Volunteers praised as they bow out of charity roles

Jean Hazley, described as one of the most longstanding and valued members of the charity, will hand over her responsibilities at the end of the month, though she plans to remain with the group, which has raised more than £250,000 during her time as secretary.

In recent years, Jean became involved with the Action Cancer choir, ‘Sound of Solace,’ which has performed at various events around the province.

Also stepping down, after two years in his role, is group chairman Noel Nash .

Action Cancer Group Support Officer Leigh Chamberlain said: “Volunteers in the Lisburn Group have raised over £600,000 since the group was formed, an incredible amount of money and one that would not have been possible without the valued input of all the members.

“Jean has provided excellent secretarial support during that time; she has been an integral part of the group and will be missed greatly.

“Noel will be a great loss from the position of chairman. He has done great work for charity, not just in this position but in the years prior to taking up post, including organising the annual Christmas concert in Trinity Methodist Church.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank both Jean and Noel for their support and dedication for Action Cancer and wish them all the best for the future.

“The group continues to fundraise in the Lisburn area, raising circa £20,000 every year through events, Easter basket raffles and collection boxes.”

Acting Group Secretary, Olive Fraser, said: “We are looking for new members to join us with our fundraising efforts, in particular people willing to step into the roles of secretary and chairman, but really anyone willing to get involved at any level, may it be helping with street collections, taking an Easter Basket to raffle or organising an event.

“We have a great social aspect to the group; all members get along really well and it’s a great way to meet new people as well as raise money for a good cause.”

Action Cancer receives no government funding and relies heavily on donations from the general public and business community. Last year the charity screened a record 10,079 women for breast cancer, detecting 62 cancers and providing peace of mind for thousands of women.

This service is available to women aged 4o–49 and over 70, who fall outside the NHS screening range (50-70).

Action Cancer also provides therapeutic support in the form of counselling and complementary therapy.