On April 28, Team Solan held its first cancer support group in the community, in Spennymoor Town Hall after two years. The event had been postponed twice due to the uncertain timing of lockdown ending and local concerns regarding the level of new Omicron infections. It was attended by forty-five residents and supported by Spennymoor AAP.
The objective was to restart the increase of community awareness regarding the services, equipment, transport, counselling and wellbeing support that the charity provides to families with any cancer diagnosis or cancer related bereavement.
Attendees enjoyed a pie and peas lunch, a quiz, a small raffle and an update on the charity from CEO Mark Solan. Mark said: “No one should have to face cancer alone. Our goal remains to help improve the quality of life for those with any cancer diagnosis or any cancer bereavement.”
It is hoped that more community events will follow. All are welcome to attend any of the free community coffee morning events. The charity recognises that everyone’s practical needs can be different. Based in Spennymoor and operating across the North East, they aim to provide timely, face to face help, practical, emotional support and advice to those in need. This ranges from a taxi to get to hospital, to a service need or equipment in the home. Counselling and wellbeing support are also on offer.
They are helping more families each year and have plans to expand well-established support groups that meet regularly in their new Support Hub location, behind the Spennymoor charity boutique. In the last two years, whilst support groups were not possible, the charity has been very active.
Between April and October 2020, with help from individuals and organisations, Team Solan provided 1,712 care packages in County Durham to 171 vulnerable families in fifty-one local towns and villages.
Delayed until late 2021, the team were eventually able to restart regular support calls to Warrior families. A furniture shop was also opened in what was previously the M&Co store in Spennymoor. Team Solan opened their current shop location in January 2020 in Spennymoor High Street. They hoped that the new shop, with a broader range of stock would attract new customers and hopefully to the town. The store did bring in new customers and visitors, ableit later than planned as the pandemic halted earlier plans.
Team Solan, would again, like to say a huge thank you to all of the local businesses, tradesmen, supporters and friends who have tirelessly helped transform both shop areas and the Support Hub. So far, the Spennymoor based charity has raised over £200,000, received over £172,500 in grants, hosted more than 400 events and helped over 2,000 people.
Mark said, “With the help of donations and fundraising, we can assist with the things that we all take for granted, such as, buying the groceries, putting fuel in the car, buying the kids a school uniform or even a night at the cinema. We can provide the support of cleaners, tradesmen and gardeners where needed and help with arranging stairlifts and mobility equipment if necessary.”
Find out more information about the charity by visiting their website online at www.teamsolan.org.uk.
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
