reliable public support.
How your gift helps £6-a-month can pay for someone to attend our weekly groups, such as our Treatment Support Clinic, which focuses on practical advice and support for anyone preparing for, undergoing or recovering from chemo and radiotherapy. To set up your regular gift, visit www.pennybrohn.org.uk
Being part of our family means you will hear how your gift is changing lives through quarterly e-newsletters and our twiceyearly newsletter; as well as invitations to exclusive events and a Penny Brohn pin badge.
Pioneering project nears end We were honoured to be one of five UK organisations invited to join an innovative NHS Englandfunded project to improve health and wellbeing.
We were chosen for the programme, part of NHS England’s Five Year Forward View, because of our recognised expertise in promoting self-care.
Penny Brohn UK has been informing Realising the Value, which united some of the country’s leading healthcare providers to find ways to help engage people in their own health and self-care.
The project culminates with two evaluation events in London and Manchester, where findings will be unveiled, in November.
Our Research & Evaluation Lead, Helen Seers, said:
“ Being involved was a major coup. It confirms us as the UK’s leading holistic cancer charity and means more people, including healthcare experts, know of our work. We eagerly await the results and hope it proves exceptionally successful.”
For more, visit www.realisingthevalue.org.uk
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Family and friends’ fundraising drive We were deeply saddened to hear that incredible client Abby Webb passed away from rare neuroendocrine cancer aged 24 last December. Abby’s smile “lit up a room” and she was an England-level hockey player. Abby and her boyfriend Andrew Morrison attended a Living Well course and were incredibly grateful for the support they received. She wanted family and friends to fundraise for us in her memory and they have so far raised a wonderful £24,000. Andrew, his cousin Alex Benwell and Abby’s friend Ed Lang conquered a 120-mile cycle from Bucks, where Abby
grew up, to our National Centre near Bristol, within 10 hours. They raised over £7,700. Her friend of 15 years Becky George’s Bollywood Ball, starring comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, added £11,250 to the total. They are planning more fundraising ventures and we wish them all the best with their continued support.
family and friends have so far raised a wonderful
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£24,000
Actress leads Afternoon Tea It was a pleasure to have film, TV and stage star Lucy Briers co-host our annual Afternoon Tea at exclusive members’ club Shoreditch House in London. The sell-out event raised £15,000. Lucy, daughter of the late British actor Richard Briers, joined Penny Brohn’s daughter Jess in welcoming around 90 guests, who enjoyed bubbly and delicious food, and a talk from one of our inspirational clients.
Our special events manager Sarah Crooks said: “ It was a brilliant chance to support and hear about our work, over tasty treats, in a beautiful setting not usually open to the public.”
The wonderful October event ended with an auction of donated luxury items.
A giant thank you to Nick Jones and Shoreditch House for making the event possible.
Mindfulness for cancer We are delighted to be running a free eight-week Mindfulness Course for people affected by cancer with the Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine in Bristol, from October-December. It is easy to rush through life without taking the time to pause. The practice of mindfulness focuses on the present moment, helping us become aware of our thoughts, feelings and emotions. This can play an important role in reducing stress, anxiety and depression. For more on our free services, call 0303 3000 118, email info@pennybrohn.org.uk or visit www.pennybrohn.org.uk
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The art of yoga Penny Brohn UK provides many free activities, one of which is Yoga Thrive. Yoga focuses on flexibility, relaxation and core strength through different gently stretching “poses”. It also concentrates on using breath to support movement and relaxation. Research has shown that yoga can ease stress, and improve physical fitness and quality of life. It is safe for people with cancer, under professional teacher guidance. Yoga Thrive runs over seven weeks at our National Centre. Beginners’ sessions are usually 2pm-3.30pm and Drop In classes 3.30pm-5pm on Wednesdays. Alternatively, to discover classes near you, visit www.localyogaclasses.co.uk or www.yogaclassnearyou.co.uk
Reaching more people A key mission is to ensure our free services are easily accessible to as many people as possible. To this end, we were overjoyed to successfully launch our two-day Living Well course in Emsworth, near Portsmouth, in October. We are also piloting introductory tasters in Bridlington, East Riding, in October and November, and, if successful, will look to launch a full programme next year. 8
Partner services in Staffs We are committed to working in partnership with healthcare providers to enable us to support people in communities throughout the UK. One such partnership is with Macmillan Cancer Support in Staffordshire. Working with Macmillan helps us reach more people whatever their circumstances. Thanks to their funding, we have employed a Living Well co-ordinator to ensure services run smoothly. We support clinical teams to develop and deliver Health & Wellbeing events to suit patients with different tumours.
Having discovered our services, people can then progress to other free courses. We are always keen to receive feedback to improve our free services and partnerships. For more on regional services, call 0303 3000 118 or visit www.pennybrohn.org.uk/ national-living-well-services
Cake crusader A special thank you to 12-year-old Maya Davis for raising a wonderful ÂŁ60 by baking and selling cakes. Without help, Maya whipped up as many cupcakes, sponge and chocolate cakes as possible, before selling them door-to-door.
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Autumn warmer Rich in autumnal colours, why not warm yourself with this rustic Spanish-inspired breakfast or brunch-style dish, from our Nourish cookbook? It can mostly be prepared in advance, just crack in the eggs when ready to cook. Serves: four Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Method Preheat oven to 160C, 315F, Gas 2½. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan (preferably ovenproof ) over low heat. Add the onion, peppers, garlic and spices. Cook gently for 10 mins or until peppers are soft. Add the tomatoes. Simmer for 1-2 mins until sauce thickens. Stir in lemon juice. Scatter over the herbs. If necessary, transfer veg to shallow baking dish or individual ramekins. Make four indents in the mixture, or one per ramekin. Crack in eggs. Season with pepper. Bake for 6-8 mins until the whites are set but yolks are a little runny. Serve hot, sprinkled with herbs. (Store in fridge for up to a day).
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Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut in strips 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ tsp harissa paste, or to taste ½ tsp smoked paprika 400g tinned chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves, extra to serve 1 tbsp chopped chives, extra to serve 4 eggs Freshly ground black pepper
Bungee is back Springing from the success of the first event, we are launching our second 160ft Bungee the Boss fundraiser at Bristol’s beautiful Lloyds Amphitheatre this June (date TBC). Nominate your boss and raise £1,000 for them to bungee alongside other prominent managers. But beware, if they match-fund, they can Bungee Bail and choose one of their nominators to jump instead.
Organiser Jamie Bramhall said:
“ Bungee the Boss is back by popular demand – sign up your boss today! Last year raised over £15,000 and we’re determined to smash this. Raise staff morale, your profile and fundraise so we can continue to reach those who need us.” For more info or further ways to get your employer involved, call Jamie on 01275 370125 or email Jamie.bramhall@pennybrohn.org.uk
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Christmas greetings From traditional tidings to comical cards, our Christmas card collection has 20 designs to suit all. They are just ÂŁ3.50 per pack of 10, with everything raised going to help people facing cancer.
For all designs, more info or to buy yours, visit our shop or www.pennybrohn.org.uk/shop or call our 24-hour orderline on 01275 370158.
Penny Brohn UK Chapel Pill Lane, Pill, Bristol, BS20 0HH Tel: 0303 3000 118 Email: info@pennybrohn.org.uk Website: www.pennybrohn.org.uk Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales Reg Charity No 284881 Penny Brohn UK is the working name of Penny Brohn Cancer Care.