What struck me most was that the services weren’t only for people diagnosed with cancer themselves – they were for family members too. That really resonated with me.
45 stories for 45 years. Throughout 2026, we’re sharing the stories of our clients, volunteers and staff who make the Wessex Cancer Support community what it is.
Through our community’s lived experience of cancer, we can provide our clients with the tailored support they need.
For this edition, our very own, Director of Organisational Effectiveness, Colette, shares their story and experience
I came to Wessex Cancer Support in 2018 because I wanted to make a difference for people living in Wessex.
When I first told friends and family that I’d applied for a job here, something unexpected happened. Several people shared their own stories of using Wessex’s services themselves or knowing someone close to them who had.
Again and again, I heard how valuable that support had been at a time when it was needed most. That stayed with me. It made the role feel like more than just a job opportunity – it felt personal.
As part of the interview process, I visited one of our cancer support centres. From the moment I walked in, I felt a real sense of passion for what was happening there. The support on offer sounded genuinely incredible.
What struck me most was that the services weren’t only for people diagnosed with cancer themselves – they were for family members too. That really resonated with me.
So often, when cancer enters someone’s life, it impacts far more than one person.
Relationships shift, families are shaken, and people carry worries and emotions they don’t always feel able to voice. At Wessex, people are seen as individuals. We meet them where they’re at, and we support them in the way that’s right for them. That, to me, is what truly sets Wessex Cancer Support apart.
Before joining Wessex, my career was shaped by supporting people through some of life’s most complex and unseen challenges, including substance misuse, mental health difficulties and offending lifestyles. What I’ve learned through that work is that everyone carries something.
Everyone has their own challenges, hang ups and hurts. And when life throws something big your way, it can knock everything you thought you knew or believed completely out of balance.
Cancer does exactly that. Almost all of us are affected by it in some way during our lives, whether directly or through someone we love. At some point, anyone, whoever they are or were needs support, and that’s okay. It’s why it mattered to me so much that Wessex is here for anyone in the local area whose life has been impacted by cancer.
My decision to apply to Wessex also came after a very personal period in my own life. During maternity leave following the birth of my eldest son, I experienced unexpected, in‑the‑moment health complications that resulted in life‑saving surgery. It was a moment that changed my perspective entirely.
I was deeply grateful simply to be alive. To be there to see my children grow. And it also gave me a much deeper appreciation of the unseen challenges that so many people around us are quietly carrying every day.
Recovery was difficult, both physically and emotionally. I experienced first‑hand how isolating and confronting health challenges can be – not just for the person going through it, but for family members and relationships too.
I remember the complexity of wanting to protect the people I loved from how hard things really were, while desperately needing their support more than ever.
I was incredibly lucky to have family and friends who rallied around me, and I’m so grateful for that. But even with that support, the challenges didn’t simply disappear. It reinforced something I still believe deeply: no one should have to face life‑changing challenges alone.
That experience also sharpened my understanding of how powerful it is simply to be listened to. When you’re feeling vulnerable, how people talk to you and whether they really listen, matters enormously. Well‑meaning comments that start with “at least…” can feel incredibly complex when you’re trying to navigate your way through an emotional minefield, even when they come from a place of care.
I had already seen the impact that counselling could have through witnessing its effect on someone close to me, even though they were sceptical about it at first.
That experience inspired me so much that, in 2013, I began a three year journey to qualify as a counsellor myself. It deepened my conviction that being heard, understood and supported without judgement can be truly transformative.
At Wessex Cancer Support, that kind of support is available every day – through professional services, and through a community of peer support where people don’t have to explain or justify how they feel.
Knowing that this exists, freely and locally, for anyone affected by cancer, is something I’m incredibly proud of.
I’ve now been with Wessex through different seasons, including times when charity finances were tight and difficult decisions had to be navigated carefully. Those periods only strengthened my belief in the importance of what we do. Charity income is challenging and uncertain, particularly in the climate we’re working in today, but the need for support has never gone away. If anything, it has grown.
Juggling family life alongside a role like this isn’t always easy. My Mum and Dad instilled in me the responsibility of supporting your local community, and it’s those values that I’m passing onto my boys, so they understand the importance of community, compassion and genuinely being part of something bigger than yourself.
Looking back, I was wanting somewhere I could invest my passion, determination and positivity.
Since then, I’ve done exactly that – and it continues to matter just as much to me today. I also know how much it matters to our many volunteers and staff members who are committed to Wessex and what it stands for.
Being part of Wessex Cancer Support means being part of something that quietly but profoundly changes lives.
At this 45‑year milestone, I feel privileged to have played a small role in ensuring that the support so many people rely on remains available – for today, and for the future.
Our community provides a safe, supportive space for people affected by cancer. Through our emotional and wellbeing services, we provide the support to our communities in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
We’ve been here for you since 1981.
You can call or email your local cancer support centre today, or drop in to speak to our friendly team.
