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Get ready for Helen Rollason Cancer Charity’s Rural Ramble!

Join the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity for our Rural Ramble at The Forgotten Gardens of Easton Lodge on Saturday 9th October 2021.

This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a beautiful walk around the surrounding countryside and The Forgotten Gardens of Easton Lodge, just outside Great Dunmow. There are three distance options for participants to choose from; 10 mile walk and garden visit, 4 mile walk and garden visit or a 1 mile walk family trail and garden visit.

The gardens which are entirely maintained by volunteers, comprise of a walled kitchen garden dating back to the 18th century, a wild flowers area for the bees, formal gardens, beautiful carpets of snowdrops in February and expansive colourful displays of flowers in Spring and Summer.

Situated a few minutes outside the historic market town of Great Dunmow, this promises to be a great day out for all the family, including dogs on leads. As part of the visit a delicious cream tea is included with each ticket.

Nicola Bird, therapist at HRCC is taking part in the event.
“I have been working with the charity for ten years as a qualified complementary therapist doing aromatherapy, massage and reflexology and I absolutely love it. I am able to see first-hand how the charity helps not only the person diagnosed with cancer, but their loved ones too. Our clients often become friends as we support them along their journey – there are many laughs as well as tears along the way.”

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Claire Matthews, a trustee of the Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust, said:
“We are delighted that the Gardens are to be the focal point of the Helen Rollason Rural Ramble on Saturday 9th October. The Grade II listed Gardens are being lovingly restored by volunteers to enable the public to enjoy the wealth of history and biodiversity that the Gardens abound in.

We hope that this event will encourage even more people to come to find out more about these fascinating Gardens. Their history spans from the mid-1590s, through the Edwardian era and Second World War, right up to the current time, when important and exciting renovation is taking place.”

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity Fundraising Coordinator Suzanne Watson added:
“We are all incredibly excited to be hosting our Rural Ramble in partnership with The Forgotten Gardens of Easton Lodge. We already have lots of people signed up and looking forward to a great day out – we’re keeping our fingers crossed for sunny skies and warm Spring weather!

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 Adults and children can take part but as most of the route is off-road it is not suitable for buggies or wheelchairs. All entrants aged 16 years or under must be accompanied by an adult. Well behaved dogs are welcome both on the walks and on a lead in the gardens.

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Make a difference

We are calling on everyone in our community to play a vital role in helping us to fundraise which will allow us to continue enabling quality of life while living with cancer. 

Tom Carr

I worked as a urologist with a special interest in cancer until my retirement in 2016. The patient journey with a new cancer is now often long and complex. Many need help to live their best life after treatment. Simple survival and the absence of cancer is not enough, feeling well and whole again is the goal. Social and psychological support makes all the difference. I am happy to help Helen’s charity to deliver that.

Kully Byatt

I have retired following a career at a senior management level in a range of sectors specialising in Human Resources, Project Management, Coaching and Mentoring skills. In addition since 2000 I have undertaken a number of voluntary Trustee roles for a range of organisations.

Through my desire to give back to a Charity that my mother personally benefitted from by utilising Complementary Therapies, I have for a couple of years volunteered for Helen Rollason Cancer Charity in the Retail Team and more recently this has inspired me to take up the role of Trustee so that I can contribute to the governance of HRCC in continuing to deliver vital services that benefit the community.

Jacqui Goulbourn

I’m a qualified accountant with over 20 years experience working in the NHS in Essex and beyond.  I know how vital charities in the healthcare arena are, to fill in where government funding doesn’t reach.  As a volunteer Trustee, I am pleased to be able to offer my skills and experience to help HRCC deal with these challenges, allowing staff to have a greater focus on providing services to the clients.

Friederike Englund

I am a cancer nurse by background and have supported those affected by cancer for over thirty years. I have worked very closely with the team at Helen Rollason and have seen the tremendous benefit and improvement in wellbeing that patients and carers experience through the support they receive. I am very keen to ensure that Helen Rollason widens its reach across all communities in Essex and offers support services that are effective and based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence.

Dave Johnson

I have always wanted to give something back following a corporate career in business development for technical services within the automotive industry.

I joined HRCC as a trustee to offer support and guidance to the very capable management team. It is nice to share my experiences and It is rewarding to see the team grow and deliver such important services.

Ben Schneider

I have been involved with HRCC for 15 years, initially through providing corporate sponsorship for fundraising events and then as a member of the Board, acting as Chair between 2020 and 2024.

With over 25 years’ experience as a Company Director in the Tech sector, I aim to bring my expertise in strategy, governance and digital transformation to support the charity in striving towards Helen’s vision of making good quality of life while coping with cancer available to everyone.

Andy Higgs

I have worked in the IT industry for over 14 years and before that, was a long-term retail manager so I have a broad range of experience to contribute to my trustee role, across the operations and retail areas. I am a husband and father of two and having lived in Chelmsford for many years, I really appreciate the opportunity to work with an excellent local charity.

My family has a deep connection with the charity as my wife, Kerry works in the Hatfield Peverel Centre and one of the family, who previously used the services, now volunteers. We’ve also been known to jump on bikes and get involved as we’ve all taken part in the Ride For Helen event over the years.

I am one of the newer trustees but I’m looking forward to contributing to the Charity’s purpose and goals.