The Summer 2020 issue of “Cherry Lodge News” has recently been sent to everyone on the Cherry Lodge Cancer Care mailing list. It is also possible, via this website, to download a pdf of the newsletter to read onscreen or to print out. Note that if you no longer wish to receive a copy of the newsletter by post, you can unsubscribe by contacting Tina by phone on 020 8441 7000 or by email.
Our lead article, entitled “We’re Still Standing”, describes how our centre, Howard House, has been a vital virtual presence while closed during the lockdown. Staff have worked tirelessly from home doing all they can to support members both old and new. Whatever the new “normal” turns out to be, Cherry Lodge will be there for its members.
This powerful sentiment is reaffirmed in a short message from our chairman, Dr Margaret Clark, who also thanks CL staff and volunteers for their important work and pledges that CL will do its best to make a phased return to ‘business as usual’, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Next is is a very personal and encouraging account, with lovely photos, from young mum Gemma P, describing her experience of being diagnosed with a rare cancer and explaining why “Cherry Lodge means so much to me”. This is followed by “Mindfulness to help us through” by CL therapist Alessia B. She explains what is meant by Mindfulness, describes its benefits, and gives instructions for a simple and effective exercise.
There is then “A Big Thank you” to the Mayor of Barnet, Cllr Caroline Stock, her fund raising appeal committee and their many volunteers for raising £50,000 to be shared between the 2019-20 Mayor’s Appeal chosen charities: Cherry Lodge Cancer Care and Home-Start Barnet. Around 20 separate fundraising events were put on, catering for people with a wide range of interests.
A Newsletter regular is “Letter to the Editor”, this one from Marjory. Having recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, Marjory was worried that the closure of the CL centre due to the coronavirus meant that she would not be able to access CL’s services. CL nurse Fiona assures Marjory that information and support is available via phone, email or video link-up, and asks her to call 020 8441 7000.
The Newsletter ends with a summary of CL’s usual Services & Approach, plus information about how CL services are having to be modified in response to the pandemic.
The Cherry Lodge newsletter is edited by Grant Whitaker, who writes: ‘If you would like to comment or provide us with some content please email me at whitakerge@aol.com or leave a note at Howard House.
Click here to access the complete Summer 2020 newsletter.
To access our three most recent newsletters, our latest Annual Report and a current Cherry Lodge leaflet, go to the About Us page of the website and then click on the appropriate item in the right-hand column under Downloads.