Breast cancer brought us together as friends, now we fundraise to give back

In 2015 I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer at the age of 40, after finding a lump myself.

I had a mastectomy, lymph node clearance, chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by a delayed reconstruction in 2016. I’ve also been on tamoxifen for 10 years, which I’ll soon be finishing.

During my treatment, I found Breast Cancer Now incredibly helpful

The publications were really useful, and the Forum was a great place to find information and gain reassurance from others in a similar situation.

Luckily during my treatment I met Annette, who had been diagnosed a few months before me. We became close friends and have supported each other over the past decade.

It’s difficult for people to understand, so having someone who’s going through something similar is really important.

Once my active treatment ended, I wanted to give something back

Anette and I are both passionate about helping others going through breast cancer in our local area, so I became a Moving Forward course volunteer and she became a course facilitator.

We’ve seen firsthand what a positive impact Moving Forward can have for people who have recently completed their active treatment. We want to make sure that all of Breast Cancer Now’s services can continue and be available for as many people as possible.

Now we hold an annual Afternoon Tea

We love taking part in Afternoon Tea and have held 6 over the years! It’s a great social event and opportunity to get people together.

I also like to do a bit of baking – I’m vegan and like to try different recipes. I’d say my baking is rustic, it never looks like it should, but it tastes okay!

We like the event to be a traditional Afternoon Tea

We serve sandwiches and scones to guests. Annette has a vintage China set that we use, and we ask everyone for a suggested donation. We also have a raffle to raise extra funds.

Family and friends are always happy to chip in

People want to help and are happy to donate their time and resources. Lots of people have a connection to breast cancer, so are very happy to support our fundraising.

At the end of every tea everyone asks, ‘when’s the next one’, so we know people enjoy them. We need to get this year’s tea booked in!