Cancer survivor has raised over £100,000 with charity evenings
The founder of a charity that has raised over £100,000 for cancer care at Southend Hospital in the last nine years has added another £5,000 to the pot after a successful charity evening.
The Black Dress and Pearls night is now in its ninth year and money raised will now go to support the Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy Unit at Southend. It was held at The Boatyard Restaurant, in Leigh on Sea.
The charity donating the money, United Against Cancer, was set up by Rosemary Slade, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004.
Rosemary, from Leigh-on-Sea, is eternally grateful for the care she received at Southend Hospital and this is her way of helping give something back.
This year’s event saw attendees have a meal and win prizes from a raffle donated to the night by local Leigh businesses.
Rosemary said: “This year’s event was absolutely the best, everyone was in such a great mood following the tough 18 months or so that we have all had.
The event has evolved since I first started hosting it almost a decade ago. What was once an event of around 50 people has now increased to over 200, we all had a great night and raised a brilliant sum of money.”
Money previously raised by United Against Cancer has helped improve facilities for cancer patients and has set up a chemotherapy garden for patients, helped towards funding treatment beds and bought a sensory projector for the children’s ward at the hospital.
It has also helped buy a tattoo machine used for nipple reconstruction following breast cancer and a bladder scanner for the radiotherapy department.
Clair Grayston, community fundraising manager for Mid and South Essex Hospitals Charity, said: “Rosemary’s amazing fundraising has meant we have been able to make many improvements to the equipment and facilities available to our patients we have undergoing treatment for cancer.
“We appreciate all of the good work and fundraising United Against Cancer and Rosemary continues to do for the Hospital.”