At FORCE Cancer Charity we believe that anyone diagnosed with cancer deserves the best possible treatment and professional support, face to face and close to home.
We have a Cancer Support and Information Centre in Exeter for patients and their loved ones who need physical, emotional, psychological and practical support.
We also offer support and information and fund the delivery of chemotherapy once a week in Okehampton, Tiverton and Honiton.
All our services are free.
Our Exeter Centre is on the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital Wonford site. It is temporarily closed, along with our community outreach centres, but will reopen later this year every weekday, except Bank Holidays, 9:30-4:30.
We also fund local research and buy equipment to improve patient care.
Coronavirus updates
Stay connected with the FORCE family
6th April 2020
FORCE has launched a new online community to stay connected with our supporters and the people using our services at this difficult time. Our main support centre in Exeter and our weekly outreach programmes in Okehampton, Tiverton and Honiton are temporarily closed. So, we think it‘s important now more than ever before to keep in [...]
Keeping active is especially important now
6th April 2020
FORCE’s specialist Oncology Physiotherapist Louise Ballagher has some important advice for keeping active during the period when we have to stay safe at home. She explained: “During this COVID-19 crisis and the quarantine mandates we have to follow, there are big changes to our daily routine. “But exercise is especially important now because it boosts [...]
Relaxation is a powerful tool
3rd April 2020
Learning how to relax can be a valuable aid to coping with a cancer diagnosis. Relaxation can: Relieve tiredness and stress Help manage anxiety Enhance your ability to cope Contribute to a sense of wellbeing and peace Sadly FORCE cannot offer our usual courses in Relaxation and Anxiety Management but we still have resources available [...]
New children’s book to explain Coronavirus
2nd April 2020
A medical student at the University of Exeter has created cute characters and a rhyming story to explain COVID-19 to children. FORCE Cancer Charity Information Manager Annie Kerr spotted the new book by Annis Watts online and reckons it could be useful for families with young children. Annis, from Nottinghamshire, was inspired by the lack [...]
Live cooking with Ryan Riley
1st April 2020
Maintaining a well balanced diet is important at any time but it can be particularly difficult in the current environment and is often challenging for people going through cancer treatment. Talented chef Ryan Riley is an expert at creating dishes designed to stimulate taste and appetite for people whose enjoyment of food has been diminished by [...]
Just a phone call away
27th March 2020
Members of FORCE’s support team may not be able to work from our centres in Exeter, Okehampton, Tiverton and Honiton at the moment but they are an incredibly adaptable group. Via the wonders of technology and good old fashioned telephones, they are keeping in touch with those that need our support, perhaps now more than [...]
We’re still here
23rd March 2020
A reminder that although our Support Centre is temporarily closed, we’re still here to help. Our staff are working 9:30am to 4:30pm every weekday, answering calls and offering support. Whether you need information after a cancer diagnosis, advice on claiming benefits, suggestions about the sort of exercise you can do or simply some reassurance in [...]
A message from our oncology support specialists
20th March 2020
Hello and welcome to our website, which will be instrumental in communicating how we aim to support and keep in contact with you for the foreseeable future. FORCE is very aware of the heightened feelings of uncertainty and changes that are happening around us all. Our priority is to keep supporting you the best way [...]
Call us for support
19th March 2020
Our support centres may be closed but there are still plenty of FORCE services you can access. Our staff are still working to help local people affected by cancer and we encourage you to call us for advice and support. Experts are on the end of a telephone to offer advice on claiming benefits, accessing [...]
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: FORCE CANCER CHARITY
19th March 2020
FORCE Cancer Charity has announced the temporary closure of our Support and Information Centre in Exeter. The charity will continue to offer telephone and video call support to local people affected by cancer. The decision to close our Support Centre in the grounds of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital was taken after consultation [...]
Boosting your immune system
19th March 2020
While our face-to-face support is temporarily suspended, FORCE Oncology Physiotherapist Louise Ballagher has advice on ways to keep your immune system strong during this Coronavirus/Covid19 outbreak. Exercise regularly Exercise, preferably something aerobic that gets the heart working harder, can improve the immune system. We can achieve this by walking outdoors, while always being mindful of [...]
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Temporary closure of the FORCE Cancer Support and Information Centre
It is with great regret that FORCE Cancer Charity has decided to temporarily close its Support and Information Centre in Exeter with immediate effect. We will still be offering support and information on the phone and via video calling but there will be no face to face appointments or groups until further notice.
The decision was taken following the announcement of the first cases of Coronavirus/Covid19 being treated at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and after consultation with clinical staff at the RD&E Trust. We recognise that this may cause significant upset to our users, but we feel it is the only responsible action at this time.
The FORCE Support and Information Centre is a non-clinical environment and not a priority service in times of acute pressure.  The risk of transmission of Coronavirus is too high for the group of people we support.
Staff will continue to work from our Support and Information Centre unless they need to self-isolate because of symptoms.
We will be offering counselling and information services on the telephone and please check our website over the coming weeks to see what we can do to help support people.
Anyone with appointments or those booked on to courses are being contacted to explain the situation.
All support services in Okehampton, Tiverton and Honiton will also stop with immediate effect but chemotherapy treatment will continue as normal in these locations at the moment.
We will review arrangements on a regular basis.
FORCE Cancer Charity would like to thank everyone for their understanding at this difficult time.
The numbers you need
FORCE Cancer Nursing Team: 01392 406151
Psychological and emotional support: 01392 406168/406169
Where does your money go?
Every penny you raise is spent locally
