The Amazon Breast Support Group

Beryl Perrin (Amazon Chairperson)

Hello dear friends, supporters and readers. Good news for local patients, after a long, hard winter; spring is at last on its way and King’s Mill can now boast about the finalization of the new hospital. It has a wonderful, spacious Oncology Clinic (Welcome Treatment Centre), where patients can receive their treatments with splendid views overlooking the Reservoir. It is sited on Level 4 in the Pink Tower and accessed via the main lifts. Found on the ground floor of the Women and Children’s Centre, the Breast Screening Clinic, the Breast Care Specialist Nurses’ Office, Consulting rooms and the Amazon Lounge have all been brought together under one roof (Clinic 14). The new surroundings are airy and pleasant and facilitate easy interaction between the Breast Care Team.

Our next Amazon project will be to update and refurbish The Amazon Lounge so that its ambience is in keeping with the very modern décor of its surroundings. It is used by the Breast Care Team for more informal discussions with patients and by the Amazons for our Open Meetings with patients and carers, old and new.

Sandra Ballard

I’d like to welcome Sandra Ballard onto the Amazons’ Committee and to thank her and the whole group for their continued efforts in fund-raising, promoting Breast Care Awareness locally and supporting breast cancer patients and carers at our monthly meetings. I would also like to thank those who have donated monies and organized their own fund-raising events on behalf of our registered charity. So many people are helping us to help local patients and I would like to extend my admiration and thanks to Simon Bingham and Roger Gore for their gruelling bike ride up a particularly mountainous section of The Tour de France Cycle Race Route. This was just one of the many novel ways our supporters fund-raised. Once again my grateful thanks to you for your continued support and generosity.

Bless you all, Beryl Perrin (Amazon Chairperson).

Pictured above, going to an Amazon’s evening meeting in the Lounge are Margaret, Jayne, Wendy and Ann.

Clinic 14 in the Women and Children’s Centre is now the home of The Amazon Lounge. It is part of the Breast Care Unit’s new, spacious facility which includes the Breast Screening Unit and consulting rooms for doctors and Specialist Breast Care Nurses to use for their clinics. It has ultra sound facilities and new, digital mammography machines. The Breast Care Nurses’ reaction : “We like it. Integrating the services into one area provides great opportunities for easy communication between all of the Breast Care Team

£6000 has bought a new Micro Pigmentation machine and training for Breast Care Nurse Gill Clark to use with patients who choose to have breast reconstruction at King’s Mill Hospital.

A new book requested from America will enhance King’s Mill’s educational resources. Pictured are Amazons Geoff and Beryl presenting the book to Consultant Breast Surgeon Mr. M. Jahan and Specialist Breast Care Nurse Linda Salmon.

Pictured left to right are Simon Bingham and Roger Gore with a map of the stage of the Tour de France that they cycled to raise over £9,000 sponsored funds for the Amazons. The day before their stage of the race, which started at Pau, Simon and Roger had to rebuild their bikes and then register along with 10,000 other cyclists. They started at 7.00am next day and had 11 hours in which to complete the174 kilometre route which had average gradients of 7.5% rising to 10% in places! Pictured right is Simon on one of the descents where cyclists were reaching speeds of 70mph! Their finishing line was on the summit of Col de Tourmalet, nicknamed “The Assassin” which, at 2115 metres high, seems appropriately named. The Amazons want to say a very big THANK YOU to their sponsors and to Simon and Roger for their fantastic efforts.

King’s Mill breast cancer patient Pam Mayhew certainly kept a “cool” head of hair when she had her chemotherapy wearing a “cold cap” to help to prevent hair loss. And just look at that hair! Pam received her treatment for 18 weeks at the Welcome Treatment Centre and had to have four “cold cap” changes during each session. Pam said she experienced extreme cold and numbness but she was determined to keep her lovely hair! The “cold caps” were purchased by the Amazons for the Welcome Treatment Centre.

Pictured left to right:Laurie Hemstock (Millers Club), Brian Coleman, Mick Watson and Mick Davis (Miller Men), Liz Hunter, Sandra Ballard and Beryl Perrin (Amazons), Alan Robinson (Miller Men) and Linda Salmon (Specialist Breast Care Nurse at King’s Mill)

The Millers Club do it again and fund-raise £1,000 for the Amazons! The Kirkby Club hosted two evening events, with entertainment provided by “The Miller Men” band and father and sons “The Bradleys”. With Roy Turner on the door, Steve White organising the raffle and Carol Borrington as the compere, the evenings went with a swing and everyone gave generously and had a great time. Many thanks to all who supported the events and have put so much effort into helping the Amazon Charity.

Standing far right, Julie presents cheque to Beryl(Amazon) at the Market Social Club, Huthwaite

Julie Marriott’s “2010 Birthday Bash”, raised an amazing £800 for the Amazons. Working from Huthwaite’s Market Social Club there were many organised events. The Amazons want to thank everyone who supported the fund-raising and particularly mention Julie, Brenda, Headstart Hairdressing, Jill at the Market Club, James and Oliver, Jessy, Jan and Pat, Tyler, George and Michael. Julie has organised her annual “Birthday Bash” for many years now and made large contributions to the Amazon Charity, so a BIG THANK YOU to Julie and the generous people of Huthwaite.

The Victoria Club at Huthwaite hosted fund-raising events and presented the Amazons with a £195 donation. We’d like to thank Julie, the darts team, Angie Brooks, Gary, Andy, Jill, everyone who donated prizes and everybody else who was involved in the event’s organisation and gave generously of their time and money. Thank you again, Huthwaite for helping us to help breast cancer patients locally.

Mansfield’s “And Why Not” Bar and Restaurant organised a Ladies’ Night. It featured hairstyling demonstrations by “Hairshop”, Westgate (pictured), salsa dance instruction and the spray tanning of a willing volunteer! All this was followed by a delicious meal and raised almost £200 which was generously presented to the Amazons. Pictured, from the left, are Janet Stafford (Amazon), Karl Evans (“And Why Not” Assistant Manager), Geoff Stafford and Beryl Perrin (Amazons Chairperson) who accepted the donation. Sutton’s “Junction” Bar and Restaurant, under the same management, hosted other fund-raising events and they donated over £800 to the Amazons. A very big thank you to them and their patrons.

For another great “Night At The Races”! Terry Wiseman was the humorous presenter of the evening, organised by Liz Hunter (Amazon) and held at St. Joseph’s Social Club, Sutton. The punters spent generously on the races and the raffle, and the pie, peas and chips supper was a treat. “Thank you” to the staff of the club and the caterers and to all the evenings’ supporters. It raised a fantastic £1,148 for the Amazon Charity.

“Thank you” to the fund-raisers who have supported The Amazon Breast Support Charity and to the people who have made personal, group and family donations to help local breast cancer patients at King’s Mill Hospital. Also a big “thank you” to the Breast Care Team.

Local Police Personnel are making plans for Sept. to run 5 sponsored marathons, in 5 countries, in 5 days! They intend to donate their sponsorship to the Amazons and “Help for Heroes” and to use the internet site “justgiving” for some of the fund-raising. Pictured, right to left, at an Amazon meeting are two of the police planners, George Westoby and Aidy Bailey.