Everyone said parking was easy and they enjoyed the chance to catch up. We agreed some topics for the next couple of sessions so come and join us at 14.30 on 15/12/22. We have had to cancel our planned topic due to disruption of the train services that would make travel difficult for our session leader. We will be Christmassy instead!
Unfortunately our Group activities were forced into hibernation by Covid during 2020 and 2021. 2022 has seen a re awakening of our Group’s activities which we have attempted to make more varied and exciting. They are detailed elsewhere on the Website. This year we have welcomed some new and active members to the Group and we look forward to seeing more new faces in the the coming weeks and months. We plan to recommence our Thursday morning Head and Neck MDT Clinic coffee mornings however because it is on hospital grounds before we can start we need to catch up with the Hospital’s statutory and mandatory training. Our monthly ‘drop in’ afternoons are starting again on the third THURSDAY of each month and commence this month on the 17th. November. They are for New and Old Group members. We are now holding these meetings at Shalford Village Hall which has many advantages including being in walking distance of the Shalford Train station and there is a map showing the way there elsewhere on the website. The upcoming dates of these meetings, all of which will have a theme to the meeting, are: 17th. November and 15th. December 2022 then 19th. January 2023., etc. All the meetings start at 2.30pm. We look forward to seeing many of you at these meetings. N.B. Don’t forget the usual Christmas Party on 10th. December at the usual venue of the Royal Surrey County Hospital Social Club in Gill Avenue Guildford at 2.00pm. RSVP please before 3/12/22.
We are always are happy to welcome people who are considering volunteering. Even if you only have 1 or 2 hours to spare every month or a few hours once or twice a year we have plenty of things to do.
….it could be fundraising, running activities at a group meeting, helping with our IT, adding to our links section, writing something for our stories section…
if you’re interested please email us : info@headandneckcancer.life or, if you would like to see what we do and meet some volunteers please come along to Shalford Village Hall, Shalford. GU4 8BQ on Thursday 17/11/22 or Thursday 15/12/22 between 14.30 and 16.00.
On a wet and unusually windy Saturday in November we raised just over £200 at the Cranleigh School Christmas Fair. Our thanks to all the people who came out and bought things from the stall. The Christmas chutney was our best seller this year. The money will be used for the Christmas Party and fund the hire of the Village Hall in Shalford for our new monthly meetings.
We have a range of events throughout the year. From large events such as our summer and Christmas parties to smaller groups and support to individual families. Many of the events are free and most are subsidised by our fundraising activities. We aim to make our events enjoyable and to enable people to meet with others who are on the same journey. Come and share stories, tips and feel part of things once again. We are serving refreshments in the hospital multidisciplinary clinic on Thursday mornings thanks to the generosity of the Guildford branch of Beaverbrooks the jewellers. They provide the tea and coffee as well as some of their staff.
They are brilliant supporters.
We have the events listed on a separate page. It is always helpful if you could let us know if you are coming to an event so we can notify you directly about any changes to our plans.
Get in touch: info@headandneckcancer.life
WE NEED YOU!! If you would like to join our committee or would like to be involved with an event we would be pleased to hear from you. We are always looking for people who would like to help with providing refreshments at the clinic at RSCH and anyone with IT skills. We are also able to provide experience for students seeking to apply for medicine or dentistry. Just contact us at: info@headandneckcancer.life
MacMillan a really useful resource for some of your questions.
If you want to ask about more detailed aspects of treatment and living with head and neck cancer the fantastic MacMillan Support Line is open to all navigating life with cancer. If you need someone to talk to call them on :08088080000. The lines are open 8-8pm.
You are always welcome to join us at Shalford Village Hall (Kings Road, Shalford, GU4 8BQ) on the third Thursday of every month usually 2.30-4.00 pm.more details about the talks and sessions are on the monthly meeting page of the website.
THERE ARE NO MEETINGS AT SHALFORD VILLAGE HALL IN JANUARY, JULY AND AUGUST.
Next social event: TBC
If you can’t make it you can always get in touch with us: info@headandneckcancer.life
We look forward to seeing you soon.
RECENT EVENTS
A lunch time catch up event on 25/06/26 at The Cranleigh Golf & Country Club.
A special thank you to Jan for organising this very well attended luncheon event that was enjoyed by all.
We must also thank the chef , kitchen & waiting staff who provided a lovely experience in this heat !!!
Celebrating our fundraisers
On 24th June cream teas were enjoyed by all as we celebrated the Miller Family’s success in raising £1,040 pounds for our charity . We also would like to thank Jackie Whitely from Oralieve for attending and updating us on the new products available.
The Rural Life Living Museum Trip 9/05/26AVillage At War Event.
It was a beautiful day, the sun shone.The group enjoyed delicious cakes and tea provided by Matt and his team at the cafe. A thoroughly enjoyable trip with lots of interesting exhibits, talks and displays.
A hidden gem tucked away:Reeds Rd, Tilford, Farnham. GU10 2DL You can find out more info here: www.rural-life.org.uk
Raffle prize winner!
The winner of our recent raffle prize kindly donated by Bob sent us these photos of the fantastic day Len had with his brother.
A fantastic fundraiser on 21/02/26 and a big thank you from us all!
Andy Miller was diagnosed with cancer in August and has been under the excellent care of Katie Wood and her team at Guilford for the last 5 months. We were delighted to hold a fundraiser last Saturday to raise some money for Second Chance and all those affected by head and neck cancers. Well over £2000 was raised which will be shared between Second Chance and The Teenage Cancer Trust. It was such a fun night including a darts championship, music, fancy dress and lots of laughter! Just a small way to say a huge thank you to the brilliant team at Guildford and all those affected by head and neck cancers!
OUR 2025 CHRISTMAS PARTY.
This year’s Christmas Party on Saturday 13 th December was a great success. That was due to everyone’s support and we want to thank all of you. Some people need a special mention…We are grateful to Guildford’s Town Crier Mr. David Peters, our Special Guest this year, who helped Father Christmas with the raffles. We are delighted that they raised much needed funds for 2026 activities. The Aeroplane ride prize & £50 Caffè Nero Voucher raised a tremendous £220.The general prize raffle raised a fantastic £151! Thank you to Michael & Edward for selling tickets and all those who generously bought them. Also a very special thank you to the young team of helpers who folded the raffle tickets for the buckets. Our beautifully presented buffet was provided by the charity Surplus to Supper which is an impressive community resource. Robert provided some specially prepared food including the soft canapés. A big thank you to Beaverbrooks & Maxine who continue to fund the refreshments for patients waiting in the Head & Neck OPD Clinic. Without John the RSCH Social Club Manager making sure everything ran smoothly it would not have been such a lovely event so special thanks to him. Ashley our photographer who as you can see always captures the event with his great photos, thank you. Charlie & Jorge had us up on the dance floor showing off our moves to Abba !! Thank you both for the music that put us in the Christmas Spirit!! The Committee would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year .
Our forthcoming talks by professionals working in the field:
TBC
For details of our previous sessions please scroll just a little bit further!
Trips out and aboutand other news:
Christmas Fair Collection at the City of London Freeman’s School 29/11/25 The Second Chance Charity raised a grand total of £621.00 this year at the City of London Freeman’s Christmas Fair. Our bucket shaking at the door team Jan , Mike & Dr. Katie Wood were all amazing. Jan needs a special mention as she somehow managed to juggle both a card machine and bucket shaking !!! We thank all the generous people who donated to our charity.
Christmas Chocolates …Thank yous 4/11/25 On behalf of the Charity Sandra delivered tubs of chocolates to the following departments at the RSCH. Head& Neck Clinic OPD 8 Max Fac OPD Clinic ENT Operating Theatres Clandon Ward Radiotherapy Department at St. Luke’s. The staff in all departments were appreciative of the gesture.
A.G.M. at Shalford Village Hall
We held our Annual General Meeting on 20/11/25 at 2.30pm.
….more details to follow …..
Fundraising at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
A grand total of £195 was raised at our Annual Christmas Stall on 4th November. We would like to thank everyone for their kind generosity and support. It was great to meet so many people and let them know more about the Charity.
Our visit to the Milestone Living History Museum, Basingstoke on Friday October 3rd
Thank you to everyone who attended our trip to the Milestone Museum. We had a lovely morning and it was good to have a catch up with hot chocolate drinks in the cafe afterwards!
We recently received a generous donation from Community Foundation for Surrey which will help us continue with our day to day activities and allow us to consider supporting some innovative projects. Our grateful thanks to them.
The High Sheriff of Surrey Awards 2024-25.
The High Sheriff of Surrey – Shahid Azeem DL presented awards to deserving members of the Community in March at Merrist Wood College near Guildford. The event was an opportunity to recognise members of the Community for their valuable work in the County of Surrey. Amongst them were staff from the police and Surplus to Supper who provided fantastic food for our Christmas party. Sandra Levinge was delighted to receive an award on behalf of the Second Chance support group in recognition of the work of the Charity and the contribution volunteers have made to organise events for people who have been affected by Head and Neck Cancer.
An afternoon by the bandstand on 20th July.
A lovely afternoon in the beautiful surroundings of Guildford Castle Bandstand Gardens. The Staines Brass Band had a varied repertoire of music enjoyed by all.
Dining Experience VE Day 80th Celebration
This was a unique event where people were able to try restaurant quality meals specifically prepared for people who might be experiencing eating difficulties with other people who understand the challenges following surgery or radiotherapy. We were fortunate to have been given an anonymous donation to fund the event for members and a guest. Our thanks to everyone who helped to make it such a useful and enjoyable event.
SOME OF OUR RECENT THURSDAY SESSIONS:
19/03/26 Lasting Power of Attorney talk by Sara Meers Legal.
It was a productive meeting with lively Q&A session.
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so in the future. This can cover your health and care decisions or financial matters.
Having an LPA ensures that your wishes are respected, helps avoid confusion or delays, and provides peace of mind for you and your family. It is especially important for anyone facing serious illness or long-term health challenges. An LPA is available to anyone aged 18 or over, and it is not limited to older or seriously ill people. Having an LPA ensures that your wishes are respected, helps avoid confusion or delays, and provides peace of mind for you and your family.
For further details or advice, please contact Sarah Meers Legal Services.
Contact details:
Phone: 020 3858 0307
Email: info@meerslegalservices.co.uk
Address: PO Box 490, Wallington, Surrey SM5 9AL, UK
19/02/26: Lorraine Brown our Specialist Lymphoedema Nurse. Thank you Lorraine for your informative and well presented talk on Lymphodema.
The lymph system is part of the body’s immune system. Lymph nodes filter substances that travel through lymphatic fluid and they contain lymphocytes ( white blood cells) that help the body fight infection and disease. There are over three hundred lymph nodes in the head and neck region. Lorraine discussed exercises for Head & Neck Lympoedema these included; Neck & Shoulder Exercises Neck Rotation,Neck side flexion, Chin tucks, Neck flexion/ Extension. Facial & Oral Exercises Jaw movements,Facial expressions and Tongue exercises. Breathing &Preparation Deep Abdominal Breathing and self Lymphatic Massage.
The committee would like to congratulate Lorraine as she has been nominated for the Chronic Oedema Nurse of the Year Award.
October 16th: Dr Hannah Bolland from the School of Biosciences at the University of Surrey came to talk to the group about her research project that is investigating new biomarkers and treatment for head and neck cancer. We had an opportunity to discuss her research and ways to become involved.
June 19th: Debbie Heaney was our tutor for a Qigong session. Qigong is a system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing and meditation. It is said to be useful for the purpose of health and spirituality.
In a previous life Debbie was all too familiar with a stressful job and hectic lifestyle; but when she reached breaking point something had to change. Having retrained, she now runs her one business centred around Tai Chi, Qigong and Shiatsu based in Godalming. Debbie has practiced Tai Chi and Qigong since 2001 and has been teaching since 2008.
To find out more have a look at Debbie’s website: www.surreyhillstaichi.co.uk m
May 19th. Tamara Kahn the CEO of Oracle, the leading Head & Neck charity in the U.K. A special thank you to Tamara Kahn who travelled from London to attend our Shalford Village Hall meeting. Her effort was much appreciated by all who attended . The committee plan to discuss the work of the Oracle Charity and the work they have undertaken in the Head and Neck Cancer Coalition at our next Trustees meeting.
April 17th. Gemma Harris Specialist Oncology Physiotherapist. A big thank you to Gemma for attending our recent Shalford Village Hall meeting .The benefits to be gained from exercising while undergoing treatment for cancer was discussed.The Q & A session enabled those present to put forward their own queries.
Screenshot
March 20th. A big thank you to Matt for equipping members with the necessary skills to administer basic life support and giving us the confidence to use the equipment you are now beginning to see in town centres etc. The group were shown how to use an AED machine. An Automated External Defibrillator is a portable electronic machine , there are two pads inside the box that are placed on the person’s chest. The machine can automatically detect the abnormal heart rhythm that can cause cardiac arrest. An electric shock is then delivered and that can help to save the life of the person. Matt took away the apprehension of using this equipment. It is easy to use as an automated voice gives clear instructions! BUT we all were reminded to always get help first!!! ALWAYS Ring 999 and make sure the professionals are on their way. You may need the code from them to open the box and access the equipment.
PREVIOUS SESSIONS
A session was led by Kerry Hector who has written the following for us to share with you:
I’m Kerry Hector, Breathwork Coach, Yoga Teacher and Sound Therapist who has a huge love of all things health and wellness – I predominantly work with private clients, including couples and families who seek to manage and improve their own wellbeing. I also work with entrepreneurs and corporate organisations, helping to manage stress and anxiety in the workplace.
I created Calm with Kerry having gone through my own personal experience with stress and the effects it had on my physical and emotional wellbeing – it’s incredibly important to me to bring awareness to tangible and accessible techniques that can be easily adopted into our daily routines, providing stress relief, a reduction in anxiety, better sleep and an overall improvement in physical and mental wellbeing.
Breathwork is incredibly empowering – our breath belongs to us, it’s free and available for us to tap into whenever we need – the benefits we can experience are immediate, as the way we breathe directly impacts the way we feel.
During my classes I guide participants through a series of breathing exercises that soothe and calm their nervous system creating a shift, in real time, in how they are feeling. Breathing consciously and intentionally for just 15 mins per day can have a huge impact on our day to day lives.
Breathwork can also be an effective tool for women experiencing menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats, as well as aiding in balancing mood.
For more information about how I may be able to help you please contact me by phone or email: 07540 571546/ calmwithkerry@gmail.com Instagram @CalmwithKerry
Christmas Party 2024
The Christmas Party held 14th December was a great success and a big thank you to everyone who made it happen.
We are grateful to Zoe Franklin, our Local MP for Guildford, for attending and mingling with all those present. The buffet provided by the charity ‘Surplus to Supper’ was beautifully presented and proved to be very popular. A big thank you also to Robert who provided additional soft food canopies.
Our raffles were very successful in raising funds with the Aeroplane ride prize, donated by Bob Ilett, raising £190 and the general prize raffle raising £145. Thank you to Michael and Edward for selling tickets and all those who so generously purchased lots of tickets. We should also mention, particularly, Beaverbrooks Jewellers and Everyman Cinema for donating prizes.
We are grateful to John, the RSCH Social Manager, for assisting us in setting up the party, manning the bar and making sure everything ran smoothly. We are also so grateful to Ashley for giving up his time supporting our charity and recording the event as always with his excellent photographs.
Charlie and Jorge were again supporting us providing festive music to get us in the Christmas spirit. The event would not be the same without them and of course we could not do without Father Christmas who somehow found the time to attend our event at such a busy time of year.The Committee do hope those who attended enjoyed the event and would like to take the opportunity to wish all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Christmas Fundraising
The Second Chance Charity were invited to the City of London Freeman’s School Christmas Fair at the end of November. We are very grateful to Dr. Katie Wood who arranged for us to collect contributions at the door. A special thank you to Father Christmas, Mike & Jan, Sandra , Dr. Katie Wood and her daughter for shaking buckets . The grand total raised was an amazing £647.62p !!!! People were so generous and we thank them all.
We were overwhelmed by the fantastic support we had from staff, patients and members of the public for our Christmas themed fundraising stand at the Royal Surrey Hospital on 8/11/24. We will be selling items at the Christmas party too….
SandraSpreading some seasonal cheer:
Sandra on behalf of the charity delivered tubs of chocolates with a Christmas card to the following departments at the RSCH. Head & Neck clinic OPD 8 Max fac OPD clinic ENT Operating Theatres Clandon Ward Head & Neck Radiotherapy department St.Lukes The staff in all departments were very appreciative of the gesture.
Our second treatment and recovery story session:
After our AGM meeting in October, Immaculate gave a moving account of her cancer treatment and care experience. Immaculate required major surgery and talked about the impact on herself and her family. A fuller account of her talk can be seen on Our Stories section of the website. This talk facilitated other members to share their stories. The discussion emphasised the need to be persistent in getting referred to the right people when your body just doesn’t feel quite right. Immaculate celebrated the expertise, care and kindness shown to members by staff once her treatment started. Immaculate has made an amazing recovery and it is worth reading more about her journey on Our Stories page as it shows how her positive mindset and support from friends and family have helped in her recovery. Second Chance committee group asked members what support from the charity would have been helpful during this time. Some interesting ideas were suggested which we plan to investigate. Allan provided a delicious, soft Victoria Sandwich Cake which helped sustain the meeting and was enjoyed by all. Not a crumb was left! Thank you Allan
Our thanks to Julie Scrace for hosting our first discussion covering treatment and recovery following a Laryngectomy.
Julie had a laryngectomy 20 years ago. She had been a singer and a brass band player. She was determined to get back to music, despite being told she would never play again. As you can see she is back to performing and teaching again. If you want to read more about Julie’s story you will find it in the our stories section of the website.
Congratulations to our latest fundraisers
We celebrated the fantastic achievement of Stephen, David and Emma who ran the Woking half marathon on Sunday 8th September. They have raised approximately £5000 for the Charity. It looks like more people are donating so the final figure could be even higher. This is an amazing achievement and will enable us to provide support for more initiatives to help more people affected by head and neck cancer. Thank you!
If you would like to add to the final figure you can donate here:
We were delighted that The High Sheriff Mr. Shahid Azeem was able to attend our Charity’s Garden Party held on Sunday 30th June.
The event was well attended and all enjoyed a delightful afternoon in lovely surroundings.
A special thank you to Jan and Mike Humphries for hosting the occasion and Charlie and Jorge for providing the music.
Finally, our thanks for the photos that were kindly taken by Mr. Ashley Prytherch. which really capture this happy occasion. You can find more photos of the event in the News section on the website. Many thanks to all of you that so generously supported us in raising funds for more activities. Enjoy the rest of the Summer and look out for a new programme of events and activities starting in September.
PAST MEETINGS
Our June meeting was held on Saturday 22/06/24. We had a lot of fun thanks to the quiz master’s wide ranging questions. Answers included Morrisey, Sigourney Weaver, Treaty of Versailles and 1783. The winning team achieved a fantastic near perfect score and were rewarded with chocolate. Raffle prizes included tickets to Bocketts farm and Birdworld. Our thanks to Bocketts Farm and Birdworld for donating these prizes.
The afternoon also included afternoon tea including foods with a variety of textures. Finally Immaculate presented us with an incredibly generous £1010 raised by her sponsored walk. Without funds like these we would not be able to offer such a wide range of activities. Thank you again Immaculate and Joseph.
Our speaker in May was Sandra Gates who is a specialist cancer and cardiac rehabilitation instructor and a World Record holder.
Sandra was part of the Team Ithaca who successfully completed the GB Row Challenge 2023. It obviously was a tough challenge and Sandra definitely was a worthy winner.
Sandra also spoke about her work with Can rehab:
What is CanRehab Trust?
In 2020 Professor Anna Campbell set up CanRehab Trust to provide support for people living with and beyond cancer in UK to become or stay active. The aim of this charity is to help people manage the side effects of cancer or treatment and improve their quality of life.
The Charity is developing a register of approved personal trainers and health professionals qualified to provide tailored exercise programmes for people living with cancer. CanRehab Trust matches individuals who may require a physical activity programme to an instructor who can provide a number of exercise sessions that are tailored to the person’s needs based on their diagnosis and general health, stage of treatment and previous exercise experience.
For more information please go to: canrehab.com
Sandra also spoke about how the organisation funds free exercise sessions. For more information call 03454594618
Ramster Gardens
We were so lucky with the weather when we visited Ramster Gardens in Chiddingfold. It is a historic woodland garden famous for its extensive collection of azaleas and rhododendrons and they are spectacular at the moment. If you weren’t able to join us it is well worth a visit.
Our last session:
Eileen Goldsack from the Fountain Centre, an independent charity based within St Luke’s Cancer Centre came to talk to us about the range of services they provide. The centre provides complementary therapies, psychological and family support. Some of our members talked about the sessions they have had there including therapies for insomnia and anxiety.
Dr Mandeep Bajwar came to talk to us about his role as lecturer and researcher at the University of Surrey and as a Head and Neck Cancer consultant at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. Mandeep has a research remit and is particularly interested in implementing a system using a patient concern’s inventory and quality of life questionnaire that patients will complete at home and will be reviewed by members of the multidisciplinary team to identify who requires additional help and support. Mandeep is going to set up a forum to improve patient involvement in service planning. If you are interested in getting involved please contact us.
The charity would like to thank Sue Bond for attending our Shalford Village Hall meeting. Sue is an aromatherapist and Reiki Practitioner at the Fountain Centre based at the RSCH (bondsue@hotmail.com). Sue explained that Reiki is a type of energy healing. As a complimentary therapy it is sometimes used as a palliative or supportive therapy for people with cancer. It aims to relax you, ease stress and tension and help with well being. Sue defined aromatherapy as a practice based on the use of aromatic materials, including essential oils. An interesting discussion followed on Olfactory & massage aromatherapy . The scents of certain oils can help to boost mood and promote relaxation. The group found it an interesting and informative discussion. A thank you to Allan for providing the delicious homemade Victoria Sandwich Cake .
If you haven’t seen an email from us recently, firstly check your spam, otherwise if would like to know about the events we’ve got planned please contact us: info@headandneckcancer.life
Christmas Party Saturday 9/12/23. Please contact us for details.
Second Chance Head and Neck Cancer Group
