team beatson Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023 Look inside for latest news, essential information and support.
beatsoncancercharity.org
Welcome to our Winter Newsletter and wow, what a year it has been so far! There’s so much to let you know about. In the following pages we will tell you more about our work, share some inspiring stories and provide updates on the innovative projects we deliver ourselves and others which we fund. Our team is committed to supporting people and their families in as positive a way as possible. As we approach our 10th anniversary as an organisation our goal is to provide people with a source of hope, information and support as they navigate the complexities of living with cancer. As a collective and cohesive force, we can stand strong against cancer and together create a
community where we act as a catalyst for positive impact on people’s lives. In our recently published Strategic Plan you can find out more about our focus over the next few years. In this latest edition of our newsletter we will tell you stories, share insights about some of the innovative projects we fund and inform you about how we use the funds you help us raise in the fight against cancer. Working with our partners we strive to empower people and inspire hope. Quite simply, we could not do this without your support and for that we cannot thank you enough. I hope you enjoy finding out more about Team Beatson!
Martin Cawley CEO, Beatson Cancer Charity
get in touch Switchboard 0141 212 0505 | www.beatsoncancercharity.org
Fundraising Team fundraising@beatsoncancercharity.org
Befriending Service befriending@beatsoncancercharity.org
SHAWS healthandworkservice@beatsoncancercharity.org
Wigs 0141 301 7439 Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
The Wellbeing Centre
info@beatsoncancercharity.org 0141 301 7667
Group Support: Living with Uncertainty and Fear of Recurrence programmes supportservices@beatsoncancercharity.org
Volunteering volunteering@beatsoncancercharity.org
Bereavement Support bereavementsupport@beatsoncancercharity.org
services update bereavement service turns one Our Bereavement Support service celebrated its first birthday in October following a successful year. The service is designed to provide advice and guidance to families and friends following the loss of a loved one. It adds to existing services for bereaved people whose loved ones received cancer treatment at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre or other west of Scotland hospitals. Patrick Baines from Glasgow, got in touch earlier this year following the passing of his mum and sister within less than a year of each other.
Patrick said: “The group sessions really helped me. It’s hard to be open minded when you feel rubbish and give new things a try, but I did and I’m really grateful that I did. You meet some very qualified and very lovely people who are there to help and to be there for you. I couldn’t recommend it enough. For anybody that is going through a really tough time, I would recommend you give it a try. It’s just a relaxed, calm, peaceful and friendly environment and somewhere you can just switch off for a couple of hours and be yourself.” Call 0141 212 0505 and ask to speak to someone about our Bereavement Support service or email bereavementsupport@beatsoncancercharity.org
shaws hits milestone
We’re delighted to announce our Care Services team has reached a big milestone! 1000 people have now been supported by our Specialist Health and Work Service (SHAWS). This is a fantastic achievement and we’re delighted to have supported so many people who require help with current employment or getting back into work following a cancer diagnosis. Rebecca Duthart, Specialist Health and Work Practitioner, said: “We’re really excited to have reached 1000 clients because it’s a really nice benchmark for us to look back and reflect on all the support we’ve given to clients over the years. It’s a privilege to work alongside clients and be able to help them to highlight their key strengths when they’re at a really difficult point in their life and they can’t quite see it for themselves. We always feel incredibly grateful to support clients to come to a positive outcome with their work because it has such a massive impact on their life in general.”
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menopause service courtesy of funding from the white lily ball The White Lily Fund has donated over £28,000 to fund a Menopause Service to support patients at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre and other sites across Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It comes after the committee hosted a ball at the Voco Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow in November 2022, raising over £85,000 for Beatson Cancer Charity. The Menopause Service will benefit from the first instalment of grants from the charity following the ball. This year’s White Lily Ball took place on 28th October 2023 at the DoubleTree Hilton Glasgow Central. We’d like to thank Angela Bruno MBE, her daughter Liana Mullen and all the committee members for their continued support.
Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
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news team beatson
simba the ambassadog
A rescue dog, who has been rehomed five times in less than two years, has been crowned our charity’s new Ambassadog. Simba the Border Collie, who will be 2 years old in December, was entered by his owner, Chris Maitland, after his mum was treated at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. We look forward to involving Simba and Chris in our upcoming events and photoshoots!
1000 club update
Our Beatson 1000 club members have been busy raising £1000 for their chosen service area, allowing us to continue providing essential services to patients and their families. Garath McSharry of Tony Gee and Partners said: “We have fundraised through bake sales and sponsored runs as well as payroll giving - it’s been great for staff engagement.” Decathlon are on board too, with a representative adding, “With health and wellbeing a strong focus for us at Decathlon, it seemed like a perfect fit…£1000 is a reasonable target for most companies and businesses to achieve. Especially as there is no specific time limit… It’s also great getting to choose a specific focus for our fundraising.” Your workplace could help fund a variety of services including wellbeing, innovation, funded posts and research. Find out more: beatsoncancercharity.org/beatson-1000-club
persimmon homes
Persimmon Homes West of Scotland has taken on many challenges over the last few months as part of their Charity of the Year commitment. A golf day was organised by Max Hill at East Renfrewshire Golf Club with 22 teams taking part. The next activity saw some of the team take on our Zip Slide the Clyde event and they even managed to persuade former footballer Frank McAvennie to take part! We’re very grateful for the support shown from Persimmon Homes who have already raised over £20,000.
golf days
Golf Days make up a huge part of our fundraising calendar and this year has been no different. Edrington staged a 90 hole golf challenge, Pollok Golf Club held their 3rd annual Ladies competition and JR Group organised another annual golf event at the club. Kirkhill Golf Club held its second annual Beatson Cancer Charity Golf Day; our Beatson Business Ambassadors took part in their second Golf Day at Dundonald Links organised by Mike Smith of the Orb Group and our Beatson Bunker initiative is still as popular as ever appearing in many golf courses across the country.
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who are you hanging your beatson bauble for this year? Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
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remembering loved ones. giving thanks. offering hope. celebrating. You will have your own special reason to hang a Beatson Bauble on your tree this year, whether it’s in memory of a loved one or to say thanks for the care a relative or friend received. Let’s come together this Christmas and give back to families who are needing it most. With your help, we can give support to people and families living with cancer.
You can donate online as well as leave your very own Bauble message. You can also Text BAUBLE to 70460 to donate £10. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
beatsoncancercharity.org/bauble
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glasgow santa dash
sunday 10th december from 10am ho ho ho! here we go again!
Join us for Glasgow City Council’s unmissable Christmas event, which will see hundreds of Santas dashing through a 5K route via Glasgow Green & The Gorbals. We are absolutely delighted to say that all profits from this event will be donated to Beatson Cancer Charity and The Lord Provost’s Children’s Fund. Entry cost is £16 for an adult and £6 for children (under 16) Sign up now at www.glasgow.gov.uk/santadash Why not fundraise with your friends, family and colleagues. Scan the QR code and share this page.
christmas celebration event
sunday 10th december, 3pm – 5pm | free entry Please reserve your place by calling 0141 212 0505, visit beatsoncancercharity.org or e-mail christmas@beatsoncancercharity.org If you have special seating or access requirements, please advise us as soon as you can.
Please join us with family and friends at our Beatson Christmas Celebration on Sunday 10th December at the magnificent Glasgow Cathedral with Rev Mark Johnstone as we bring you the true spirit of the season, to Celebrate, to Thank, to Remember and to have Hope. Proudly sponsored by Park Lane, our Christmas Celebration is kindly hosted by Alison Walker who will take us through an afternoon filled with festive entertainment from the wonderful Kirsty Duncan, Rock Choir, SING aLOUD and BeatSing. Readings from special guests will give us an occasion to reflect with Beatson Cancer Charity’s Bauble Appeal, write your dedication on a Beatson Bauble and proudly place on the Cathedral Christmas tree.
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innovation stuart mccaffer haematology ambulatory care service
We’re delighted to announce the opening of a Haematology Ambulatory Care Service in The Beatson, thanks to the generous support from Stuart McCaffer, the McCaffer family & friends and Ian Curle. Stuart, who was a patient at The Beatson, donated to the charity before he sadly passed away in August 2021. His family and friends have continued to raise money in his memory. Their support allowed our charity to award a £255,529 grant to The Beatson to develop this service. This funding was used to purchase two therapy chairs, CADD pumps, batteries, battery chargers, carry packs and reservoir cassettes. The funding was also used to fund two specialist staff who will lead the service.
The service will mean haematology patients who are fit enough and live close to The Beatson will have the chance to return home each day and receive their infusional chemotherapy from the comfort of their own homes by wearing Computerised Ambulatory Delivery Device (CADD) pumps. These pumps are attached to cassettes which contain chemotherapy drugs and slowly infuse the correct dose. This project will enable haematology outpatients to spend more time at home with their family members and reduce discharge anxiety associated with long hospital stays. It will also help to free up more bed spaces for haematology patients requiring urgent investigation and more intensive care and treatment.
Dr Pam McKay, Consultant Haematologist and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, said: “We are extremely grateful to Beatson Cancer Charity and the donors for supporting this project which we are very passionate about. This service is currently provided in many large cancer centres across the UK and we are very keen to be able to offer this service to appropriate patients at The Beatson. This should make a massive difference to the quality of life of these patients who currently spend a large amount of time as an inpatient for treatment and associated complications.”
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12 days of christmas 4
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Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
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beatson best buys
Spread joy this festive season by shopping with Beatson Cancer Charity. Experience the joy of giving while contributing to essential research, facilities, and support for individuals and their families facing cancer.
1. Christmas Cards £4.25
8. Small Jute Lunch Bag £6.00
2. Merry Christmas Snowflake Bauble 5.95
9. Care Love Hope: Notebook and Pen £10.00
3. Hanging Robin Keepsake £5.95
10. Cashmere Blend Reversible Bee Scarf £24.00
4. Braw Range Tartan Map of Scotland Apron £24.00 5. Care Love Hope Pin Badge £2.50 6. Care Love Hope Necklace £65.00 7. Beatson Cancer Charity: Tartan Thermal Cup £12.00
11. Tartan Tie £30.00 12. Sienna Glass “Hope” Orb £19.50
where to buy
shop.beatsoncancercharity.org 9
event highlights
off the beatson track 2023
We’re absolutely thrilled to announce our 10th anniversary Off the Beatson Track event on Sunday 27th August raised over £145,000 and is officially the biggest walk our charity has organised!
strictly beatson
Congratulations to Strictly Beatson winners, Team Arnold Clark! Five teams took part in the event at the DoubleTree Hilton Glasgow Central in October: Team Go Radio, Team Marks & Spencer, Team Silverbirch, Team Fuelfit and Team Arnold Clark. A fantastic £73,408 was raised on the night and by all the teams, who fundraised alongside their dance training.
Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
beatson bus
Our Beatson Bus has been out and about in Renfrewshire since June as part of our regional bus campaign, raising awareness of the services we offer patients and their families during their cancer treatment. It has stopped by at Braehead Shopping Centre, Morrisons in Johnstone, Decathlon in Renfrew, Tesco in Linwood and Mearns Castle Golf Club. Our staff and volunteers have loved engaging with the public during this campaign and are looking forward to visiting a new region in the coming months! We’d like to thank First Bus who have gifted our charity a branded doubledecker bus, allowing our key messages to be seen and heard in communities across the area. 10
christmas wishes from team beatson
Supporter Care
Finance
Community and Corporate Fundraising
Partnerships and Fundraising
Marketing and Communications
Human Resources
We are based at Gartnavel campus which is home to The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre. It is a big campus so we have made a short film to help you find us and our services. Watch our Beatson Campus Tour and learn where to find our main charity office, plan your visit to the café and volunteer hub and where to go when you make an appointment at the Wellbeing Centre.
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news volunteering Over the summer we welcomed lots of new volunteers to Team Beatson. We have a huge, devoted team, some who have been with us for some time, others who join us for the day supported by their employers as well as an influx of new faces including students from school and college. We benefit tremendously from all this support! Thank you to all 335 volunteers who have helped us so far.
befriending service
Our Befriending Service is a lifeline, offering one-on-one telephone companionship to forge strong connections and ensure regular contact. Our incredible volunteer befrienders not only provide companionship but also guide you towards practical and emotional support resources. At Beatson Cancer Charity, our dedicated team of staff, volunteers and clients eagerly anticipate our next in-person “Beatson Blether” which is an extension of our befriending service and has now held three very successful in-person events. “The Befriending Service transformed my emotional journey, erasing isolation and helping me navigate the highs and lows.” Befriending service user
This service isn’t limited; it’s open to inpatients, outpatients, caregivers, and even those who’ve conquered cancer but still crave essential human connection and friendship. To use our befriending service email befriending@beatsoncancercharity.org Call: 0141 212 0505
scvo employee of the year award
A HUGE congratulations to volunteer coordinator, Paul Sheerin, who won SCVO Employee of the Year at the Scottish Charity Awards in Edinburgh in June. Paul was shortlisted for the award along with two other finalists from other Scottish charities following his outstanding passion and commitment to our charity. He has now raised over £130,000 over the years for other families impacted by cancer and this summer he celebrated 10 years of being cancer free and hosted an event called ‘Paul’s Big 10’.
Email volunteer@beatsoncancercharity.org to join our amazing volunteering team Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
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news café STEP 1 Put the flour, butter, 85g of the
icing sugar, the vanilla and egg yolks in a food processor and pulse in bursts until combined (alternatively, rub together the butter and flour with your fingertips and mix in the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks). Add ½ tbsp water if the mix feels a little dry. Tip the rough mixture onto a work surface and briefly knead until the dough has come together. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
STEP 2 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/
make our famous beatson (empire) biscuits Our Empire biscuits are one of our best sellers at the Beatson Café! The recipe below will help you create this tasty treat at home. Makes 12-14 biscuits.
ingredients • 175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting • 100g cold salted butter, cut into cubes • 335g icing sugar • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 2 Medium egg yolks • 100g raspberry jam • Jelly sweets for decoration
gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll the dough out to around 3mm thick. Cut 24 rounds from the dough with a 7cm cutter. Bring the remaining scraps of pastry together and reroll to make more biscuits. Line up the discs of dough on the baking sheets, then bake for 10-12 mins or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
STEP 3 Mix the remaining icing sugar with
2-3 tsp of water to make a very thick icing. Spoon or pipe the icing over the top of half of the biscuits, leaving a border around the edge of each one. Top with a jelly sweet in the centre, then leave to set for 30 mins. Spread the jam over the un-iced biscuits and sandwich together with the iced halves. Will keep for two days in an airtight tin.
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challenges
Join Team Beatson by taking on a challenge to help make a crucial difference to patients and their families with the funds you raise. There’s something for everyone, from fitness and sporting events to adrenaline activities.
10th december, 2023
5K Santa Dash at Glasgow Green
january 2024
Look out for our new challenge launching in the new year – join us for our 8K steps a day 30-day challenge!
30th april
Kiltwalk Glasgow
26th may
Edinburgh Marathon Festival Whatever the challenge we’re with you! Sign up and find out more at beatsoncancercharity.org/challenges Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
zip slide the clyde 65 people took part in a zip slide challenge between 8-10th September at the Riverside Museum, including a team of 20 from Persimmon Homes. Over £22,000 was raised by all the participants, which is incredible!
missed out this year? keep an eye on our social media pages for next year’s event!
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Looking for information and advice? My Light is there to support you whenever you need it, wherever you are. Day or night this online platform is available for you to access unique content tailored to every stage of your cancer journey. Whether you’ve just started treatment, you’re living with cancer, or supporting a loved one, access My Light for advice blogs, information articles and helpful videos. Visit My Light at beatsoncancercharity.org/my-light
your legacy will be much more than a gift in your will. By leaving a gift in your will, you can help us make sure future generations are able to benefit from the best possible care. If you would like to find out more or discuss a Will, please call us on 0141 212 0505. Alternatively, you can drop our legacy officer an email to legacy@beatsoncancercharity.org 15
wellbeing support find out more about our services on offer: beatsoncancercharity.org
patient wellbeing is important to us
Please always check for latest opening times and list of our satellite centres
We offer a wide variety of wellbeing services including stress management, relaxation, massage, reflexology, hairdressing and wig fitting services, reiki, manicure, pedicure, facials and foot care at the following locations: • Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for inpatients of Wards 4B and 4C and palliative care referrals. • New Vicotria Hospital for day patients attending Clinic P. • Glasgow Royal Infirmary specific inpatient wards. • Vale of Leven Hospital day patients attending Haematology and Oncology ward. • The Vale of Leven Health and Care Centre for outpatients and their families.
• Royal Alexandria Hospital for specific inpatient wards and day patients attending Haematology and Oncology wards. • Inverclyde Royal Hospital day patients attending Haematology and Oncology wards. • Lanarkshire Beatson for outpatients attending radiotherapy and their families. • Virtual one to one sessions open to all patients and families.
Please note services vary at each location. We would be happy to provide more information about the support on offer. For any enquires please contact the Wellbeing Centre directly on 0141 301 7667. Team Beatson Winter Newsletter 2023
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dates for diary
the bard & his belles burns supper 19th January 2024 | Hilton Glasgow
Sponsored by AutoRek £85 per tickets, £850 for a table of 10 or £1020 for a table of 12
sporting dinner 9th May 2024 | Hilton Glasgow
£99 per ticket, £990 for a table of 10 OR £1188 for a table of 12 BOOK NOW AND DON’T MISS OUT! For tickets and information please call 0141 212 0505 Contact susan.brodie@beatsoncancercharity.org
in the community We would like to thank Primary 3 pupils from St Timothy’s Primary in Coatbridge for holding a coffee morning for Beatson Cancer Charity and raising an incredible £1675. The school chose to fundraise for our charity as it means a lot to Primary 3 teachers, Mrs Hynes and Mrs Smith. Mrs Hynes still attends hospital for checkups after being diagnosed ten years ago. The school has rasied thousands of pounds for our charity over the years.
Bridget Hynes said: “We decided this year to have a coffee morning as we had to choose a citizenship topic and something the children could help with. The children had to organise the coffee morning and use the skills learned across the curriculum to do this. In maths, we have been estimating and rounding and they had to use this to organise the resources for the coffee morning.”
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#teambeatson
thank you for being with us
beatson cancer charity The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre 1053 Great Western Road Glasgow, G12 OYN 0141 212 0505 | info@beatsoncancercharity.org www.beatsoncancercharity.org
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Charity No. SC461242 (Scotland SC044442) | VAT No. 274839460 | Registered at Companies House, Edinburgh Registered office: The Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, 1053 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12 0YN