Meet Jayne

Jayne is the chairperson of the Portsmouth Relay For Life Committee. She felt moved to volunteer for Cancer Research UK after her mum was diagnosed with stage IV uterine cancer 14 years ago.

“Mum was given a 5% chance of surviving two years. She started chemotherapy and then surgery became an option, followed by more chemotherapy. 10 years later, she was told she was cancer free!”   

Although Jayne can’t volunteer at the moment, she’s still working as a Laboratory Manager at Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust. “It’s my job to ensure that the drugs manufactured within the NHS are fit for patient use, including medical gases such as Oxygen and Medical Air. Hospitals are making changes to ward areas to enable them to become COVID-19 areas, and so I’ve been travelling to various hospitals ensuring that they have enough supplies. 

“Work is extremely busy, but I am making the time to ensure that both our elderly neighbours and my mum are OK and am shopping for them as and when they need.”  

  Jayne can’t wait to return to volunteering. “I love talking to people, raising awareness of the charity and all the fun we have along the way. For me, volunteering is an opportunity to give something back. I want to help people celebrate more birthdays and prevent other families going through what my family went through.”