Wessex Cancer Trust
VOLUNTEER NEWS January 2013 Unwanted Presents? Please donate any unwanted gifts to our charity shops in Romsey, Weeke and Freshwater.
Events Diary Sponsored Dog Walk Sunday 3 February Studland Beach, Dorset. All Dorset doggies are asked to bring their companions along for a sponsored walk to discover the delights of the beach and dunes. Bridge Swiss Teams Sunday 10 February Join the Jane Scarth House team at Crosfield Hall in Romsey for an afternoon of bridge led by Keith Bennett. Tables of 4 for £44. Valentines Disco Saturday 16 February Come along to the Waterside Valentines Disco and enjoy an evening partying to hits from the past and present. Taking place at the Fawley Royal British Legion, Blackfield from 7.30pm, tickets £5. Spring Flowers Demo Thursday 11 April Alton Group invites you to a demonstration on arranging spring flowers by the talented Pam Smout. For full event details please phone the office or see the events page at wessexcancer.org
Registered Charity No. 1110216
Happy New Year! We start the year with news about our brand new Cancer Support Centre in Winchester which had its unofficial ‘soft’ opening in December. The new Centre is currently opening just on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until we have more volunteer administrators and befrienders on board. It is a bright, warm and welcoming space that has already attracted new clients, keen to access advice and support from the Centre team.
This year we plan to keep on raising funds to ensure that all our existing services, including the Cancer Support Centres, patient grants, and information service, continue to be available to patients and families living with cancer. We need your ongoing support to do so. Winchester Cancer Support Centre 68 St Georges Street, Winchester, SO23 8AH. Tel: 01962 88579 Email: winchester@wessexcancer.org
Christmas Cheer Congratulations to everyone involved in the multitude of fundraising Christmas fairs, bucket collections and gift wrapping events which took place in the festive season. The Wessex Cancer Trust Sing for Life choir gave a brilliant performance at the Romsey Christmas Carol Concert. The Choir, which has only been together for four months, is made up of people living with cancer. Thanks go to the choir and to Robin and Riverside Studios for their support. The Isle of Wight Group raised in excess of £1,000 at their Xmas Fair at the beautiful Freshwater Bay Hotel. Carole, the Group Chair, also presented Claire from Bellis House with a cheque for £3,500 from their autumn fundraising efforts. Wrap Up Christmas teams saw volunteers providing present wrapping services in department stores across Dorset and Wiltshire in exchange for a donation to WCT. And finally, Karen, Nicky and the Poole Town FC team took part in the Wimbourne Santa Run. Well done to all
Going That Extra Mile... Autumn brought about amazing achievements for an intrepid lot of Wessex Cancer Trust supporters. Two supporters, Jenny and Hayley, decided to don their walking shoes and take a 64 mile hike around the Isle of Wight, promoting their walk with a funky video on you tube. They raised over £2,000 in sponsorship money, using the online sponsorship site www.justgiving.com Intrepid Teacher Trevelyan from Southampton, stepped into his climbing boots and ice spikes to walk and ascend in treacherous conditions the snowy peaks of the Lake District, doing so in memory of his wife Helen who lost her battle against cancer 4 years ago. In horrendous conditions of hail, sleet, fog, snow, ice, Trevelyan managed to complete his goal and climbed a circuit peaks covering 72 miles, raising funds for WCT along the way, a quite remarkable effort. Each achieved their goals and triumphed over their personal challenges to raise money for the charity. We thank them all for their fantastic fundraising efforts! YOUR LOCAL CANCER CARE
Wessex Cancer Trust
VOLUNTEER NEWS Sharing Stories - John and Margaret I am writing a few words about my husband, John, in the hope that his story will encourage others in his position. In 2009, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and after surgery to remove a tumour from the top of the spine, was treated with radiotherapy and subsequently with an extensive course of oral CTD to deal with a second growth, initially under Dr Smith and subsequently under Dr Jenner. Treatment culminated in a bone marrow transplant in May 2011. John, who is now 74, has played tuba in a brass band for many years and is currently with the Southampton Concert Wind Band. In early November the Band played a concert at the Point, Eastleigh, in support of Wessex Cancer Trust. This involved, as do all concerts, intensive weekly practice, and on the Saturday, an afternoon rehearsal in the hall, followed shortly by the evening performance.
The concert was well received, and I feel that John's ability to continue to muster the stamina to play a heavy instrument such as the tuba is a tribute to the skill and dedication of the various teams in the oncology department at SGH and to John's determination to keep on playing.
We are looking forward to Spring Flowers Demonstration on 11th April by Pam Smout, who has previously given us the benefit of her expertise at a Summer and Christmas Flowers events. I feel sure that this will attract as much interest as her previous evenings. Our Summer Party on 22nd June will be a Hog Roast and Jazz Band in the barn of some friends of the Group at a farm just outside Alton and we hope this will be a real celebration and thank you to our supporters over the years. To be more 'in the moment'; we have been selling our Alton Christmas Cards which have proved popular again although perhaps sales are a little down on previous years, which is undoubtedly due to the cost of a stamp being double the cost of the card!
Fundraising Group Bournemouth We are seeking volunteers to join a new fundraising group in Bournemouth. If you know anyone who lives there and could help put up posters advertising the group, please let us know. Interested? Please contact Claire at Bellis House for more details.
We are one of the current Mayor’s chosen charities for her year in office and she held a Quiz in November which was very well supported. Those who were not so keen on pitting their wits did a great job in selling raffle tickets for the many prizes which were donated. Sainsbury’s also gave us two consecutive collecting days through which we collected £836 - a good result especially when we now have competition from another supermarket in the town. A loyal supporter of WCT and daughter of one of the original members of the group, Frances Law, had a craft stall at our Sports Centre recently and endured a long day from 9am to 7pm selling her attractive craft items for us. Over the year last year, Frances gave £1,825 to benefit WCT!! She and her friend Sally are real stars. Thank you to all the staff at Bellis House for a jolly Volunteers Christmas party in December and we look forward to working with you over the coming year sporting our new T shirts! Diana, Chair of Alton Fundraising Group
Wessex Cancer Trust Bellis House, 11 Westwood Road, Southampton, SO17 1DL
Administrators Winchester Do you know someone who is friendly, has excellent organisation skill and has time on their hands? Administrators are wanted to join the team at the new Winchester Centre.
I would like any readers who may be faced with the prospect of treatment, particularly the stem cell transplant option, to take encouragement from John's experience and to be optimistic about what you may be able to achieve post treatment. We have found that his playing has helped us both to get through the inevitable lows that are a part of this illness. Margaret Collar
Alton Group Update Alton group has a very special year coming up as 2013 marks our 30th anniversary. The first meeting of the group was initiated by Roz Smith in October 1983 and it still has some of the original members and lots of new ones since!
Volunteer Opportunities
t: 023 8067 2200 e: wct@wessexcancer.org www. wessexcancer.org
Welcome to…. Jane Channon who joins us as the new Manager at our charity shop in Weeke. Susi Lemon and Melanie Bond also join the shop team as Assistant Managers. Sam Perry, joining the Bellis House team in January as the new Digital Communications and Fundraising Manager. Goodbye to... Tina Barlow and Jo King at Weeke Shop who move to new horizons, you will be missed by all and especially by the shop volunteers. And thank you to…. Malcolm Harvey who steps down as Chair of the Southampton Group after seven industrious years. Luckily Malcolm has agreed to stay on Treasurer...hurray! Congratulations also to Jean Pearce, who unbelievably turned 80 in November. Both Malcolm and Jean have been long term supporters of WCT and we thank them for their ongoing support.
YOUR LOCAL CANCER CARE Registered charity no. 1110216