Focus On Spring 2013 - Cancer Focus Northern Ireland

FOCUS ON SERVICESFocus On - Deborah LeslieDeborah Leslie has recently taken up her new post as bra-fitting facilitator at Altnagelvin Hospital,working with women in the North West who have had breast cancer surgery.Previously a bra-fitter with Marks & Spencer, Deborah has been specially trained by us. She has also hadexperience of breast cancer patients within her family circle. “My mother-in-law and her sister both hadbreast cancer, so I do understand the roller-coaster of emotions that women in this situation are goingthrough,” she explained.“I absolutely love the job. There is a relaxed, caring, confidential atmosphere and the ladies are soappreciative,” she added.“After surgery and treatment for breast cancer some women feel less confident about their body andself-image. I think it is extremely important to help those women regain their confidence and morale.“Feeling good in your clothes can make a real difference and following breast surgery there is no reasonwhy women shouldn’t continue to wear the clothes they love.”To book an appointment at Agnes Jones House, Altnagelvin, on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9.30am to3pm or to find out more please call Deborah on 028 7134 5171 ext 4747.Stretching YogaMany cancer patients have enjoyed ourrelaxing yoga sessions over the last fouryears. Now we are offering two three-hourworkshops at Newtownards on 15th and 23rdApril (venue to be confirmed) which will lookmore deeply into how yoga can help someonerecovering from cancer.Yoga specialist Jeannie Rankin said, “Eachworkshop will begin with a full gentle class.Then we will explore how yoga can offer waysto support the healing process on all levels- physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.There’s time for tea and a chat too!Art for art’s sakeArt therapist Joanne Robinson hasorganised a new series of art therapysessions which start in March for anyoneaffected by cancer. Sessions will be heldfor six weeks at Lagan Valley Hospitalstarting on 4th March, Dungannonhospice from 5th March, DowneHospital and Altnagelvin Hospital from6th March, and Ards Hospital from 8thMarch. Places are still available. Othersare planned for Craigavon and Newryin May/June. For more details call us on028 9066 3281 or emailcare@cancerfocusni.org“Hopefully, armed with some basic knowledgeof simple yogic techniques, people can feel more confident in searching outa class in their area that is suitable for them at their level of recovery towardwellness.”For more details please contact: care@cancerfocusni.com or call 028 9068 0776.Noel, Noel…BBC presenter Noel Thompson thrilled members of our new Sing for Life Choirwhen he agreed to be patron. Noel compered the choir’s first concert, which wasperformed just before Christmas to great acclaim.Noel said, “I am delighted and privileged to have been invited to be patron ofSing for Life. It’s a wonderful concept and one which will give many hours ofentertainment and pleasure.”The next concert is on 25th March. For tickets and details about the choir, run inpartnership with the Crescent Arts Centre, please call us on 028 9068 0776 oremail care@cancerfocusni.orgPAGE 4For information on our upcoming events log onto www.cancerfocusni.org

FOCUS ON CORPORATE PARTNERSGoing from strength to strengthWe are delighted to announce the launch of the third year of our partnershipwith Danske Bank.Our partnership has been a tremendoussuccess and to date staff and customershave raised a magnificent £266,060 forour Family Support Service, which helpschildren when a significant adult such asa mum, dad or grandparent has cancer.This has helped fund Family Supportgroup nights and bereaved children’srespite breaks, and many other childfriendlyactivities.In the last year alone the service hasrapidly expanded - demand for our oneto-oneservice has risen by 30% and thenumber of families we have helped rosefrom 78 to 84.Now, a second Family Support Assistanthas just started at the LiLAC CancerCentre in Cookstown.Over the last two years almost 900bank staff have taken part in our QuickFit programme and breast awarenesssessions while around 30 attendedstop-smoking clinics.We have been greatly encouraged bythe enthusiasm and commitment ofstaff and customers of Danske Bank andtheir inspired fundraising and we arelooking forward to working with themagain this year.Ivan McMinn with Olympic medallists Richard and Peter Chambers and children from our Family SupportServiceMarathon ManIvan McMinn is a man who is beating theodds. Five months after being diagnosedwith pancreatic cancer in November2011, he was not only back at work buthad been promoted to Head of FinanceCentres with Danske Bank.Now he is running the London Marathonto raise funds for our Family SupportService, and is urging other runners tosign up for the Deep RiverRock BelfastCity Marathon on 6th May.“I am more convinced than ever beforeCelebrating a fantastic year’s fundraisinghow absolutely vital the Family SupportService is to families. I lost my own dadto cancer when I was only seven, so asa consequence of both that experienceand my own more recent one, I canrelate all too well to the trauma causedwhen cancer enters a home. I've had thehonour of meeting some of the familiesand children who use the service and thesense of hope and support it has giventhem is incredible,” he said.Check out the marathon section of ourwebsite for his full story.To help Ivan fundraise click on www.justgiving.com/IvanMcMinnLeading Belfast law firm Cleaver Fulton Rankinchose us as their charity of the year for 2012and through various fundraising activitiessuch as cinema nights, coffee mornings andsporting challenges, raised a fantastic £23,000for us. The cash supports Zest for Life, a sixweek personal development programmedesigned to meet the needs of those who areon a recovery period in their cancer journey.Thanks to all.Cancer Focus Head of Appeals and Marketing JoyceSavage (centre) with (l-r) Stephen Cross, ChairmanAlastair Rankin, Caitriona Flanagan and Lisa Boyd fromCleaver Fulton Rankin.For information on our upcoming events log onto www.cancerfocusni.org PAGE 5

FOCUS ON PREVENTION/CARE SERVICESStay sun safe on winter holidaysSuzi McIlwain (pictured right), Cancer Focus,says if you are jetting off for a break in thesun or a winter holiday remember to takecare in the sun.Skin cancer is the most common cancer in NorthernIreland and accounts for 28% of all cancersdiagnosed here - around 3,300 people develop iteach year.You don’t need to sunbath to get skin cancer - it isover-exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), even oncloudy days, which can cause serious damage overtime. Be careful of sand, water and snow which canreflect the sun’s rays. Also the higher altitude of skiresorts means increased intensity of UV radiation.If you have any concerns call our free information andsupport helpline on 0800 783 3339 or email one ofour nurses on care@cancerfocusni.orgCigs going up in smokeEmotional JourneysA new report has highlighted the ‘devastation andwhirlwind of emotions’ that parents experiencewhen they are diagnosed with cancer and stressesthe importance of our work with families.The report, written by Dr Cherith Semple, UlsterHospital, and Professor Eilis McCaughan atthe Institute of Nursing and Health Research,University of Ulster, evaluates our Family SupportService.It shows that the service is providing muchneeded support to parents and children followinga parental cancer diagnosis.Health Minister Edwin Poots and Cancer Focus Chief ExecutiveRoisin Foster (above) show that you can save lots of cash by stoppingsmoking – 30 cigarettes a day costs an average of £4,095 per year.We are urging thousands of smokers to quit on No Smoking Day onWednesday 13th March. To help you we operate a Smokers’ Helplineon 0808 812 8008, hold stop smoking clinics in local workplaces andcommunity settings and train stop smoking specialists.Gerry McElwee, Head of Cancer Prevention at Cancer Focus, said:“Stopping smoking is the most important thing that you can do toimprove your health but it can require commitment and planning.That’s why we at Cancer Focus are working more closely than everwith smokers who want to stop.”For information and useful tips to stop smoking, log on to the PublicHealth Agency’s ‘Want 2 Stop’ websitewww.want2stop.info and order a ‘Quit Kit’ free of charge.The report also reveals a high level of satisfactionfrom people who used the service - 80% of thosewho responded to a survey said they wouldrecommend it to others.The service helps local families cope with thedisruption to ordinary life and lessens the longterm impact on children’s emotional well-beingwhen a mum, dad or close family member hascancer.Liz Atkinson, Head of Care Services, said, “We willcontinue to refine our service and bring it to evenmore families across Northern Ireland.”A copy of the report can be downloaded fromwww.cancerfocusni.org/category/research/PAGE 6For information on our upcoming events log onto www.cancerfocusni.org

FOCUS ON CANCER FUNDRAISING/VOLUNTEERINGBiggest LosersIn Fond MemoryA huge thank you to Damien Crowne and staff at Personal Health andFitness in Omagh who raised a massive £40,000 along with participantsof two cycles of the Biggest Loser. The cheque was handed over tocommunity fundraiser Gareth McElduff. Overall biggest loser in wintercycle was Drumquin man Ryan McCaskie who lost an amazing 13% of hisbody weight in just over eight weeks.Staff and pupils at Tonagh Primary School, Lisburn, raised a fantastic£3,221 with a sponsored pink walk in memory of their beloved P1teacher Marie McClure, who sadly lost her battle with cancer last July.Pupils handed over the cheque to our community fundraiser RosieForsythe.We’re Counting on EmmaWelcome to Emma McCann, the newest addition to ourcommunity fundraising team. Emma lives in Moneymoreand is fundraising in the Mid Ulster area.With a background in sales and advertising, Emma hasbeen a keen volunteer for charity. She loves hill walking andcycling and has recently taken up running. Last year, beforeshe started to work for us, she climbed Northern Ireland’ssix highest peaks raising almost £3,000 for us.Donations and VolunteersOur charity shops have a fast turnover of goods andwe always need new supplies to restock our shelves. Ifyou are planning a spring clean and have good qualityunwanted items, please think about passing them onto us. We welcome donations of clothing, accessories,books, CDs/DVDs, toys and knick-knacks.We also need volunteers to help out in all our 10 shops –it’s an excellent opportunity to make new friends, learnnew skills and gain retail experience. A few hours a weekor month is a tremendous help.Please drop your donations into your nearest shop andif you’re interested in volunteering please contact yourlocal shop manager or call in for a chat.Check our website www.cancerfocusni.org for a full listof shops.“I feel so lucky that I have got my dream job in my own area.I want to be able to use my experience to the full, for thegood of the charity and in doing so, help my community,”she said.If you would like to organise a fundraising event in theMid-Ulster area please contact Emma on 07731 375022,emmamccann@cancerfocusni.orgCall for beauty therapistsWe’re on the look out for volunteers in the Belfast area to helpwith our growing Beauty for Life service.This special service gives cancer patients time-outfor pampering and relaxation. We provide one-to-onetreatments, group make-up demonstrations and haveexpanded our service to offer bedside sessions at Belfast CityHospital.Fiona Barr, our talented beauty consultant, said, “Patientscan choose from treatments including a hand massage,nail treatments and mini facials. I’m looking for qualifiedvolunteers to help me. If you have an NVQ Level 2 or 3 inBeauty Therapy, ideally with two year’s experience, this couldbe the perfect opportunity for you.“Experience with patients is desirable but not essential - it’smore important to have empathy and enjoy meeting newpeople.”For more on volunteering please contact Morag onmoragchambers@cancerfocusni.org orcall 028 9066 3281.For information on our upcoming events log onto www.cancerfocusni.org PAGE 7

FUNDRAISING THANK YOU’SThank you to everyone who helped with our Think Pink! Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign:- Augher/Clogher Cancer Focus Group raised £1,300 at CorickHouse Hotel- Newtownstewart Cancer Focus Group raised £1,700 at 10Square Restaurant- Enniskillen Cancer Focus Group raised £904 at Squire’sRestaurant- Classic Wine Bar and Restaurant Limavady raised £708- Foyle Ladies raised £550 at a golf competition- The Granary Coffee and Sandwich Bar, Belfast, raised £636- Department for Employment and Learning, Belfast, raised £324- NRC colleges raised £1,867- Armagh Rugby Club raised £1,330- Ballyclare Secondary raised £938.48, reaching an outstandingtotal of £16,797- Blus h Beauty’s clients donated £79- Joan McKay raised £123 selling pink goodies- Ballyclare High School raised £394 selling pink healthy lollipopsto pupils- Lagan Locks Hair and Beauty raised £120 selling pink goodies- Julie and the team at Silk Hair Design, Glengormley, raised £355Kesh Friends Bunny Walk raised £575 andColeraine Bunny Walk raised £1,006Meadowvale Shopping Centre collection,Magherafelt, raised £111Skinners Bakery, Holywood, held a cake andbiscuit auction raising £397Holywood Dental Practice patients andstaff raised £621Loreto Grammar School raised over £500in memory of teacher Frances Lilly. Nearly£7,000 has been raised in totalGeorge Pescod, Banbridge, raised £174from a sponsored midnight swim inCamlough LakeCarmel Carville, Downpatrick, raised£1,220 in lieu of 70th birthday presentsBelmont Playcare, Belfast, raised £100 at aGenevieve Pyjama PartyTracey Gilmore celebrated her birthday instyle by raising £5,000The Rice Family held a coffee morning inmemory of their mother Bridget Rice atKillough Youth Club raising £1,965Angela McErlain and Debbie Patton raised£765 at a disco and BBQ held at BallymoneyRugby ClubKylia Smith and the staff of NIEA raised£149 at a bun saleBallyeaston Presbyterian Church donated£88YPI donated £1,000 when Cancer Focuswon their December Tweet-a-ThoncompetitionThanks to Lisburn Harmony Ladies Choirwho generously presented £431 to us atthe Sing for Life choir’s first concertMovember:- Eamonn Magill raised £219- Clifford McILwain raised £142- Decky Eccles raised £154- Wil McMurran raised £128- Sean Barker raised £493- John Darragh, Tim Strain, Killian Kerr, IanCoulter and David Carville raised £806- Stephen Shannon raised £320- Ruari Doherty, Pearse Timoney, PaulDevenny, Nigel Russell and Gordon Reillyfrom Danske Bank raised £940- Gordon Black raised £140- Jason Ling raised £416- Stuart Craig raised £132Probation Board for Northern Irelanddonated £653 raised through Think Pinkand Movember fundraisingConor Creen raised £48 by growing a beardin DecemberStormont Hotel and Diva Dolls raised£1,144 at a Take Me Out event held at thehotelSt Mary’s Primary School, Portaferry, held ahealthy fun day raising £1,050Cleansing Service, Belfast, raised £436.79at a Christmas coffee morning and raffleMembers of the Linfield SupportersClub raised £600 at a charity snookercompetitionCookstown High School raised £250 at acoffee morningDraperstown Celtic FC raised £405 at asocial eveningA huge thank you to the Carlisle families ofCarlisles’ Fresh Foods, Ballynahinch, whoorganised a festive, fun Christmas partynight at the Millbrook Lodge Hotel. Theevent raised an outstanding £8,200 whichwas received by fundraiser Rosie ForsytheStephen Brunt and Sean Lambe, Belfast,trekked in Morocco and raised a fantastic£3,012Serco staff at the Invest NI building raised£300 at a cream tea afternoonA group of brave men from Stewartstownhand over £2,089 raised at a Shave or Dyeevent to fundraiser Sylvia Lucy – thanks toallSPORTS EVENTS 2013Obel Abseil23rd - 24th MarchScafell Pike19-20 AprilPaddle the Bann27-28 AprilGlens of Antrim Trek12 MayCeltic Mountain Challenge 31 May – 2JuneSlieve Donard Moonlit Trek14 JuneBen Nevis Challenge21 -23 JuneAnnalong Valley Trek12 AugBen Nevis Challenge 6-8 SeptemberGreat North Run15 SeptemberUnite & Bike Against Cancer 5-13 OctoberKilimanjaro Challenge Trek 14-25 OctoberNew York Marathon3rd NovemberFor further information or to registerplease contact: Sarah on 028 9068 0765,sarahatcheson@cancerfocusni.orgorNeill on 028 9068 0758,neillgrainger@cancerfocusni.orgFor information on our upcoming events log ontowww.cancerfocusni.orgFollow us onPAGE 8PAGE 8For information on our upcoming events log onto www.cancerfocusni.orgFor information on our upcoming events log onto www.cancerfocusni.org