Local Heroes

Michelle Simpson

from The Chartwell Cancer Trust

Anna Young nominated Michelle Simpson, the sales and marketing consultant for The Chartwell Cancer Trust, a local charity that supports both adults and children with cancer and leukaemia.

Anna said: “Michelle raises awareness and funds for this very important local charity. She particularly loves supporting families that have been affected by cancer and works tirelessly, often in her own time. She always has a smile on her face, even though the subject matter is heart-breaking and encourages local firms to get involved to help make a difference to families affected by cancer. She is a kind, giving and fun person to be with and works so hard to help everyone, leaving little time for herself - a very deserving local hero.”

Congratulations on the nomination Michelle! It’s fully deserving! How does it feel to be nominated as a local hero?

Wow, I was really surprised, but also chuffed to bits to have been nominated – thank you to Anna.

Can you provide a bit of background about how you became involved in the Chartwell Cancer Trust and why it’s important to you?

My story is one of fate, as I’ve had two cancer scares myself. I received the all clear from the Chartwell Unit at PRUH back in 2015 and felt extremely relieved, but I wanted to do something to make a difference, but had no idea what. And then, literally the very next day, the charity approached me and asked me to join them. They wanted me to help them raise their profile and grow the advertising in the magazine. How could I say no? It’s been a privilege to be part of such an amazing charity ever since.

What do you love about your job? And how do you focus on staying positive for the families that you help?

I really love working closely with the families, running the support groups and being able to make a difference to them. It’s the most rewarding thing in the world to see the massive smiles on their faces when we are doing fun things and making special memories, which helps make their nightmare journey that little bit easier. I am generally a very positive person, so I always try and put myself in the shoes of the child or the parent, as I know how tough it is for them. So, I put a brave face on and try to save any of my own emotions until later.

What does a typical working day for you look like?

No two days are the same; one day I’ll be in meetings trying to raise funds or awareness for the charity or networking somewhere in Orpington, Bromley or Croydon. Another day, I’ll be on one of our children’s wards that I look after (Kings & Croydon) or be doing an AV1 robot handover, with a family or in a school.

What’s new on the horizon?

University Hospital. We have currently raised £660k, so the final push is to now raise the final £90k.

What do you most enjoy about living in the Bromley borough?

It’s a great place to live, really friendly and, certainly in the business world, everyone knows each other and works together.

How can people help when it comes to being involved in the Chartwell Cancer Trust?

As a charity we are always looking for people to fundraise, volunteer at one of our events or charity shops or just spread the word about what we’re doing and our various projects.

What goals/achievements are you as a charity aiming for this year?

To complete the Lily Pad Appeal and then hopefully move on to a children’s project closer to home.

For more information visit chartwellcancertrust.co.uk

Michelle receiving her gorgeous blooms from Sue at Time For Flowers

A special ‘Thank You’ to Time For Flowers for sponsoring the bouquets for our Local Heroes.

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