Founded 1999 Registration no. 1052861 Location Chelmsford, Essex | Type Charity Focus cancer patients | |
Founder Helen Rollason MBE & Professor Neville Davidson | ||
The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity is a cancer charity in the United Kingdom which funds cancer support centres and research into the disease. It was founded in 1999 and is the legacy of Helen Rollason MBE, who died of cancer aged 43. Her vision was to provide support for cancer patients' emotional well-being as well as treating them medically.
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Cancer support
The charity operates a network of three cancer support centres in the south east England. The centres offer a range of complementary therapies to cancer patients in an environment of peace and tranquility, including reflexology, aromatherapy, Bach flower remedies, plus counselling, manual lymphatic drainage and support groups. The centres are for patients with all types of cancer at all stages: whether newly diagnosed or longer term, throughout treatment and after treatment is completed.
One of the charity's cancer support centres is based in Chelmsford, Essex, one in Sawbridgeworth, Herts and one in Edmonton, North Middlesex, London.
Cancer research laboratory
The Helen Rollason Research Laboratory was opened in April 2003. It is located within and managed in collaboration with Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, Essex.
Scientists at the laboratory are undertaking research into cancer, using tumour specimens and blood samples from cancer patients. In November 2009, Dr France Docquier and fellow scientists Dr Sushma Rai and Dr Christina Greenwood identified two different kinds of CTCF, a protein involved in breast cancer and in insulator activity.
The charity's aim is to gain a greater understanding of cancer from these research projects, potentially resulting in better treatment options for patients, better prognosis and higher survival rates.
Clinical drug trials
The Helen Rollason Cancer Charity has enabled around 2000 cancer patients to participate in clinical drug trials in the last eight years. A team of research nurses provide care for cancer patients at the two research centres: Broomfield Hospital in Essex, and North Middlesex University Hospital in London. In the last eight years the research nurses have been involved in trialling a total of 14 new agents which are now on the market and readily available.
The Helen Rollason research nurses provide cancer patients with access to treatments which may be licensed but are not yet available on the National Health Service or are awaiting NICE approval or are simply a novel new agent. There are currently 40 drug trials taking place at the two research centres in Essex and London.
Shops
The charity has a network of shops run by volunteers in the Herts, Essex and London areas. They provide funding for the cancer support centres and the research programme. Its 11 shops are in Barkingside, Braintree, Burnham-on-Crouch, Chingford, Collier Row, Danbury, Ongar, Sawbridgeworth, South Woodford, Wickford and Witham