Charity for Warwickshire cancer patients given £1,500 by homebuilder

The charity, which started in 2001, is run entirely by volunteers who have all been affected by breast cancer. David Wilson Homes’ contribution will go towards the programmes for its beneficiaries.

Deborah Douglas, Chair at Breast Friends Solihull, said: “Our team of trustees works hard to ensure we reach out to support as many people as we can who are diagnosed with this illness.

“We offer life-long peer group support and aim to become part of breast cancer patients' tools for coping. We offer support no matter where people are on their breast cancer journey.

“We’re going to use this donation to fund our programmes. For example, we offer small grants to ease financial worries, domestic help for patients undergoing treatment, support towards childcare costs, and help towards the costs of wigs.

“We get involved in everything we can think of to help make life easier for people living with breast cancer and undergoing treatment.”

Breast Friends Solihull hosts monthly meetings where it invites medical speakers to provide educational information relating to breast cancer diagnosis and allay fears by answering questions in a secure, friendly environment.

Discussing the size of the charity’s outreach, Deborah continued: “We have a current database of 135 women and a closed Facebook group of 427 members and have helped thousands of women and their families over the last 23 years”

According to Cancer Research UK, there are an average of 56,822 new cases each year. Though breast cancer has a 76% survival rate, it can severely affect the lives of all those diagnosed with the illness.

Deborah said: “It’s very important to donate to local charities. We are out there in the community engaging with those affected by breast cancer and their families by offering support in both emotional and practical ways.

“Recently, we’ve set up a community garden and allotment which offers a quiet sanctuary and a place to grow organic food and engage with breast cancer patients and their families.”

David Wilson Homes’ donation came from The Barratt Foundation, which is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the UK to leave a legacy in the communities in which the housebuilder operates.

This donation is a continuation of the support David Wilson Homes has shown Breast Friends Solihull, back in March David Wilson Homes staff assisted the charity in moving their allotment into a new location. Moving their shed and digging new planting areas.

David Wilson Homes’ subcontractors, Ground Solutions and Carpenter Landscapes have also gotten involved, donating a Greenhouse and a Shed respectively to the charity’s allotment.

Breast Friends Solihull is reliant on donations from people and organisations like David Wilson Homes. For more information about its services, visit the website at Breast Friends Solihull.