The Primrose Foundation are proud to announce their latest commitment to the Breast service and how with local support we have been able to change the service for future patients requiring breast reconstructive surgery.

The Primrose Foundation have agreed to offer an initial £10,000 bursary which will be available to the newly appointed Plastic Surgery Clinical fellow with a specialist interest in Breast reconstruction which has recently been developed within the Plastic and Reconstructive surgical directorate at University Hospitals Plymouth. If successful this will be repeated on an annual basis.

This post will play a vital role to anyone who requires breast reconstruction after breast cancer, the post will mean that patients will now be offered free flap breast reconstruction as an option.

Mr John Dickson, Consultant Plastic  and Reconstructive surgeon, explains more about this post; Microsurgical breast reconstruction means taking skin and fat from one part of the body (such as the tummy) and transplanting it to the breast. Unlike silicone implants, this microsurgery method creates a soft, warm and natural breast reconstruction that is life long and is a natural part of the patients own body. 

Mr Dickson continued to say: The Primrose Bursary will really help with training in this form of breast reconstruction. Because of the bursary, the trainee who is going to do this job will be able to attend special courses and visit prominent units both in the UK and abroad. This investment in training will help to ensure that patients continue to receive the best possible reconstruction results following breast cancer treatment.”

The Primrose Foundation would like to personally thank everyone who has supported and donated to us, in particular a group of ladies who raised £10,000 for the Primrose Foundation in 2019 after taking part and arranging a dare to burlesque ball. In addition to their huge success last year these incredible ladies also dared to bare all in 2018 which raised an amazing £13,000.

Madeleine Matthews, fundraising coordinator for the charity, said: The Primrose Foundation simply cant thank these ladies enough for what they have done for our charity, not only the monies they have raised but also helping us to raise our profile which has encouraged others to support us and want to give back to their breast care service.

Fiona Osmaston, one of the members of ‘D2’- the masterminds behind the success of the last two years charity balls tells us more;

As nine local ladies who had all received treatment for breast cancer at the Primrose breast care centre that is supported by The Primrose Foundation we decided as a group that we wanted to give something back to this amazing service so with the help of local choreographer, Shelley Coleman the Dare to Bare ball was born, the evening was just spectacular and in total we managed to raise £13,000 however we simply couldn’t resist and had the urge to do it all over again and so in 2019 after months a training we took to the stage once again and with everyone’s support managed to raise a further £10,000.

What’s great about the Primrose Foundation is that they give us an opportunity to have a say as to where the money should be spent, unlike so many charities they listen to their supporters and so we collectively made the decision that we wanted the money raised in 2019 to fund this essential bursary.