Volunteer Opportunities Befrienders – Winchester Our Winchester Cancer Support Centre is now open four days a week and more volunteer Befrienders are needed to join the friendly team. Training and support is provided. Supporters – Hythe The Waterside Cancer Support Centre is seeking more people to join its support team, helping to plan and run local fundraising events.
Events Diary JULY SATURDAY
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Malborough College Magic Following a sell-out performance last year the Salisbury Plain Military Wives Choir and the Great Western Chorus of Bristol are giving two concerts this year. Firstly an afternoon concert in the Rose Garden, which includes a cream tea, and then later that evening a concert in the Memorial Hall. Bournemouth Air Festival Experience VIP hospitality at this fantastic event. Tickets include drinks, lunch and afternoon tea on Bournemouth Pier, with prime viewing of all the air show action and possible pilot visits! Dragon Boat Race Crews of 16 and a drummer take part in races in this highly competitive fun competition, in Portsmouth. Music, stalls, food and refreshments available, making this great day out for all the family. Aqualaps Get a team together for our splash and dash charity relay swims taking place at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth (29 September), or at The Quays in Southampton (13 October).
Final thoughts what’s your funeral song? We spent a bit of time on Volunteers’ Day discussing getting peace of mind by planning ahead for our final days and selecting our preferred funeral music. This is a sensitive issue, but one which we all need to consider. Many of our volunteer Befrienders are asked by patients and families about putting their affairs in order following a cancer diagnosis. Doing this ahead of time helps them to make sure that their final wishes will be carried out, whenever that may be. At head office we’ve been looking at setting up partnerships with local funder plan providers, which allow you to pay for funeral costs beforehand so your family are not left with this expense later. We are also building links with local solicitors who give clear advice on making a will and leaving a legacy. Both will offer donations to the Trust in return for referrals. One recent legacy amounted to a donation of over £150K to the Trust, vital income that will help us to continue providing help to people living with cancer. Below are just a few of the funeral songs suggested on Volunteers’ Day. • Always look on the bright side of life – Monty Python • Here I go again (on my own) – Whitesnake • Fly me to the moon – Frank Sinatra • What a wonderful world – Louis Armstrong • Wild Thing – The Troggs • I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts – Danny Kaye (choice of double mastectomy survivor) If this is a subject which interests you please get in touch with Claire at Head Office. We are looking for a volunteer to help with this project. For more advice please go to www.dyingmatters.org
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
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VOLUNTEER NEWS
July 2013
Volunteers’ Day – Thank You! Around 75 volunteers and staff came together to celebrate at the Wessex Cancer Trust Volunteers’ Day, held during National Volunteers’ Week, at the Jury’s Inn Hotel in Southampton last month. Sally Hall, Chief Executive and Norman Wood, Chair of Trustees, gave their sincere thanks to all the amazing people who volunteer their time and energy so enthusiastically to help the Trust. Volunteers were given an update on the Trust’s plans for the future, including details of our new Cancer Support Centre opening soon in Newport, and were able to chat with other volunteers and staff from across the region. We also heard some inspiring speeches throughout the day, including Vic and Jean from the Sing for Life support group and Sara, a former client of Jane Scarth
House who is now managing the Winchester Cancer Support Centre. The stories of their very personal cancer journeys and the help they’ve received from the Trust left everyone with lumps in their throats. Our thanks go to all our speakers and everyone behind the scenes who helped to make the day a success, including the hotel which kindly donated the room for the event. Volunteers’ Day is just one of the ways we say a huge thank you to all our volunteers for donating time, energy and enthusiasm so willingly to the Trust. We are hugely grateful for all you do to help raise funds and provide support to local people living with cancer. We couldn’t do it without you!
WCT Magazine Summer 2013 It’s here! The latest edition of the Wessex Cancer Trust magazine has just been published. This has already been sent out electronically to supporters who have signed up to our new e-bulletin service at www.wessexcancer.org Paper copies will also be winging their way to postal supporters soon. If you’d like to help the Trust to save money on postage costs next time, please sign up online at the website.
Chemo Cookery Club We have partnered up with the chemo cookery club to offer its fantastic new recipe book to all our volunteers and supporters, with Wessex Cancer Trust getting a donation for each book sold. This brilliant new recipe book is for cancer sufferers and their carers and contains lots of food tips, ideas and nutritional information. Written by Penny Ericson, with stunning photography by Simon Firuollo, the book was inspired by Penny’s experiences caring for her husband. Copies of the book, priced at £14.99 are available by contacting the office or online at http://wessexcancer. org/shops/chemo-cookery-club/ (free postage and packaging donated by the publisher too!).
Fantastic Freshwater!
Alton Group – springing into its 30th year! Wessex Cancer Trust Alton Group celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and started the festivities with a very successful Spring Flower demonstration in April. Local supporter Pam Smout demonstrated her considerable skill in arranging flowers in an attractive, yet natural way, and very kindly donated both the flowers and her time to benefit the Trust. A total of 14 fabulous arrangements were raffled at the end and the lucky winners enjoyed the flowers for days. The event was attended by Sue Hodder, Mayor of Alton, who chose Wessex Cancer Trust as one of her Charities of the Year. Also there was Roz Smith, who founded the Group back in 1983, and other early members of the Alton Group. Lesley Bethell made an impressive display charting the group’s history with photos, information and Christmas card designs sold over the years, a lovely record of all the work and fun that has taken place. Frances Law and Sally Horner also set up their beautiful craft stall to display and sell their goods, all hand made by them for the benefit of the Trust. We are indeed fortunate to have such wonderful supporters and we wish to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the evening which raised £1,727. A further vote of thanks is given to Waitrose, Alton, who donated a cheque for £480 from its Community Matters fund. It is a wonderful sum and so much appreciated. Thank you to all who ‘voted’ for us.
Just a couple of months after a devastating fire, our Freshwater charity shop is now back up and running, serving the local community once more. The shop has been totally refurbished with completely new fixtures and fittings, filled with donations from local supporters. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in helping to get the shop refurbished, from the fire fighters who helped clear up the debris, to the volunteers who helped set up and run the temporary pop up shop in Wesley Hall, to all those involved in refurbishing the shop in record time. We were blown away by the generous support given by Islanders who helped with donations of new stock, storage space, money and time. Most of the existing volunteers are now happily back in the refurbished shop, but new ones are also being welcomed to the team. If you would like to find out about being a volunteer shop assistant please get in touch. Phone 023 8067 2200
Claire’s Brownsea Island swim
Welcome and Goodbye…
Helping to fund holidays for patients After a successful first year supporting Wessex Cancer Trust, local insurance group Alan & Thomas is pleased to report that thanks to the generosity of its staff it will be funding the Trust’s Hoburne Naish holiday home in New Milton during 2013. The holiday home, one of two in the area, is available to cancer patients and their families across the Wessex region. It provides a great escape, giving families who need it, the opportunity to spend some important, quality time together. Staff at the company held dressdown days, wrote a cookbook and held a quiz to raise the funds. Karen Rhys, our Dorset Area Manager, was delighted with their efforts saying: “We are so grateful for their support”.
Hello to Lynda Blenkinsop who joins the Trust as Centre Manager at the new Newport Cancer Support Centre, due to open soon on the Isle of Wight. We say a sad goodbye to Jean Hutton who has decided to give up volunteering after 21 years of dedicated service to the Trust. Our thanks and best wishes go to Jean for all her time and efforts.
Stepping out for charity Walking 60K along the South Downs Way has raised over £1,000 for Wessex Cancer Trust. Ali Osborne, WCT Wiltshire Area Manager together with friends Caron Thorn, Kathryn McLaughlin and Jill Legg set out very early on a Saturday morning in May, crossing the finishing line 16.5 hours later. Jill walked the walk in memory of her mother-in-law, Rosemary, who died of cancer, last year. All her family were greatly supported by the Trust, relying on counselling and complementary therapies and have fond memories of holidays spent in the Trust’s holiday home together. Ali said: “It was a very long day, and a very long way! It was hard work, especially as we got towards the end of the walk and could see the challenge of Bignor Hill looming ahead; it just seemed to go up forever. Walking together meant we had each other to rely on for encouragement”. Congratulations to Ali and all the team.
Why would anyone want to swim around Brownsea Island in just a cossie, hat and goggles? This is what Claire Tuckett, Head of Volunteer Development, will be doing next month. Claire’s response is: “I like swimming and it’s for a good cause, raising funds for Wessex Cancer Trust, but mostly it’s because I get to eat lots of cake after training”. This swim is a big challenge, 6.5K in cold water, with temperatures somewhat colder than normal due to the unusually cold spring weather. With a bit of luck it might be 15 degrees in the water by the 7th July when the event takes place. Best of luck to Claire! To find out more about the swim please go to http://tinyurl.com/claireswimsbrownsea
Celebrating community A Festival of Volunteering at Romsey Abbey Volunteers from Jane Scarth House took part in a Festival of Volunteering during the weekend of the 15th to 16th June. The Rev Tim Sledge kindly agreed to open the doors of Romsey Abbey to highlight and celebrate voluntary groups in the Romsey area during National Volunteers’ Week. Around 30 organisations attended and promoted their services and encouraged members of the public to become involved or volunteer. The emphasis was on celebrating the contribution of volunteers and the difference they make to the local community. Thanks to all from Jane Scarth House who donated their time to help out over the weekend.
Coming Soon… Newport Cancer Support Centre We will soon be opening our new brand new Cancer Support Centre in Newport on the Isle of Wight. This new facility will offer practical and emotional support services to Islanders in an accessible location. Volunteer Befrienders are now being recruited to join the new team, with support provided by new Centre Manager Lynda and long-standing Wessex Cancer Trust supporter June. If you know anyone who may be interested in helping, please phone 023 8067 2200 or email: volunteer@wessexcancer.org