here - Hope Against Cancer

Celebrating
Ten Years
of
Hope Against
Cancer

Allison Wilson CBe
Founder
Will Steward
Professor of Clinical Oncology,
University of Leicester
In 2002 Allison Wilson CBe, a former High Sheriff of Leicestershire and well known
business woman, recognised the need for better cancer research facilities locally, and
took the first steps toward establishing The Hope Foundation. Allison died of cancer in
2002 and in 2003 the charity actively engaged in turning her vision into reality.
Since 2003 Hope has become established and is now well known throughout
Leicestershire and Rutland. Thirty research grants have been awarded and in May 2012
we opened the Clinical Trials Unit and appointed the first Hope nurse. The considerable
achievements to date have only been made possible by the commitment and generosity
of the people from our two counties. During the ten years the income stream has
changed and developed. Allison Wilson left a healthy legacy in terms of her good name,
reputation and valued friends and colleagues, all wanting to do something to support
her memory. It was from her address book that high profile events started to emerge
and have now become established in local social calendars giving a huge boost to our
fundraising efforts. Allison had a vision for the charity and it was her wish to see cutting
edge research and clinical trials being available to local people. It has become established
throughout the medical profession that where research and trials are taking place better
outcomes are achieved. If Allison was here today she would be very pleased to see the
progress that has been made and Hope Against Cancer’s part in that progress.
“Funding that Hope has provided has made a transformational change to cancer research in Leicester. The grants
it provides have launched the careers of excellent young scientists (clinical and non-clinical) and given them
the funding to obtain results from experiments which allow credible applications to the national charities and
government agencies for large programme grants. Before the Hope Foundation, this would not have been possible.
We now have a thriving and growing research community and last year we were the only research centre in the
country to have increased the number of Cancer Research UK programme grants (others contracted). This can be
attributed hugely to the backing of the Hope Foundation. With the recent provision of the Hope Trials Unit we
will make another major leap forward, and be able to take part in new cutting edge cancer drug trials.
Hope should be extremely proud of its huge achievements. Rarely can any fund raising group have made such
a difference to the quality of research in a cancer centre, been responsible for developing the careers of so many
highly talented scientists and clinicians, and helped improve the care for patients with cancer in their region. It is
impossible to say how grateful I and my colleagues are.”
Hope Office, Castle View, Leicester

Have we managed to achieve our
objectives The answer is a resounding
“yes” and this is just the beginning.
Sir Peter Bell
foreword
Allison Wilson would be delighted to see the progress that the charity she founded with her husband
President
Jim has made in the last ten years. The ‘birth’ of Hope coincided almost exactly with my retirement and
when I was asked to become one of its Presidents I agreed to help because I thought it was an excellent
idea which could only help the quality of cancer treatment in Leicestershire. People often ask why a local
cancer charity was started in Leicestershire and Rutland when national cancer charities already exist.
The answer is quite simple, but most of the public are not aware of it. National charities tend to
support existing large units and research teams and there isn’t enough money to start new centres
over and above the ones they already support. The chance of money from these sources coming to
Leicestershire and Rutland was therefore relatively small and would likely remain so.
You might say ‘well so what, if existing centres make a breakthrough it will quickly spread
everywhere and so we will benefit.’ This is to an extent true, but breakthroughs only occur in newspapers
and progress is slow and painful. Research takes place at two levels, the first is in the laboratory where
experiments can be done to look at the very nature and causes of cancer and the other is trying out new
drugs on patients with cancer in so called clinical trials. The second type of research is very important
to anyone who has cancer now because the newest drugs will be available to the population served by the
research centre which is able to do such trials. Having this ability and also the funds to do laboratory
research attracts the best cancer doctors who want to do research and translate their discoveries into
patient care, and because of Hope we can now do this in Leicestershire and Rutland.
We have managed to achieve our objectives and this is just the beginning. The important milestone
we reached at the end of last year was the opening of a dedicated clinical trials unit at the Leicester
Royal Infirmary which was heavily supported by Hope. This means that patients in Leicestershire
and Rutland will have access in future to the newest drugs to treat their cancer because they can now
take part in clinical trials.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes research scientists are nibbling away at the root causes of cancer
and trying to find the newest and best way of treating it. This disease has been with us as long as
animals have walked the earth. However, cancer is being treated more successfully as each year goes
by, and people are living longer and useful lives because of the research which charities such as Hope
are able to support.
I am glad that I agreed to help with Hope which I think has been a great success but our thanks
must go to the army of volunteers who have selflessly raised a great deal of money and achieved so
much. I for one can only say a big thank you and bring on the next ten years.
David Wyrko
President
When Allison set up The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research she had a clear vision of what she
wanted to achieve and so when considering the progress of Hope over the last ten years the question
must be, if she were still with us, would she be pleased with what she would find I think the answer
is a resounding “yes” with the University of Leicester becoming recognised in the field of cancer
research, whilst providing greater hope for cancer sufferers in our two counties. That was her vision
but perhaps what would please her most is the way in which this success has been achieved. Hope
is more than a fundraising charity. Volunteers are the cornerstone of its success, many of whom
have been with us for the lifetime of the charity. However, without our dedicated and generous
supporters then nothing could have been achieved. As our pool of supporters grows we will not
forget the impetus provided in the early days by the many friends of Allison in their support of her
vision.
It has been a pleasure to have been involved with Hope over all these years and I look forward to
an even more successful future.
Michael Turnbull
Chairman
A tenth anniversary is a special landmark. It gives the opportunity to celebrate but also to reflect on the
work already done and plan for the future. The decade has seen Hope develop its presence and establish its
name and identity throughout Leicestershire and Rutland. The achievements to date are exceptional with
£3million raised, thirty research grants awarded, the opening of the Clinical Trials Unit and the appointment
of the first Hope nurse. A regional centre that offers opportunities for research will always attract quality
medical expertise, and it is widely regarded that clinical trials have a major impact on patient outcomes. It is
therefore very clear that Hope has made a positive impact in raising standards in Leicestershire and Rutland.
The focus for the work done and money raised has very much been driven by the vision for the charity.
The mission statement reminds us that Hope is committed to provide funding for cancer research projects
in Leicestershire and Rutland in order to enable local people to benefit from innovative treatments and to
meet our objectives. They are:
· To improve the quality of life for cancer patients
· Engage local people in the fight against cancer
· Raise voluntary income with the minimum of overheads
· Enhance the skills of the volunteers with whom we work
On reflection Hope has stayed true to its core objectives. I do hope you will enjoy the Hope story of
ten years depicted in the book, and join us in the fight to combat this destructive disease in the next decade.

Kibworth run
Ann Brooks
foreword
President
“I can’t believe that Hope has already reached
its tenth birthday and am very glad to have been
involved in a small way since the beginning.
Jim and Allison Wilson, good friends of ours, were
amazing to have thought of it and get it going. In
these ten years so much valuable research has been
done locally that hopefully before long, cancer will
be even more controllable (and less devastating).
We shall keep ‘Hope’ in our hearts and minds and
pray that its wonderful work will be ever more
successful.”
Professor Martin Dyer
Hope Researcher
“In my lab in the Hodgkin Building we are developing and
assessing new targeted therapies for B-cell malignancies. With
a generous donation from Hope and specifically via the Jemima
Sellicks Fellowship we have been able to develop new therapeutic
antibodies targeting the CRlF2 protein, which is highly and
aberrantly expressed in a subset of patients with B-cell precursor
acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Without this very timely
funding the work would not have progressed so rapidly.”
Anne Thomas
Hope Researcher
“The opening of the Hope Clinical Trials
Unit has significantly improved the experience
of patients participating in clinical trials.
Without Hope this would never have
been made possible. We will always be
indebted to the trustees and supporters
of the charity for their generosity.”
Dr Julian Barwell
Hope Researcher
“Hope has been absolutely vital for us
to carry out research into detecting and
understanding radiation induced heart
disease in patients treated for left-sided
breast cancer. It has been also instrumental
in developing a blood test for inherited
breast cancer, which we are now in a
position to test in larger studies.”
Wendi Stevens
2003
It has been my privilege to be the Co-ordinator of Hope Against Cancer since it established its first
Coordinator
office in Castle View in 2003. I was fortunate enough to know Allison Wilson and about her wish to
make cutting edge cancer research available to the people of Leicestershire and Rutland.
Many people shared her vision, and with the support of De Montfort University, The University of
Leicester, Rock Kitchen Harris and a stream of dedicated volunteers her wish has been realised.
Ten years have passed very quickly but with each new year we have been able to grow and develop
the charity through the help and wisdom of a wide circle of business people, researchers and volunteers.
This has enabled us to become a family of friends and associates working together.
The dedicated office volunteers have taken on their roles and fulfilled their commitments to the full.
Some have given time to finance and legal matters, others to event organising, good practice in office
management, publicity, marketing and building relationships with the researchers. It is only through
people offering their time and talent free of charge that so much has been achieved.
Hope relies totally on the generosity and goodwill of the people of Leicestershire and Rutland for
its funding and it is because of the money that we have received that the research described in this book,
In memory of Dr Warner,
a local GP who died of
cancer, 600 runners took
part in the Kibworth
(Left to right)
run which raised the
Sheila Brucciani, David Wyrko,
magnificent sum of £32,000
Dorothy Tomlinson, Jenny Miller,
G. Jackson
A home for Hope
From the beginning De Montfort University were enormously helpful
and provided Hope with our first two offices, firstly at Castle View
followed by our previous office on the Charles Freer campus.
Belinda Collins was the first Hope volunteer and through personal
relationships a small band of volunteers became friends and dedicated
themselves into turning Allison’s vision into a reality.
Belinda Collins
has been able to take place.
Jenny Smith
Thank you for being part of Hope’s story. I am enormously grateful to all who have helped us over
Sue Granger
the past ten years and very much hope this book will inspire and encourage all who read it.
Elizabeth Cox
Mary Lloyd
Margaret Christianson

Hope’s
first two
funded research
projects are
awarded
Braunston Village support Hope for the
second year running in their ‘Braunston
Happening’ annual fundraiser.
Jim Wilson receiving a cheque from the
regulars at The Dog and Gun (Enderby)
and The Plough (Littlethorpe), who
organised a disco, raffle, tombola,
auction and a Valentine’s Disco in their
continuing support of Hope.
A new Patron
for Hope
Martin Johnson CBe
becomes Hope’s first
Patron.
The Rutland branch of Hope
Foundation is launched in Rutland,
at an event held at Oakham Castle.
Wistow Hall
Sir Timothy and Lady Brooks
open the doors of Wistow Hall to
over 100 guests and raise £3,000 in
donations. Sir Peter Bell addressed
the guests to explain the progress
being made towards establishing
the research posts at Leicester
Medical School
Leap of faith
Simon Ward and Chris Dust from uniform
manufacturers Grahame Gardner raised
£500 for us when they successfully completed
a 1,500 foot skydive, each strapped to an
experienced parachutist.
2004 2005
Studies on the structure of a
molecule that causes cancer
Rebecca Croasdale
PhD Studentship (3 years)
Recent studies found that a certain
protein is found in large amounts in the
cells of some tumours. Rebecca’s project
investigated what this protein would do in
cells and how it could be stopped, with the
hope that this would lead to new ways to
interfere with tumour growth.
Understanding the side
effects of chemotherapy and
radiotherapy treatment
George Giotopoulos (Researcher)
PhD Studentship (3 years)
The treatment of many cancers involves the use of highly carcinogenic
agents to kill the cancer cells, and often includes the use of radiation
(radiotherapy) and/or alkylating agent chemotherapy, agents which
are themselves known to induce cancers. The success of radiotherapy/
chemotherapy has significantly increased long term survival of
cancer patients, but unfortunately there is increasing evidence that
the therapy itself may induce a second independent cancer (therapyrelated
Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, t-AML) over the next five to ten
years. The risk can be as high as 24 per cent. The objective was to
investigate the effects of exposure to radiation on the bone marrow.
Enhancing the
treatment process for
radioresistant patients
(bladder cancer)
Dr George D. D. Jones
Allison Wilson Grant (1 year)
Hope’s first Cycle Challenge
21st—27th May 2005:
Tulliallan to Stirling
On Saturday 21st May nineteen cyclists, with a support team, left
Leicester via mini bus, destination Tulliallan, Scotland.
After overnight accommodation at the Police College at Tulliallan,
the Hope cyclists set off for Stirling via Loch Lomond, Oban, the Isle
of Mull, Bridge of Orchy and eventually arriving in Stirling after five
days of cycling, covering approximately 350 miles.
This cycle challenge set the bar for all the following cycling challenges,
not only with the organisation, but also in the amount of money it
raised. In total the cyclists and support team raised £40,000.
Tea extracts and the
prevention of prostate
cancer
James Thorpe
Clinical Research Fellowship
The Uppingham Theatre
Company’s production of Noel
Coward’s comedy Blythe Spirit
raises £1,300.
(2 years)
Hope is chosen as one of the
recipients of the funds raised
by the 29th Annual Swithland
Flower and Vegetable Show.
Having a Ball
Our first Summer Ball, at the home
of our Chairman James Wilson,
drew a fantastic crowd for an
evening of great food, drink and
entertainment, and raised £12,000.
Asda’s charity of the year
We were delighted to be chosen as Asda’s
charity of the year for 2005. They supported
us with a range of fundraising activities and
set a target of £15,000 to go towards the next
Allison Wilson Fellowship.

Leicestershire
Oddfellows and Daly
Systems both nominate
Hope as their charity
of the year.
A day of interior design in the
magnificent setting of Harlaxton
Manor, Grantham, raises £4,000
for Hope.
The Hope office is
packed up and relocated
to the Charles Freer
Predictive diagnosis
and prevention of
recurrent bladder cancer
Dr Donald J. L. Jones
Allison Wilson Grant (1 year)
Bilberry fruit extract
and the prevention of
colon cancer
Guiseppe Garcea
Allison Wilson Grant (1 year)
Hope rides again
27 riders set off from the Clock Tower in
Leicester, with the aim of reaching the Eiffel
Tower 360 miles away. They arrived in Paris
five days later and raised over £62,000.
Lars Tharp and
Lord Hazelrigg
accept our
invitation to be
become Patrons.
Th e use of dietary agents
derived from vegetables in the
treatment of colon cancer
Alastair Brookes
Clinical Research Fellowship (2 years)
Leicester Mercury News Shops
continue their support for us
with our collecting tins on their
counters, reaching a total of
£4,157 (and counting).
Bushloe High School support Hope throughout the
year with a series of fund raising events, raising £1,500.
A Canon’s coast to coast
In September Canon Sue Field
and Paula Hollingsworth walk 190
miles coast to coast from St Bees to
Robin Hood’s Bay, raising £1,425.
A late Summer Ball
raises £23,000
The late Summer Ball was held in the classical surroundings of Nevill
Holt, by kind permission of Mr David Ross. The guests began the
evening with a champagne reception whilst being entertained by
Saxophonist Edward Barker and then served a sumptuous dinner.
The evening was rounded off with an auction which included lots such
as a Day in the House of Lords (donated by
Baroness Hazel Byford) and two tickets to
see Chelsea Football Club play at Stamford
Bridge. Thanks to the generosity of the guests,
the Ball raised £23,000.
campus, again thanks to
De Montfort University.
A literature based
investigation
about red hands
and feet caused
by chemotherapy
Annie Law
Hope Fellowship
(1 year)
Understanding the spread
of bladder cancer to other
parts of the body
Dr Marina Kriajevska
Allison Wilson Grant (1 year)
Professor Ian Lauder
and 20 medical students
from the University of
Leicester completed the
Kibworth half-marathon,
raising £1,250 for Hope.
A party to
remember
The Tulip Ball was a fitting
way to remember Shirley
Ann Grocock and raise
£30,000 towards a fellowship
in her name.
Wind, Brass
and all that Jazz
The Bardi Wind
Orchestra entertains
guests at De Montfort
Hall and raises £4,000.
Chronic lymphocytic
leukaemia and the function
of the B-cell novel protein 1
Cancer in an
ethnically
diverse British
population
Karen Lord
Nursing Fellowship
(2 years)
Dr Renata Walewska
Clinical Research
Fellowship(2 years)
Our Chairman,
David Wyrko, is
nominated as the
next High Sheriff of
Leicestershire.
Lunch with Martin Johnson
Martin Johnson, Hope Patron and World Cup winning captain,
hosted our first sportsman lunch alongside Matt Poole and Harry
Ellis. The lunch was a great success with over 350 guests enjoying
rugby stories, ones that were repeatable,
along with questions of when Martin
Johnson would be taking over as
England’s manger! Matt Poole auctioned
off five England rugby shirts signed by
Martin Johnson, which helped raise in
excess of £14,000.
Pedal power
Hinckley Cycling Racing
Club continues to support
Hope, raising £515.

Hope fundraising
passes the
£1 million
mark this year.
Using microRNA
molecule to identify
aggressive melanomas
Investigating
Lymphoblastic
leukaemia
Palminder Dusanjh
Allison Wilson/
Jemima Sellicks Fellowship
(1 year)
Establishing
genotoxic and genetic
predictive test of
irinotecan toxicity in
colorectal cancer
Dr Joanna Wood
Bishop John Austin
Fellowship (3 years)
Understanding
the role of genes in
cancer cell division
Kimberley Snell
PhD Studentship
(3 years)
Hilary Blackford and Jane Frew run
the Paris Marathon in memory of their
friend Rod Cassady, and raise £700.
From a huge number of donated
pieces of art, an auction hosted by
Lars Tharp raises £2,800.
Strategies to
Reduce Morphine
Tolerance in Cancer
Nikolas Dietis
PhD Studentship
(3 years)
Analysis of
abnormal cancer at
a molecular level
Shanow Uthman
Shirley Ann Grocock
Fellowship PhD
Studentship (3 years)
Professor Robert Souhami delivers
the inaugural Allison Wilson
Lecture at Leicester University.
Five Years Full Length
and Truly Fabulous
Hope’s third Ball was set in the
beautiful grounds of the Botanic
Gardens, which was a suitable setting
for this truly fabulous ball. The Ball
raised £45,000 which was used to fund
the Bishop John Austin Fellowship.
Coast to Coast:
Hope’s third cycle challenge
David Wyrko, Hope’s Chairman, took thirty cyclists from Biarritz
on the Atlantic Coast to Narbonne on the Mediterranean coast, a
distance of 350 miles in five days. Along with six support cyclists and a
support team of five, the cyclists completed their challenge without
too many incidents and in the
process raised the fantastic figure
of £70,000, which funded the Rod
Cassady fellowship.
A collaboration with GENIE:
Building awareness in Leicester
THe eVeNING, entitled Can what we eat help to prevent cancer was held
in the Maurice Shock building at the University of Leicester, hosted by
the GeNIe Centre and Professor Will Steward with support from
Astra Zeneca. This was one
of a growing number of events
designed not to raise money,
but to build relationships with
the educational institutions of
Leicester and encourage people to
learn more about cancer research
and prevention.
(Left to right)
Professor Anne Cashmore,
Professor Will Steward, Dr Julian
Barwell and Wendi Stevens
The Lord Mayor of Leicester
hosts a curry evening in the
Leicester town hall tea rooms to
raise awareness of Hope in the
wider community.
Professor Malcom Stevens OBe
speaks at the second Allison
Wilson memorial lecture.
The Falcon Hotel in Uppingham
hosts the Rutland Fashion show
which raises over £1,800.
Youthful Hope is officially
launched, to encourage younger
people to get involved with Hope.
The high road
In May, Peter Maguire
walks from Leicester to
Loch Ewe, 610 miles away
and raises £1,500.
The Fastnet yacht race
Ben Kennedy (and crew)
successfully complete the notorious
Fastnet Yacht Race covering over
600 miles of harsh open seas.
Former Tiger player
Matt Poole becomes our
latest Patron.
New biochemical
blood markers of
chemopreventive
drug efficacy
Dr Stewart Sale
Novel inhibitors of
CDK4-Cyclin D1 as
potential anti-cancer
drugs
Dr Paul Jenkins
Allison Wilson Grant
(1 year)
Allison Wilson
Grant (1 year)
Spearing Waite’s Charity Day
(including a Black & White Ball)
raises £6,500 for Hope.
Faure’s Requiem is performed
again at Leicester Cathedral,
becoming a regular event in
the Hope calendar.
Shona Elshaw
Rod Cassady Clinical
Research Fellowship
(2 years)
Towards
individualised
platinum-based
chemotherapy
Dr Barry Sharp
Allison Wilson Grant
(1 year)
Ami Boulabiar raises £400
with her first skydive.

Daly Systems donate £500, raised
from one of the many fundraising
events they have held in support
of Hope since 2006.
Characterisation
of chemotherapy
resistant cells within
colorectal tumours
Mark James
PhD Studentship (3 years)
Hope fundraising
passes the
£2 million
mark this year.
To measure cardiac
damage, one year post
radiotherapy
Dr Julian Barwell
Julien Birchall Grant (1 year)
Hope moves to its current
home courtesy of the
University of Leicester.
Cell movement
and DNA repair
A walk for Nikki
Friends and family of Nikki Rivers
complete the 90 miles from Chinnor
in Oxfordshire to Nikki’s home in
Burton Overy, to raise money for
the Nikki Rivers fellowship.
Youthful Hope make a Noise
about fashion at Curve
After months of planning and sleepless nights, Noise finally arrived
and finished with a bang! It was an evening to showcase what can be
achieved by a group of young people when given the opportunity.
Pick Everards
The Leicester construction
consultancy nominates Hope
as their charity for the year.
Thurmaston Marching Brass Band and dancers
from Leicester College opened the show,
followed by a catwalk show which included high
street brands along with a history of fashion
through the decades. Amy Voce from the
GEM 106 hosted the evening, with Jersey Budd
entertaining a full Curve theatre during the
interval. The evening was a great success.
Leicester University hosts another
cancer awareness evening, this
time for local students.
A Father’s Day with
a difference hosted by
Sir David and Lady
Samworth gives guests
the run of Markham
House gardens.
The Scottish Cycle Challenge
The Hope riders return to Scotland
for another gruelling trek across the
Highlands, this time raising over £30,000.
Biomarker discovery
for improved diagnosis
of pancreatic cancer
Professor Maggie Manson
Viv Dhaliwal Grant (1 year)
The development
of THz-imaging as
an expert system
in early diagnosis
of melanoma
Martin Mueller-Holtz
PhD Studentship
(3 years)
The inaugural Ian Lauder
poetry competition for
schools is launched.
Seven Years and
Sensational
Guests are treated to the idyllic
surroundings of the Botanical Gardens
for Hope’s seven year anniversary Ball,
remembered for a moving speech by
Maria Tilton.
Out of Africa
Ray Newman and his daughter Catherine
climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Improving early breast
cancer detection using
plasma nucleic acids
Karen Page (Researcher)
Maria Tilton Fellowship (2 years)
Trying to develop simple screening
tests, using circulating markers in
blood plasma, for the detection
and monitoring of breast cancer.
In the Maria Tilton Fellowship,
we have focussed on analysis of
blood samples from women with
a strong family history.
Deene Park
Twelve teams battle it out at the
Leicester Tigers Corporate Sevens,
in aid of Hope and the Army
Benevolent Fund.
The winners of the first Ian Lauder
Competition for Poetry are unveiled,
which becomes an annual event.
Can curcumin improve
response to chemotherapy
in patients with metatastic
colorectal cancer
Dr Chinenye Iwuji
Clinical Fellowship (2 years)
Dr Eugene Tulchinsky
Tom Wheatcroft Grant
(1 year)
Sarah and Lino Poli (Boboli and
Firenze) make Hope their charity
of the year and hold a number
of events to raise money for the
Maria Tilton Fellowship.
A Magical Night
in a Secret Garden
The delightful gardens of Marston
Trussell and the operatic talents of
The Mastersingers combine to make
an unforgettable summer’s evening.
Th r e e P e a k s
Nine staff from Pick
Everards take on the three
peaks challenge, and raise
£2,282 for Hope.
Michael Turnbull takes over from
David Wyrko as Hope’s Chairman.
St Martins House provides
the perfect setting for a lunch
with Ann Widdecombe,
hosted by Lars Tharp.
The Rutland Group organise a day out at Deene
Park, including a tour of Brudenell House.

East greets West
An evening where two
cultures came together at
the City Rooms to enjoy
a sumptuous Indian feast
followed by dancing into
the night.
Omega-3 emulsion
improving outcomes
for pancreatic cancer
patients
Ashley Dennison
Clinical Fellowship (3 years)
Mrs Gurdev Kaur
donated £2,500 in memory
of her son Gurbax Singh
who died of liver cancer.
New hope for cancer patients in
Leicestershire and Rutland
In May 2012 we were delighted to open the Hope
Against Cancer Clinic Trials Unit, which we jointly
fund with the Universities Hospitals of Leicester.
The unit, one of the first outside of London will
enable clinicians to develop and patients to take part
in new cancer drugs trials and treatments. Dr Anne
Thomas, a consultant in medical oncology and director
of the unit, said “not only can we carry out studies based
on research developed by scientists in the University of
Leicester but we can also deliver very specialist early phase
clinical studies. This means we provide cutting-edge cancer
research for the patients of Leicester and Rutland.”
Pam Fermahan
Hope Research Nurse
Comments from patients
“I have been attending the clinical trials unit
for almost three months and have the honour of
being their first overnight patient. During that
time, I have found all the nursing staff to be very
professional in all that they do. They are always
cheerful and look after the patients to the best of
their ability. They all work together, helping each
other when required. Therefore the atmosphere
in the clinic is first class. Although the clinic is
small, it means peace and quiet, which helps to
relax us, the patients, with no hustle or bustle
which is great. So I have no problem attending
the clinic, in fact you could say it’s a pleasure!”
“As a multi Myeloma sufferer, the Hope Against
Cancer unit does exactly what it says. It gives
hope to its patients and makes them feel that
everything possible is being done to alleviate
their condition. The staff are so positive and
friendly, I feel privileged to be
allowed to have my treatment
there.”
“The Hope Unit provides a calm
and relaxed atmosphere at a time
of stress and anxiety for the
patient. The staff are all friendly,
helpful and provide great
support, along with excellent
facilities.”
“I feel fortunate to have been offered trial
chemotherapy treatment for my lung cancer.
Doubly fortunate to receive this treatment in the
new Hope Unit in the Leicester Royal Infirmary.
The Hope Unit is so clean and bright, well
equipped and a comfortable space and is staffed
by the most dedicated nurses and support staff.
It is clear that patient care and comfort were the
primary aim of its design. All my needs are taken
care of and I feel sure I am receiving exemplary
care. It is also morale boosting to be able to share
experiences with others who are undergoing
trial treatments. As the saying goes, ‘today’s trial
is tomorrow’s cure’ and we are all wishing for
that. The Hope Unit is instrumental in bringing
research and development direct to the patient
and I’m grateful for the opportunity to receive it.”
Comments from the staff
“After completing the ‘Couch to 5k’ running
programme, I decided to attempt running the
Watermead Challenge 2012. Having never done
anything like this before I was thrilled to have
successfully completed the run and in the process
raise money for Hope Against Cancer, who
support the Hope Clinical Trials at the Leicester
Royal Infirmary. This was especially rewarding
for me as I work in the Clinical Trials Unit
Annex Administration area and to know that my
place of work will benefit from my achievement
was very satisfying. It is a wonderful place to
work and I feel extremely proud that I have
been part of the Hope unit right from the very
beginning. I hope to do this again in 2013, so not
only am I keeping fit I will be raising money for a
very worthwhile cause.”
“I joined the department when the trials unit
was in its infancy and before Hope Against
Cancer was founded. I witnessed first-hand
the immense efforts of many, both past and
present in attracting research to Leicester whilst
developing the unit and
establishing its reputation.
Sadly on a personal level, our
family has experienced the
devastating consequences
of this disease, with four
close family members being
treated at Leicester, with
two participating on clinical
trials. These fabulous new
facilities have already given us
the opportunity to open more
complex studies, bringing novel treatments to
local patients; treatments, which are sometimes
only available to a handful of centres worldwide.
It has been a privilege to see the long held vision
of a first class dedicated cancer trials facilities
come to fruition and I am very proud to be part
of the team that is able to deliver this research.”
Hope fundraising
passes the
£3 million
mark this year.
Surinder Pal Singh Rai and Harinder
Kaur Johal from the Guru Tegh Bahadur
in Leicester, who are helping Hope
with our Cancer awareness programme
within the local Sikh community
Sixth form students from
John Cleveland College
support Hope for the third
year running with a range of
fundraising events, culminating
in the now legendary Battle of
the Bands competition.
Dixie Grammar School
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Dixie
Grammar School, selected Hope as their charity
for the year. Lots of inventive fundraising activities
from the pupils and staff helped them reach their
£25,000 fundraising target.
The Celtic Tenors
The internationally renowned
Celtic Tenors entertain
guests at a black tie event at
Devonshire Place.
An initiative to identify and support
Hope’s future ambassadors and
fundraisers; the Hope Diamonds
are launched at an event sponsored
and hosted by Dominic Gomersall of
Lumbers jewellers.

Fiona Cairns
Fiona Cairns gave a
master class on cake
making during an evening
hosted by John Lewis.
Eton Choir
Eton College Chapel
Choir sang for Hope at
Leicester Cathedral.
Running for Hope
24 Hope runners took part
in the inaugural Clough
Taylor People’s Run at
Donington Park.
Cuisine of India charity
evening hosted by Claire
Weston–Patel one of
Hope’s Diamonds.
Janet Brunton held
an art exhibition in
Newtown Linford.
Working with Hope
We’ve enjoyed the continued support
of a number of local businesses.
Three share their experiences…
DAVID MOORE
2013 working with Hope
Some
forthcoming
events:
Leicester Golf
Professional Kym
Larratt agrees to wear
Hope’s logo while
competing on the
female European Tour.
6th July
Our tenth anniversary Ball will be held in a breathtaking
marquee in the grounds of Stamford House,
where you will enjoy champagne, fine dining and
electrifying entertainment and dancing.
Clogs and Cleats
7 – 11th September
Join us on the latest Hope cycling
adventure: Leicester to Amsterdam and
back, 410 miles, fully supported.
Lord Digby Jones
27th September
Business Lunch with guest
speaker Lord Digby Jones
of Birmingham.
Th e A l l i s o n
Wilson lecture
22nd October
With speaker Professor Sir
Michael Adrian Richards. Frank
and Katherine May lecture
theatre, Henry Wellcome
Building, University of Leicester.
Hugh Knight
Sharon Mee
Diane Miller
Introducing some
of our 2013 offi ce
volunteers.
Rhona Nanda
Dorothy Tomlinson
Sue Hanbury
Liz Coates
Sunita Joshi
Raj Kaur
Pam Spokes
Elaine Rook
Tim Hughes
Director,
Rock Kitchen
Harris
Rock Kitchen Harris
has been involved with Hope since their earliest
days. We began with creating an image, basic
stationery and a web page and 10 years on we are
still proud to be supporting such a great cause.
As a local company we are pleased to be
helping a local charity to really make a difference.
It’s given us the opportunity to do some exciting
work and the people at Hope have always been a
pleasure to work with.
As a business we have to make money, but
at times we need to put something back into the
community and if we are doing good work and
enjoying it as well as helping Hope’s cause it is
worthwhile. Over the years most of our employees
have been involved with supporting Hope in one
way or another but I have to single out Matt Laws
for a special mention, Matt has devoted many
hours of his own time to working with Hope, his
commitment has been key to what we have been
able to do.
PETER DALY
Daly Systems
It was approaching
Daly Systems’ tenth
anniversary in 2006, when discussions were taking
place on how the company should mark the
occasion, that our more formal link with Hope
was established. So, having the opportunity to be
included in Hope’s tenth anniversary book has
served as a timely reminder as to why we have
continued to support this charity. We had decided
to ‘adopt’ a charity as part of our tenth anniversary,
to give the company and employees another
meaningful focus for this occasion. The criteria
we worked to was that the charity should be local,
though not necessarily the most well-known,
and to be relevant to the lives of local people.
There was a variety of reasons that the
decision was made to support The Hope
Foundation. Via Peter Daly, we had previous
knowledge of the vital research that Hope funded,
through events organised by the landlord of
a local pub, whose wife died from cancer, for
which Dalys had been able to donate prizes.
And, in particular it was because cancer touches
the lives of most people in some way, through
illness themselves or through family, friends or
colleagues. The work of Hope is actually helping
people that are not yet aware that help is needed.
Dalys has been able to assist Hope with
their telephone system and will continue to
support them through Hope’s variety of excellent
fundraising events, and some of our own. Many
congratulations on the achievements to date
and for the hard work, time and dedication of
the Hope volunteers thus far. May the tenth
anniversary year exceed your expectations!
DUNCAN
GREEN
Partner,
Pick Everard
The true success of
our relationship with Hope Against Cancer can
be measured in the benefit both our organisations
have achieved. Pick Everard fundraising activities
and our participation with Hope events have
enabled us to involve our staff in team building
and motivating activities that have realised
improvements to our business and raised monies
for important cancer research studies.
Innovative fundraising on our major project
at HMP Oakland, the unique Ride the Curves
event at Donington Park Motor Racing Circuit
and the Pick Everard teams gruelling Coast to
Coast Relay have demanded new skills from our
staff and strengthened relationships in our teams.
The professional management approach of Hope
has made them easy to work with and they have
supported us in developing our firm’s corporate
social responsibility activities.
We congratulate Hope Against Cancer on ten
successful years and we look forward to working
with them well into the future.
Thanks also to the following
companies who have pledged
their support throughout
our anniversary year:
Donington Park
Next PlC
John Lewis
Kirby & West
Leicester Tigers
Edmonds & Slatter
Opticians
Weightmans
LLP Solicitors
PKF Accountants
Gateley Solicitors
University of Leicester
David Wilson
Lumbers Jewellers
The Lighthouse
and Boboli’s
Dunelm PlC
Indy Hair & Beauty
Taste inc
Bentley Leicester
James Sellicks
Estate Agents
Jonathan Ziff
Kazzoo
Total Office
Maintenance
Doyles of Market
Harborough
Malcolm
Murphy Hair
Alpen Signs
The Flower Company
Richard Ward
Funeral Services
Gforce Teamwear
JTL Group
Gamble Funerals
J Stamp & Sons
Lions clubs
IMG
Barry Stephens Hair
Rowleys chartered
Accountants
Luffenham Heath
Golf Club
Pendimo
Browns Lingerie
Boutique
Gaile Lloyd-Jones

The Hope Foundation for Cancer Research
The Lodge, 208 Knighton Road, Leicester le2 3tt
Tel: 0116 270 0101
Fax: 0116 270 1008
Email: enquiries@hfcr.org
www.hfcr.org.uk
Registered Charity Number 1091480
Company Number 4397137
Design by Rock Kitchen Harris
www.rkh.co.uk