Professor Michael Thorne opened a special ceremony, that was held on the Chelmsford campus, to thank supporters of the Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity.

Nikki Rollason, Helen's daughter, returned to the town to personally thank all of the dedicated people who help the charity which bears her mum's name.

More than 150 people, who have volunteered their time to the charity over the years, attended and were presented with a certificate to mark their contribution to the organisation.

Volunteers provide essential support and allow the charity to help thousands of people who have been touched by cancer.

About the Charity

The charity was named after Helen Rollason MBE, the BBC sports journalist who died of cancer in 1999. She shared the opinion of her oncologist, Professor Neville Davidson, that it is not just the cancer that should be
treated but the person as a whole.

In her desire to help him, Helen gave her name and image to help attract national and international support.

The vision of the Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity is to have a network of centres and services that will support and care for individuals touched by cancer and improve their quality of life.

Our mission is to develop a first-class network of Helen Rollason cancer centres and services, incorporating groundbreaking research, complementary care, counselling and education.

We provide ongoing support to cancer patients, their families and friends.

The charity has opened four cancer centres with a fifth in the pipeline. It also has a five-day residential programme in Co. Donegal, Ireland, called the Live Well Experience. The charity does not receive any government money, relying solely on funding from the community.

It can be reached on 01245 513350 or log on to www.helenrollason.org.uk