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VOLUNTEER NEWS Newport Cancer Support Centre
September 2013
In July Wessex Cancer Trust opened its latest local cancer support center on the Isle of Wight. The newly refurbished Centre, located in the center of Newport, will provide local cancer care support services to islanders and visitors to the Island. These include: • Counselling, complementary therapies and befriending • Practical advice & information • Help with transport to appointments on the island and the mainland. The new Cancer Support Centre is being supported by the local community and a team of dedicated volunteers are on hand to provide practical and emotional support to anyone visiting. Our thanks to June Ring for her many years of networking and fundraising to get this new centre opened. We wish Lynda Blenkinsop, the new Centre Manager, and all her team every success.
Tee Time
Easy Fundraising
The first ever WCT Golf Day at the picturesque Osborne Golf Club on the Isle of Wight took place on Friday 23rd August. Arranged by a team of dedicated volunteers, led by Eric & Mary Seymour, the day proved a great success with almost £1,000 being raised for Wessex Cancer Trust and the new Isle of Wight Cancer Support Centre.
Would you like to help raise funds for Wessex Cancer Trust without having to donate a penny? You can help raise money simply by shopping online via Easyfundraising. Just shop online with any of over 2000 well known retailers and a percentage of what you spend is passed to Wessex Cancer Trust at no additional cost to you. Partner retailers include John Lewis, Amazon, M&S, Vodafone, eBay, Tesco, Viking and many more.
The guest player was former Saints legend and exEngland international footballer Matt Le Tissier, who not only enjoyed a round of golf but helped with the draw for the raffle and provided an absorbing time with a lengthy Q & A session. Pictured presenting a cheque to Kim Lawford of WCT is Sid Owen, President of Osborne Golf Club with guest star Matt Le Tissier looking on.
To help us to raise funds please register now, encourage your friends and supporters to do the same and use it every time you shop online. www.easyfundraising.org.uk/wessexcancertrust
Human Hamsters
Alton Group
Ryde Fire Station’s fire-fighters ran in a giant hamster wheel non-stop for 48 hours at the end of July to raise funds for Wessex Cancer Trust and two other Isle of Wight charities. The firemen added to the cash already raised by the 100 here, 100 there events, including a 100 mile cycle ride on the island and a mountain challenge in France. So far their efforts have resulted in donations of over £30,000! Thank you to everyone who took part and all those who supported them at the events.
On Yer Bike Intrepid cyclist Dave Richardson recently took to pedaling the country from top to bottom to raise money for Wessex Cancer Trust. Starting in John O’Groats Dave cycled nearly 1,000 miles on his journey to Land’s End, sometimes in searing heat this July. Here’s Dave at the end of his 2 week journey to Land’s End.
Waterside Supporters A Motown Night organised by supporters of our Waterside Cancer Support Centre in Hythe rose over £1750 at the end of August. Our thanks go to Carol & Merv Langdale for putting on this wonderful fundraising event.
We are continuing to celebrate our 30th year as the Alton fund raising group and we feel very fortunate to have the ongoing support of so many people in the local community. In July we held our special anniversary event, a Hog Roast and Jazz Evening, in a fine barn by kind permission of the farm owners, Liz and Tom Brock who are long term supporters of the Trust. We welcomed 130 guests and had a wonderful evening dancing to the Sussex Jazz Kings. Several local businesses gave generous donations of beer and raffle prizes and, although the evening was designed more as a thank you to supporters, the event raised the sum of £870.
Winchester Group Winchester Cancer Support Centre and Winchester Fundraising Group are holding a quiz night to raise funds for Wessex Cancer Trust on Saturday 19th October. The quiz takes place at St Peter’s Parish Centre in Winchester City Centre and tickets are £10 each to include supper. Book your tickets now by calling the Support Centre on 01962 868576.
Southampton Group Southampton Group has been busy this summer organising lots fundraising events for the Autumn. Coming up first they have their Night at the Races which takes place on Friday 11th October. Come along and enjoy all the excitement of real horse racing in the comfort of Archers Bar in Southampton. Tickets cost just £2 each and you can do your best to beat the bookies. For tickets contact Barry on 023 8073 6544 or email bwrinaldi@gmail.com
Sharing Stories - Rosie Dear Wessex Cancer Trust, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2011 and have since gone through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with on-going hormone therapy. I have found your A5 plastic Patient Information Folder absolutely invaluable. It has been a great place to keep all information about my treatments and appointments. I am now having annual check-ups with the Surgeon and with the Oncologist, and these alternate. Thus I see a specialist every six months. There have been some lasting, but fading, side effects from the chemotherapy drugs. Every six months I am asked how things are, and do I have anything to report. It is difficult to remember. Therefore, I have made myself a chart on which I can record such things. I attach a copy of this, in case it might be of interest to you for your patient information folder for patients. Down the side of the form I have entered such things as: numb fingers, sticky eyes, headaches, aching joints, finger nails, energy levels and anything else that I feel was/is related to the cancer treatments. It may be that this is of no interest to you at the Wessex Cancer Trust but I am sending it to you because I have found it a useful way of recording and remembering information about my health over the last 22 months. Equally it may be a way for patients of recording information they need to recall every six months or so, and you might therefore find it of interest as an idea. I have been astonished by the fantastic standard of care, and the information provided both by the NHS and also by your charity. With kind regards, and many thanks, Rosie (from Andover) We send out over 5,000 patient information folders every year to hospitals and clinics across the Wessex region. These are tailored to different cancers and are given to clients when they receive their cancer diagnosis. Copies of Rosie’s chart are available from Bellis House. If there is enough demand we may include the chart in the folders.
Singing Soul Mates First there was Totton, then there was Portsmouth, and now Wessex Cancer Trust has set up a Singing Support Group in Salisbury. The hugely popular singing groups exist to encourage people living with cancer, who enjoy singing, to come together and have fun singing with others. The groups have been set up by Nichola Jacobs, the Trusts wonderful Patient and Family Grants Manager, in partnership with from Robin Gair from Rivers Studios and Tenor Simon Long from Fine Voice Studios. Both have volunteered their time and skills to run the local singing groups. Anyone living with cancer is welcome to join the groups, they are free to attend, no experience is necessary and all ages and abilities are welcome. Sing for Life Choir - Tuesday lunchtimes at River Studios, Totton. Quay of Sea Voices – Friday nights at the Portsmouth Watersports Centre. Sing for Life Choir – Thursday lunchtimes at Parkwood Health and Fitness, Salisbury.
Volunteer Opportunities Retreat Helpers - We are currently in the process of setting up a 2 day residential retreat which will take place glorious venue outside Swanage in mid-October (14 & 15 tbc). This initial retreat will be for women only and will being led by a local holistic therapist. It will feature mediation, coping strategies and a supportive environment in which to retreat for a couple of days. Two volunteer befrienders are wanted to join the retreat team to help with arrangements, support and catering. If you are currently befriending and would like to help at the retreat, please contact Claire Tuckett or Jill Dreyer via Bellis House.
Events Diary October SUNDAY
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Aqualaps Spaces are still available for teams of 4 to take part in our sponsored swim at The Quays in Southampton. Quiz Night Enter a team of 6 in a fun competition taking place at St.Peter’s Parish Centre in Winchester from 7.30pm. Choral Society Concert Alton Choral Society is giving a concert in aid of Wessex Cancer Trust at All Saints Church in Alton. Autumn Fair Sale of cakes, jams, crafts and Christmas cards at St Andrews Church Hall with our Basingstoke Group. Dinner Dance Join friends of Waterside for a three course meal with dancing and entertainment at Dibden Golf Club. Supersonic 70s 70’s Tribute Band at the Concord Club, Southampton. Sing and bop along to fab sounds from the 70’s. Christmas Craft Fair Join the team from Jane Scarth House at Woodley Village Hall in Romsey for this festive Christmas fair. Event details at www.wessexcancer.org/events
Welcome and Goodbye Welcome to volunteers Pat, Joy and Pauline who offered to transfer their support to WCT after their local cancer charity, FORT in Cosham, closed its doors, thank you ladies. FORT also transferred £10,000 to the Trust, we are the closest charity to them, both in terms of services offered and location, and our thanks go to their trustees for this generous gift. We say a sad farewell to Alison Osborne and Nicky Chapman and thank them for all their efforts in raising awareness and funds for the Trust in Wiltshire and Dorset. Their energy and enthusiasm will be missed and we wish them both the best of luck in their next endeavours. We also say a huge thank you to volunteers Jean Scrivens and Jack Candy who have both decided to retire after decades of service to the Trust. Thank you for all your support over the years and enjoy your retirement.
Wessex Cancer Trust
Bellis House 11 Westwood Road Southampton Hampshire SO17 1DL t: 023 8067 2200 f: 023 8067 2266 e: wct@wessexcancer.org www.wessexcancer.org
YOUR LOCAL CANCER CARE Registered Charity No. 1110216