Schoolfriends reunite for FORCE
A group of friends who met at Exmouth Community College have taken on one of the country’s toughest challenge…
FORCE (Friends of the Oncology and Radiotherapy Centre, Exeter) became a charity in 1987 and has grown steadily ever since. In 2004 we opened a purpose-built Cancer Support and Information Centre, thanks to more than £900,000 raised by local people and the tireless work of the FORCE team. A £350,000 extension to the Centre was opened in 2012, allowing us to support even more people affected by cancer.
FORCE has never lost sight of its origins and core belief that people deserve the best possible support and treatment, face to face and close to home. In 2014 we began providing services in Tiverton and Okehampton and in 2018 extended that outreach programme to include Honiton. In 2020 our East Devon service moved to Ottery St Mary, when our partners in the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust began to establish a new cancer hub in the town.
We have also funded the delivery of chemotherapy in those outreach locations by paying for the nurses who administer treatment.
We are committed to improving patient care by funding research and innovation too.
FORCE has contributed more than £10 million to improving the quality of treatment and care available in Exeter for cancer patients and their loved ones.
We have funded more than £1 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment and anyone treated for cancer locally is likely to have benefitted from diagnostic and treatment apparatus purchased by FORCE.
We fund a productive programme of cancer research in Exeter with results published internationally and widely presented at conferences, home and abroad. To provide vital training for cancer researchers of the future, we set up studentships at the University of Exeter Medical School.
We consider it essential that all the services provided by our team of highly experienced and professional staff are available free of charge and we never lose sight of how important it is to provide the personal touch.
It costs up to £1.7 million every year to maintain the services we provide. None of that money comes routinely from the NHS, Government or any other national source – we generate it all ourselves, principally from three major sources.
Voluntary income – legacies, contributions in memoriam, donations, grants and Gift Aid – historically accounts for around one third of the charity’s revenue. The rest comes from our charity shop in Heavitree and a series of highly successful fundraising events.
We pride ourselves on our considerate approach to fundraising because none of what we do would be possible without the huge amount of support we receive from the community, including from an army of volunteers.
FORCE’s desire to support our community is matched by the many fantastic and selfless ways you find to support us. It is that mutual love, respect and support which we believe makes our charity unique and so very special. We are able to support so many people because so many of you support us. We couldn’t do it without you.
A group of friends who met at Exmouth Community College have taken on one of the country’s toughest challenge…
Huge thanks to Victor Hulbert for choosing to support FORCE by asking for donations to our charity in lieu of…
Massive congratulations to Caroline and David on their recent wedding – don’t they look stunning! The couple were married at…
It will be a night of mixed emotions for celebrated soprano Cheryl Enever when she steps on to the stage…
Hundreds of people turned out to celebrate 20 years of FORCE Cancer Charity’s Support and Information Centre. The Centre, in…
Former Exeter City footballer Stuart Smith is part of an historic double celebration for FORCE Cancer Charity this year. Stuart…
A team of intrepid fundraisers has raised more than £20,000 for FORCE Cancer Charity by completing one of the most…
This autumn marks a significant milestone in the history of FORCE Cancer Charity. The FORCE Support and Information Centre has…
FORCE Cancer Charity has appointed Kate Few-Singh as its new chief executive. She will take over from Meriel Fishwick, who…
The man who founded one of the biggest charity rides in the region has completed this year’s event seven weeks…
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The 2024 FORCE Matters magazine is out now with the latest news on how we support local people dealing with a cancer diagnosis and how your generosity helps us to do that.
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