We have a committed team of both staff and volunteers dedicated to helping fight against bowel cancer. We are grateful to the many people who do a fantastic job of raising money for the charity and indebted to our corporate sponsors who provide invaluable support for our work.

Recent initiatives include:
* Publication of new patient booklets, leaflets and factsheets, providing information on prevention, symptoms, diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, diet and much more.

* Development of fully-comprehensive website www.beatingbowelcancer.org, including sections for patients, medical professionals, and fundraisers.

* Provision of Training Grants for colorectal nurses, enabling them to undertake further specialist training in the field of bowel cancer.

* Provision of Hospital Grants for support of services, facilities (such as relaxation rooms for bowel cancer patients and their families), diagnostic or training equipment.

* Organisation of our annual 'Loud Tie Campaign' raising awareness of the disease amongst the general public and medics, and supported by MP's from all parties, including the Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

* Establishment of our Patient Voices Group, the UK's only national bowel cancer patient-to-patient network, offering telephone and local support from bowel cancer patients to bowel cancer patients.

* Launch of Parliamentary Voices, a group of supportive MP's who are working with the charity to raise issues within government and to help local constituents.

* Participation in Department of Health's Screening Advisory and Communications Group, working with other key stakeholders to advise on, and support, the launch of the NHS national bowel cancer screening programme.

* Contribution to NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) appraisals, to help ensure the latest treatments are made available to bowel cancer patients.

* Delivery of new 'Health in the Workplace' campaign, taking important messages about prevention and bowel cancer symptoms direct to employees in their place of work.

* Provision of a specialist nurse advisory service, offering medical support via telephone to bowel cancer patients (helpline number 020 8892 1331).

Nurse Recognition Awards, in memory of Carol Baillie

On 7th January 2005, Carol Baillie sadly lost her fight against bowel cancer. Carol's employer Karen Millen has donated a sum of money to us to use to support specialist bowel cancer nurses in the wonderful work they do with patients.

We are therefore delighted to announce that we will be giving Nurse Recognition Awards to two nurses each year, for the next 5 years. Each award will be worth £1,000 and will be given for the purpose of training and skills advancement.

We would like to invite patients, or their friends and family, to nominate nurses for the 2006 Nurse Recognition Awards. Please send your nominations on one A4 page, including the nurse's name, hospital, contact details and reason for nomination, marked for the attention of Beatrix Crellin, to Beating Bowel Cancer, 39 Crown Road, Twickenham TW1 3EJ, or email beatrix@beatingbowelcancer.org by June 30th 2006. The final decision will be made by the charity's Board of Trustees and the winning nurses will then be notified.

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