Tel: 01623 707017 August 2021 the orginal GOOD news local paper Pick Me Up - I’m FREE DIANE Caunt, front right, talks Helping cancer fight to Prince William. in memory of Dave THE family and friends of a Mansfield man who lost his brave year-long fight against cancer in June are determined to continue his fundraising and awareness campaign. Royal honour on The Rock Zone Foundation supports people with cancer and focuses on the fight and not the fright of the disease, aiming to be the ‘rock’ for NHS birthday people who need it most. A SPECIALIST domestic at Sherwood Forest It was set up by Dave and Lisa Charles after Hospitals Trust, celebrated the NHS’s 73rd Dave was diagnosed with a brain tumour — a birthday in style — with a surprise chat with progressive right temporal glioblastoma — in Prince William and the Prime Minister, June 2020. Boris Johnson. Sadly Dave, 51, lost his battle with the cancer Diane Caunt attended a special service at St a year later, but Lisa said: “We’re going to Paul’s Cathedral, London, as NHS staff were continue Dave’s legacy through the Rock Zone thanked for working tirelessly throughout the Foundation, supporting the fighters, admiring pandemic. the survivors, honouring the taken and never, She was selected to attend the special event ever giving up hope. after a nomination by the trust, which runs “Through Dave’s charity work and his King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton, and on the day heartbreaking story, we hope to help other received a surprise phone call inviting her people who are affected by cancer. to meeting the two guests of honour at the “We raise awareness and I say this as loud as cathedral. I can. If you feel something is wrong or not right “The service was really moving and I was with your body, get checked. Don’t be afraid or honoured to be a part of it,” Diane said. leave it too late. You know your own body more DAVE Charles and his wife, Lisa, who is determined to carry on his fundraising for others “It was amazing to be asked to meet Prince than anyone. affected by cancer. William and the Prime Minister; they were both “As a family, we are heartbroken and trying really friendly and asked me about Sherwood, to come to terms with losing Dave, but his thousands of pounds for cancer charities The crucial research project could have saved how things had been at the height of the strength through his cancer battle is the himself. Dave’s life and after the positive news his pandemic and how they are now. inspiration that keeps us going.” He underwent surgery and aggressive family set up a JustGiving fundraising page “I told them that I hope we have turned a A new fundraising campaign for the Rock treatment after his diagnosis and in November in the hope of starting to raise funds for his corner and I mentioned how supportive my Zone Foundation has been launched and has was excited to ring a bell in hospital to celebrate treatment. Sadly, Dave lost his battle with family have been.” already raised more than £2,000 towards its the end of his radiotherapy, but unfortunately cancer before the campaign could begin. Diane’s day job is to deep clean wards on a £5,000 target. not the end of the tumour. Before his diagnosis, Dave was a well-known rotational basis. During the pandemic, her skills Lisa added: “We are so grateful for anything After many rounds of chemotherapy, sadly it tattoo artist in Derby, with a passion for rock were recognised as being key to supporting the you can donate to help give other cancer stopped working, Dave’s health and mobility music. Over the years he had collected a huge trust to help keep colleagues and patients safe. patients the super power to fight against deteriorated and he was confined to his bed, range of rock memorabilia and he decided to She was asked to work in the Emergency cancer.” faced with the fact that nothing more could be start selling this to raise funds directly for local Department to undertake specialist cleaning and If you are able to donate, go to www. done to treat him. cancer patients. didn’t hesitate to help. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rachael- It was heartbreaking for family and friends to He set up the Rock Zone Foundation and sold Throughout the pandemic, Diane’s only time off richardson-2021 watch Dave, a larger-than-life, fit and healthy items all over the world for his cause. came when she tested positive for Covid-19. “Every little really does help, and together we dad and husband, be overcome by cancer, Now the foundation aims to continue his work Lorna Branton, director of communications can make a real difference,” said Lisa. but they were given some hope when he had with the new fundraising campaign. at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, said: “Our Dave was a loving dad, devoted husband a chance to undergo potentially lifesaving l Go to www.justgiving.com/ domestic colleagues are highly valued and and a treasured friend who has done so much treatment as part of a research study in Texas crowdfunding/rachael-richardson-2021 if respected and we are delighted that Diane could for people over his 51 years, including raising at a cost of £200,000. you can help. represent us at the ceremony.” Limited places still available You can still join college in September 2021. Learn more about what we have to offer and apply online in three easy steps. Apply now wnc.ac.uk 2 This page sponsored by: News Mansfield Building Society Caring teenager finds positive out of tragedy A TEENAGER from Mansfield “It took a huge toll on my mum. SCARLETT has raised thousands of pounds She and Paul were planning to get Sykes for Brain Tumour Research in married. has been memory of her stepfather, who “Charlie was 20 and was due to raising go travelling around Europe when money in died from the disease. Paul was admitted to hospital. memory Sixth-former Scarlett Sykes He nearly cancelled but Paul of her marked her 18th birthday by encouraged him to still go. He was stepfather, asking for donations to the always so supportive of both of us Paul charity and continued on with the and wanted us to thrive and take Malcolm. fundraising to collect £3,000. every opportunity we got.” Her stepfather, Paul Malcolm, Scarlett was attending The died from an aggressive brain Samworth Church Academy, tumour in July 2017, just a few Mansfield, at the time, but it was weeks after he was diagnosed. always her dream to attend its Scarlett said: “Paul was a partner school, Gordonstoun, in registered mental health nurse and Scotland. Each year one Samworth the school council. “I came up with the idea of a a reservist in the British Army. student is offered a scholarship When Scarlett turned 18 in fundraising event, inspired by “He led a fantastically full life, to the prestigious independent January, she marked her big the famous morning runs, which even studying for a degree in fine boarding school in Scotland. birthday by setting up a Facebook were a compulsory part of the art while juggling his career as a “From a young age I’d had my fundraiser to raise money for Brain Gordonstoun curriculum until the frontline NHS worker. heart set on applying for the Tumour Research in memory of her 1990s,” she said. “He’d done two operational tours scholarship,” explained Scarlett. stepfather. She received donations “Traditionally, more than 100 of Afghanistan and was extremely “I thought Gordonstoun looked so amounting to £1,500. students and staff, running fit and healthy. He exercised cool, a bit like Hogwarts! When the “Birthdays have been hard since in household groups, would daily and was a vegetarian. His opportunity came, however, we’d Paul died,” she said. “I remember undertake a daily 3.5km run diagnosis with a grade-three brain just lost Paul and I didn’t want to feeling like I didn’t want to grow from Gordonstoun House to the tumour came as a huge shock.” leave my mum. older without him being there. nearby Coastguard Watchtower, As well as Scarlett, Paul left “But Paul had always been 100% But when I raised all that money a building that replaced a wooden behind her older brother, Charlie, behind me applying and thought through my birthday fundraiser, hut former pupil Prince Philip and his partner, Samantha, a I’d do really well there. I put my I realised I could turn it into helped to build in 1935. fellow NHS mental health nurse. application in and out of a year something positive. Scarlett added: “I was only 15 “I organised a similar, sponsored group of 300 or so students, I was “As a family we are passionate event — a very early wake- at the time and couldn’t really selected. I felt so proud to have about ensuring no other family comprehend what had happened. up, followed by a jaunt to the done it for Paul.” has to experience the pain we have Watchtower, where we spotted He’d become ill so quickly and In September 2019, Scarlett been through.” declined rapidly. dolphins and came back for joined year 12 at Gordonstoun Scarlett’s fundraising didn’t breakfast. to study A-levels in English stop at her Facebook fundraiser. literature, history and geography. A member of Hopeman House at “Eighty people took part, across She has just completed her Gordonstoun, Scarlett galvanised all year groups, raising £1,500.” exams and said: “True to Paul’s her schoolfriends to join her l To donate to Brain Tumour predications, I’ve really thrived fundraising efforts and the house Research, visit www.