Group affected by cancer raises nearly £20K for hospital

A group of friends have raised nearly £20,000 for a hospital’s breast cancer units by hosting a ball.

Deborah Wright, Claire Ling, Gail Ruffell, Joanne and Jimmy Hazell, Paul and Jeanette Kidd, who have called themselves ‘The Breast of Friends’, have managed to raise £19,000 for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn.

The group, who first joined forces in 2019, formed a bond for life through the impact that cancer has had on each of them – since then, they have been raising money for QEH’s breast care and chemotherapy units.

Guests to the annual event were treated to an evening of music and dancing at Briarfields Hotel, in Titchwell.

Members of the group Claire and Jeanette met in 2016 when they were in beds next to each other following their surgical procedures for breast cancer. From then on, the pair formed a strong friendship.

‘The Breast of Friends’ was formed when the group all came together at a ball, organised by Jeanette and Paul Kidd in 2019.

Jeannette and Paul, the first of the group to begin fundraising, have raised £50,000 since 2019.

Paul said: “I personally wanted to give something back in appreciation of the treatment and care my wife Jeanette received at both the Breast Care and Chemotherapy Units.

“Along the way, some wonderful friends have joined us in the fundraising who have also had the experience of going through the cancer journey themselves or supporting loved ones going through cancer treatment at the QEH.”

Alice Webster, CEO at the QEH, met the group to thank them for their recent efforts.

She said: “It was very humbling to meet this group of dedicated fundraisers and hear first-hand the impact the QEH has had on their journey through cancer treatment and beyond.

“I would like to thank each and every one of the Breast of Friends group for their continued support, please know that this money will go on to support many more people living with cancer. Thank you.”