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Triple Challenge Achieved for Joanne!

Joanne Phillips, 54 from East Tilbury has completed three charity challenges in aid of Helen Rollason Cancer Charity raising £747!

Starting in April 2022, Joanne has completed the Peak District Ultra Challenge, Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge and the Easter 50 Challenge, running and walking over 80km in total. Furthermore, upon her return home, Joanne also cycled the Cycle Marathon ran by Mardyke Valley Rotary Club – completing 111km overall! What an incredible achievement!

Joanne explains; “I decided that I wanted to give something back to the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity to say thank you for their support for my mum who was diagnosed with breast cancer. With the help of their counsellors and holistic therapies, they helped her to get through the dark days.

Their Mid Essex Support Centre in Hatfield Peverel have always provided a warm welcome to both my parents, Eddy and Jean Foster. We are always met by a friendly volunteer to chat to and they will arrange a cup of tea for my dad whilst my mum is having her treatment. Both my parents were offered counselling, which has helped my dad to understand and come to terms with my mum’s diagnosis.

I feel incredibly proud of all I have achieved and would like to say thank you to my friends and family not only for their valuable support, but also donating to this fantastic cause. I’ve enjoyed fundraising so much for Helen Rollason Cancer Charity that I also held an Afternoon Tea and Raffle in their honour! We can never thank the charity enough.”

Helen Rollason Cancer Charity Head of Marketing and Fundraising Zoe Jay said; What an incredible accomplishment for Joanne! We are so grateful for her support and raising £747 which will go towards supporting those living with cancer. This donation alone will fund 14 counselling appointments or 14 reflexology sessions for our clients.  

Our Support Centres offer a range of complementary therapies to patients in an environment of peace and tranquillity, including counselling, reflexology, aromatherapy, manual lymphatic drainage and support groups. We support men and women with all types of cancer at all stages – whether newly diagnosed or longer-term, throughout treatment and after treatment is completed.

The work we do really does make a difference…

“HRCC helped me when I was at my lowest point ever. I was so confused and so scared. The therapists helped me with calm words, sensible advice, reassurance and wonderful holistic treatments. The counsellor helped me to make sense of the world again after my treatment and explore ways to heal. Your love, care and support was invaluable. I cannot ever thank you enough.” 

We’re a local charity serving our local community, and every penny raised at this event will go towards ensuring we continue to provide the best possible cancer care now and in the future.”

To find out more about taking on a challenge in aid of Helen Rollason Cancer Charity click here!

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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.