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Helen ‘Braves the Shave’ and raises £5,000 for the Mustard Tree

Helen and the team at the Mustard Tree

A member of staff at the Mustard Tree Macmillan Cancer Support Centre has raised a whopping £5,248.50 by taking part in a sponsored ‘Brave the Shave’ event.

Helen Jordan regularly fundraises for the Mustard Tree in her spare time, outside of her role with the Living With and Beyond Cancer team, who are based at Derriford Hospital. However, for this particular occasion, Helen was inspired by her good friend, Vicky Couch, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2017. Sadly, four months later, Vicky received the devastating news that the cancer had spread to her brain.

“Vicky is such an inspirational and selfless lady. It’s a pleasure to call her my friend,” explains Helen. “The support available at the Mustard Tree has been a lifeline to Vicky and her family, offering a crucial service for people affected by cancer. It’s a cause close to my heart, so I jumped at the opportunity to give something back.”

Helen 'before' and 'during' the shave Helen decided to take the plunge on 31 August – her birthday – at an event hosted at the Victualling Office Tavern in Plymouth. Surrounded by friends, family and colleagues, Helen’s hair was shaved off by local hairdressers from The Cutting Garden. Helen also held a raffle, with prizes kindly donated by a number of local businesses.

Jo-Anne Rigby, Macmillan Fundraising Manager for Devon said: “Many people choose to shave their heads in support of or in memory of a loved one who has experienced cancer. But no matter what the inspiration, taking on ‘Brave the Shave’ supports Macmillan in their aim to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can.

“On behalf of Macmillan, I would like to say a huge thank you to Helen for taking the plunge and raising vital funds for people living with cancer.“

The Mustard Tree Centre is situated on level 3 of Derriford Hospital, opposite the entrance to the Royal Eye Infirmary. Support is available to anyone affected by cancer, including relatives and carers of patients, at any stage of the illness.

Earlier this year, Vicky held a ‘top-table lunch’ with the Royal Navy Air Station, Yeovilton (also known as HMS Heron), raising an additional £1,163.35 for the Mustard Tree. Read more here: http://bit.ly/MustardTreedonation

To find out more about raising money for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, please visit https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/fundraising

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