Volunteers
Caring Cancer Trust, its research fundraising and its associated Alpine Healing holidays programmes for kids with cancer, is wholly managed and run by dedicated volunteers.
This means more of your donations go directly to help Cancer sufferers and their caring families, and to fund groundbreaking Cancer research.
How can you help?
If you are interested in fundraising for Caring Cancer Trust's Research or Healing Holidays programmes, you can set up your own sponsorship page at VirginMoneyGiving.
Patron: Dr Ian Hampson PhD.
In Ian Hampson, Head of the Oncology research laboratories at Manchester University St. Mary's Hospital, we are blessed with a Patron who takes a close interest in all our work and is always ready to offer us advice and support - he has even been known to don a Caring Cancer Trust tabard and volunteer as a fundraiser outside his local supermarket store!
Our Patron writes:
The debate on animal testing in medical research is extremely controversial due mostly to the wide spectrum of viewpoints on this subject. For example, there are the infamous extremists who carry out illegal forms of terrorism in the name of this cause and which actually do more harm than good. Indeed it is quite clear that this type of activity will polarise the viewpoint of most of society against their beliefs. Yet there is a case to be made for restricting animal testing to the bare minimum that is needed and that is the underlying principle of the Caring Cancer Trust.
This viewpoint is not without precedent as the Medical Research Council, The Home Office, The Wellcome Trust and several large multinational drug companies now support the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction (NC3R's) of the use of animals in research. Clearly there are real concerns over this practice and Caring Cancer Trust are in the forefront of the campaign to eliminate animal tested research for both moral and scientific reasons.
The development of new human organ and tissue culture laboratory methods provides a viable alternative to animals for early stage testing of new cancer therapies. Indeed they may even be more accurate as it is undisputed that many prospective cancer drugs which work well in animals, do not work in humans. It is important to realise that this new technology is not based on human embryo stem cells but rather the culturing of human cells obtained with ethical consent from adults.
Ian Hampson
Patron: Jenny Jones
British Snowboard champion and X Games gold medallist, Jenny is the Charity's popular Ambassador and Patron for our VOS Alpine Snowkids Project. She spends time to be with our Snowkids on our Alpine Healing Holidays, teaching them to snowboard.
Patron: Graham Bell
British Olympic skier, Graham is one of the best skiers this country has ever known. He is is the anchor presenter on BBC TV’s Ski Sunday and covers winter sports for BBC Grandstand and Eurosport. He gives time to be with our Alpine Healing Holidays group coaching them on the slopes. He and Jenny bring charisma and energy to the Children recovering from Cancer, inspiring them with self-confidence.
Hon Chairman and Deputy Chairman: Ian MacWatt and Don Haver.
Ian MacWatt is a retired local government politician and Town Mayor from those far off days of yore when elected County Councillors were unpaid. When not fundraising for the Charity, he edits the travel pages of Offtolondon.com.
Don Haver is a retired City bank executive. Registered blind for the past 12 years and recently recovered from cancer himself, he is an indefatigable fundraiser, leading parties of children in sponsored white water rafting exploits. He is currently in training to cycle from John o'Groats to Land's End.
Don 'Spotty Dog' Haver and Ian MacWatt entertain the children at the Charity's Children's Christmas party.
VOS Alpine Snowkids Party Leader: Chris Ody
Chris Ody has been organising and leading groups of physically disadvantaged children on recuperative ski holidays for many years. He joined the Board of Trustees in 2010 and together with his wife Cathy leads our Alpine Snow and Summer Adventure groups of children recovering from Cancer each year. Chris is an accomplished skier and enjoys mountain trekking and biking. He teaches at Ryde School, Isle of Wight.
VOS Alpine Snowkids Team:
Cathy Ody (Teacher), Bex Forsyth (nurse), Sarah Gill (nurse), Helen Lee (nurse), Tracy Surtees (nurse), John Howe (skiing instructor), Dean Mackenzie (skiing instructor), Annette Dahl (snowboarding instructor), Angus MacWatt, (Marketing and Communications), Catherine Cosby, (Alpine Coodinator), Paul Storey (film crew - One Dead Pixel), James Stoneley (film crew), Sean Dunderdale (film crew),
VOS Alpine Snowkids Sponsors:
Snowfox Holidays, Oxygene Ski and Snowboard School, Skiers Edge, SAP, Skiset Boudu Sports, Ski 2 Freedom Foundation, Fisher Productions, One Dead Pixel, VOS Media, Landrover, Avis
A word from our sponsors:
Untitled from angus macwatt on Vimeo.
