Hannah turns dad’s cancer shock into fundraising spur
Mark Stott from Exeter discovered he had cancer in February and three weeks later had his stomach removed. It was…
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.
Mark Stott from Exeter discovered he had cancer in February and three weeks later had his stomach removed. It was…
Two former long-serving police officers from Devon will team up next month to tackle what’s been described as the most…
Mark Durk will be taking part in his first Nello ride this year, cycling 60 miles to ensure that cancer…
A young mum from Devon she has channelled her experience of an incurable cancer diagnosis into writing a book. Charli…
FORCE Cancer Charity is offering an overseas fundraising challenge – trekking along Great Wall of China – for the first…
Team FORCE has again pulled out all the stops at this year’s Great West Run. Nearly 450 people ran either…
FORCE Cancer Charity’s largest annual fundraiser – The Nello bike ride – is less than two months away and…
Twelve months ago, Amy Martin could barely run at all after a tough regime of cancer treatment. But on Sunday…
Lauren Pezzani (pictured above) is taking part in the Great West Run this year to raise money for FORCE Cancer…
Exeter-based recruitment agency Konker raised vital funds for FORCE by organising a charity padel tournament. The event brought together 12…
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The latest FORCE Matters magazine is out now with news about our support for local people dealing with a cancer diagnosis, stories from patients and their loved ones whose lives we have touched and from the communities we serve who find wonderful ways to raise money.
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