Welcome to the Summer edition of the Hope Against Cancer newsletter
Inside you will find updates, research news, insights into the world of the people our work supports, how the community supports us and more.
But first, a word from Paul Desborough, our new Chief Executive:
“As I reflect on the incredible work taking place across our region, I am filled with pride and humility to be appointed Chief Executive of such a dedicated and focused team. Every day, Hope Against Cancer is driven by a singular mission: to provide hope where it is needed most.
We are deeply rooted in our community, serving the people of Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. However, our impact radiates far beyond these borders.
It is often surprising to many that a global hub for cancer innovation sits right here in the East Midlands. The Hope Cancer Trials Centre at the Leicester Royal Infirmary is not just a local asset; it is a world-leading facility. By funding ground-breaking research, we are ensuring that patients across our community have access to tomorrow’s treatments today.
The reality is that none of this would be possible without you. The pioneering work we fund is fuelled entirely by the extraordinary generosity of our local businesses and the people in our community. This support directly translates into life-saving potential and helps ensure that the best and brightest minds remain here in Leicester, working on breakthroughs that will benefit generations to come.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. Together, we are making a world-class difference for thousands of people with cancer, right here at home.
Please donate today
Anita’s Story:
This story has been told to us by Anita. It is her very personal experience of cancer and highlights the importance of why we do what we do and why it is vital that we continue to fund and support the cancer research and clinical trials that can change lives.
Anita rang the doctor on a Tuesday and had a blood test the following Friday.
That evening, feeling a little unwell, she took some paracetamol and had a lie down. Feeling better later, she sat with her family, had something to eat and watched TV. At 10pm the phone rang and the voice on the other end asked her to come to the hospital immediately.
The doctor wasn’t 100% sure what the issue was but they suspected leukaemia and had enough evidence to start an immediate investigation.
Anita hadn’t been feeling well for a few months. She had lots of symptoms, but they weren’t joined up. When running her bones had begun to hurt.
Her young family had returned to nursery following the end of lockdown and she was all too often full of cold.
She was exhausted. Yet all of these things could be attributed to something. They didn’t seem to connect directly to one another. Until she received that phone call.
Once she arrived at the Leicester Royal Infirmary that night, Anita would be there for the next 35 days.
A barrage of tests, including a bone marrow biopsy confirmed acute leukaemia and because the risk of infection was so great, especially during a time when COVID-19 was rampant, Anita had to stay at the hospital.
It meant that she would miss her daughter’s birthday. A big party had been planned for the Wednesday after Anita’s admission and this was cancelled. When she explained the situation to the suppliers all of them refunded her money instantly, but this was no comfort to her daughter.
Anita’s husband became a single dad for a while and stepped into a role he hadn’t known before. Her daughter had slept with Anita for her whole life and now she suddenly wasn’t there, but it has helped her to transition to sleeping alone.
Anita also has a wonderful extended family who joined in to help the young family get through.
Treatment consisted of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. The chemotherapy was delivered in three doses; one standard dose, one strong dose and one trial dose.
Staff from the HOPE Cancer Trials Centre had visited earlier and offered Anita a place on a new trial that was testing a new form of chemotherapy, it was just one dose and was designed to be ‘lighter’. Nevertheless, Anita felt awful afterwards.
Yet, she went into remission almost immediately and her brother was a 100% match for a stem cell transplant.
Anita described this time as truly intense. 35 days was a huge amount of time for her family but the roller coaster of bad news – good news, with new tests and treatments happening every day, meant that she didn’t have time to process any of it.
Anita was kind enough to contribute to our Gift of HOPE campaign in 2025. In the message she wrote, “Hope is the quiet strength that carries us forward when everything else urges us to give up. Hope is the courage to dream beyond our fears and to believe that brighter days are not only possible – but on their way.”
Hope Against Cancer is extremely grateful to Anita for speaking to us about her experience with cancer.
Please help us to help more people like Anita. A donation today helps us to fund the research and clinical support that gives people access to life-changing treatments.
PLEASE DONATE HERE
Your Support in Action
This year your donations have helped:
Support almost 200 active trials
Fund £300,000 towards the new Aseptic Suite
Bring pioneering treatments to local people with cancer
Support the specialist HOPE Nurses and local researchers Every donation helps to bring tomorrow’s treatments to local
At the Spring 2025 HOPE Business Club
Lunch our speaker, Professor Nigel Brunskill, spoke about Hope Against Cancer’s impact in funding capital infrastructure projects that helps local cancer research to excel.
One such project is a place that no one will see but, nevertheless, it is integral to everything. It is a room, hidden in the ‘back of house’ called an Aseptic Suite and it is a highly specialised area where pharmacists prepare new advanced cancer treatments under the stringent conditions necessary for the integrity of cancer trials.
The HOPE Cancer Trials Centre
The HOPE Cancer Trials Centre is one of the jewels in the crown of cancer research and care in the East Midlands.
It has nearly 200 trials on its portfolio which consists of those in the recruitment phase, current trials where participants are receiving treatment and those on ongoing or follow up trials.
People are recruited from across the East Midlands, particularly in the case of rare cancer types and for early phase trials.
The HOPE Nurses remain essential to the delivery of the trials and continue to receive exceptional feedback from patient surveys.
Provide hope to families across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
people today
Hope Against Cancer is proud to fund £300,000 to support this vital local project on top of the funding we provide to the HOPE Cancer Trials Centre. Without facilities like the Aseptic Suite, many cancer trials simply cannot take place and with your support we are helping local people with cancer access new treatments that would not otherwise be available.
Dr Esther Moss, who receives HOPE support, has been at the forefront of a non-invasive test for womb cancer which could be rolled out nationwide after encouraging trial results.
Dr Moss said the test could not only detect cancer recurrence more quickly but also avoid the need for confirmatory invasive biopsies and was undergoing further validation before being used in everyday clinical practice.
The story was featured on the BBC website and you can read that at: www.bbc.co.uk/news/ articles/cp849x7kjkgo or by scanning this QR Code.
Donations made in memory
A huge thank you for all the donations made in memory of the following amazing people.
Alice Greaves
Sam Sutton
Julie Clarkson
Denise Conway
Julie Crisp
David Kirk
Anne Mellors
Colin Roberts
Jean Williams
HOPE for tomorrow begins today
Leaving a gift in your Will to Hope Against Cancer. Your Will ensures that your wishes are fulfilled after you have gone.
It protects your family, it protects causes that are important to you, and it protects your own personal legacy.
A gift in your Will to Hope Against Cancer will ensure that the relentless journey towards the day when cancer is no longer feared does not waver.
The day will come when a child yet to be born will never have to worry about cancer and we are all part of that incredible story.
So please, after your family and friends have been looked after and, if you are able, consider leaving a gift in your Will to Hope Against Cancer. It truly is a legacy of HOPE.
If you would like to leave a legacy to Hope Against Cancer, please include our full charity name, address and registered charity number when creating or updating your Will. This will guarantee that your gift goes where you choose.
The HOPE Foundation for Cancer Research
The Lodge, 208 Knighton Road, Leicester, LE2 3TT
Registered charity number: 1091480
Last year’s Gift of HOPE Christmas campaign was an incredible success
We had 25 messages of hope from people with a lived experience of cancer to share across our region, with the decorations being displayed at over 60 locations and online.
The gifts were seen throughout Leicestershire and Rutland, the campaign was viewed more than 25,000 times online and raised over £6,000 which went on to support thousands of local people with cancer. Thank you very much to everyone involved.
We plan to make this year even bigger, with 50 messages of Hope. 25 from people with a lived experience of cancer and 25 messages in memory of a loved one.
Your words will help to inspire and support people affected by cancer. Every message shared has the power to bring comfort to someone facing cancer and remind them they are not alone.
If you would like to get involved as a sponsor or with a message (or both), please contact Tracey: tracey@hopeagainstcancer.org.uk or call 0116 270 0101
Share your stories with us
We are always grateful to speak to people about their experience with Hope Against Cancer as a supporter, attendee at the HOPE Cancer Trials Centre or anything else they would like to share.
Your stories help connect people, they help to empower and inspire others and they help to share HOPE.
Could you give just a few hours a month? Become a HOPE Volunteer.
HOPE Volunteer Ambassadors represent and advocate for Hope Against Cancer in their local community. They are our voice in their neighbourhood, and we would love it if you would like to join us too.
Community Volunteers actively fundraise in their area and Event Volunteers help at HOPE events, working as an integral and indispensable part of the team.
Please contact Martin at martin@hopeagainstcancer.org.uk or call 0116 270 0101 to learn more.
Our volunteers help bring hope to local families affected by cancer. Whether you enjoy events, fundraising, speaking to people or helping behind the scenes, we would love to hear from you.
Donate or hold an event
If you would like to hold a fundraising event the HOPE Team is here to support you in any way we can.
Please contact Martin at martin@hopeagainstcancer.org.uk or Tracey at tracey@hopeagainstcancer.org.uk or call 0116 270 0101 to learn more.
If you would like to donate to us directly, you can do so quickly and easily on the HOPE website: www.hopeagainstcancer.org.uk/donate or via this QR Code
Leave us a Google review
Google reviews are a powerful tool that can help boost our website to a new audience. They are easy and free, and they lift our story online.
So, who is our new Chief Executive, Paul Desborough?
Hope Against Cancer, Leicestershire and Rutland’s own cancer research charity, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Paul Desborough as our new Chief Executive. Paul joins the charity to lead the next stage of our development and to help the team and Trustees to deliver an ambitious new 10-year vision.
Paul brings over 35 years of leadership experience across the military, public, and private sectors. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and has a proven track record of transforming complex organisations.
Upon his arrival, Paul said that his career has been defined by leadership and service. He retired from the military with the rank of Major having played pivotal roles in policy, doctrine, and personnel careers, as well as commanding an Army Reserve Regiment.
Transitioning to a civilian career, Paul has held positions as Director of HR and Chief of Operations for a global manufacturing firm, as Director of Human Resources within the Construction Industry and as Deputy Chief Executive for an Arms-Length Public Body within the MoD.
To introduce himself, Paul said, “At Hope Against Cancer, I hope to leverage my extensive experience in Strategic Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement, and Change Management to build on the charity’s firm foundations. My immediate priority is ensuring the charity is operationally robust and strategically aligned to deliver world-class research outcomes for Leicestershire and Rutland.
“I am profoundly honoured to lead Hope Against Cancer. My career has been dedicated to creating environments where people feel valued and valuable, and I intend to bring that same energy to this vital cause. Our goal is bold: to establish a Centre of Excellence that ensures Leicestershire and Rutland and ultimately the East Midlands remains at the absolute forefront of life-saving cancer research. We aren’t just funding projects; we are building a legacy of hope.”
James Greenlees, Hope Against Cancer’s Chair of Trustees said, “We are delighted to welcome Paul to Hope Against Cancer. The Trustees and I are all extremely excited about what lies ahead for HOPE, and our new and optimistic strategy will undoubtedly be delivered with the help of Paul and the rest of the HOPE team.
I would also like to pay a special tribute to Nigel Rose who has led the Charity so ably for the last 12 years and wish him well in the next part of his journey.”
With Paul’s huge experience it is an exciting time for Hope Against Cancer as the charity plans to further its established funding and bring even more infrastructure, equipment and world-class cancer research and care to benefit the people of our region and beyond.
All the superb research and care happening here, everything we advocate for, everything we support, everything we do, we can only do thanks to the wonderful support from you and our local communities. Thank you for being a vital part of HOPE.
Long term HOPE supporter
Julie and her friends at West Gate School held an amazing raffle, with some excellent prizes! Thank you to everyone that took part.
Our local Scottish Country Dancing group held a fundraising dance and they raised money in lieu of sending Christmas cards too! Thank you all.
The Gaddesby Book Group recently donated to HOPE in memory of Alice Greaves.
Barbara Chantrill from the group told us, ‘Rather than bring a bottle to our meet up, I asked my Book Club friends to donate money to honour Alice and her amazing fund raising for HOPE. She was truly inspirational, a shining star’.
The number of people who have kindly donated to Alice’s chosen causes has been extraordinary and sums up how much she inspired everyone.
Thank you for this lovely gesture and fantastic fundraising idea.
Virtual London Marathon runners
Tim and Scott took on the Virtual London Marathon in April. Tim did so over in Sydney while Scott took on the “Reverse London Marathon” which is an unofficial, community-led event where participants run the official London Marathon course backward on the night before!
On the 4th April, Cathy and Andrew Brown set off on their amazing walk from Land’s End to John o’ Groats. They will cover 1,103 miles in 96 days and finish in July!
They have met many people along the way and often spoken about Hope Against Cancer – we have been receiving donations from across the country which mention Cathy and Andrew!
There is still time to support this incredible couple, you can do so at: www.justgiving.com/ page/cathy-brown-5 or via this QR Code.
Thank you to Richard Russell and Suzanne Kinnaird at Cosby Golf Club for their amazing support and truly tee-rific fundraising efforts as one of their chosen charities for 2025!
It’s been a pleasure working with you all.
Pennbury Farm took part in the Gift of HOPE campaign and held Paint and Sip… where guests went along for a drink and some painting!
Thank you for your fantastic support.
Thank you to Tony and the Melton Belvoir Rotary Club for choosing Hope Against Cancer to support at their Sunday Lunch fundraising event at Sysonby Knoll and for this wonderful donation towards local cancer research and care.
In December, and for the third year in a row, Jane-Marie Wastling organised a beautiful wreath making workshop, in memory of her mother, Ann Bell. She worked tirelessly to make it happen and donated all of the money to Hope Against Cancer.
Thank you very much to everyone who joined in.
The HOPE and Soul event held in January at 2Funky Music Cafe in Leicester was a great success!
HOPE supporter Lucy, who organised the event, said, “it was the most amazing night, surrounded by beautiful souls and sounds!
“It had the best vibes and we raised money for a charity so close to my heart. I am very proud and so many people came up to me on the night, many of whom I had never met before, congratulating me on a great evening.
“The band felt very welcome in Leicester and I know they enjoyed the gig too, which is brilliant.”
Thank you so much Lucy and everyone who attended and supported the night, we are immensely grateful.
Thank you very much to Tony and Little Bowden Bowls Club for choosing Hope Against Cancer as their charity of the year and for this wonderful donation towards local cancer research and care.
On World Cancer Day, BPX Electro Mechanical Co. Ltd and Elmleigh took on a charity challenge for HOPE where 5 runners from each company competed in a 1 hour treadmill run.
The event was a huge success with everyone showing fantastic energy and determination for their team.
Spire Hospital held a fantastic Easter bake sale in loving memory of Alice Greaves. Thank you.
On International Women’s Day Melton Mowbray Rotary Club Women hosted an inspiring event at Soi Indian Restaurant and raised funds for HOPE.
Thank you to everyone involved.
The Fox Cub in Barrow upon Soar recently held a packed out quiz in memory of Alice Greaves and to fundraise for HOPE.
They have also donated a keg of beer for the upcoming ‘If Alice Can, Anyone Can’ cycle ride from Leicestershire to Norfolk!
On 17th May, Sam and her friend Laura completed the Market Harborough half marathon, running in memory of Sam’s Dad Jon. Thank you for this fantastic effort.
As one of their charities of the year, The Fix It Group 23 provided this incredible donation to HOPE.
We are so proud and grateful to have been chosen as one of the groups three chosen charities for 2025.
The recent Bhangra evening held by Leicester Bhangra Classes was simply amazing!
To see so many people smiling, laughing and dancing together while supporting our cause was so wonderful.
Thank you to long-term supporters Vipers RFC for this fantastic donation to HOPE!
We are incredibly grateful to the following businesses that have chosen HOPE as their Charity of the Year for 2026.
Take Me, Unique Windows, Unwantees, Anthony James Insurance Brokers Golf Society, Hamilton’s Honour and (back for a second year!) Smith Partnerships.
Is your business, community group or organisation looking for a Charity Partner?
Work with us and bring your team or group together to have a tremendous local impact.
Thank you so much to Stella Cauldwell and Market Harborough Golf Club for choosing Hope Against Cancer as their charity of the year.
HOPE across the world!
Thanks to our partnership with realbuzz, which provides spaces in marathons and half marathons all over the world, we had Jacqueline from the United States running on behalf of HOPE in the Tokyo marathon!
