A Fabulous Finish to 2024

As the year comes to a close, it’s time to celebrate our accomplishments, reflect on some of the challenges we overcame, and look ahead to a brighter 2025.

Every year our charity continues to blossom, we flourish and thrive year after year for many reasons but mainly because of our amazing supporters.

We would like to give thanks to everyone who has helped, sponsored, fundraised or donated to our charity, whether that is this year or in the past. Together, we are making a big difference. Some are little comforts, and others are mammoth missions to transform and renovate.

Working in partnership with The Primrose Breast Care Centre service means that often, those who help our charity grow have been affected by breast cancer. It always amazes us that even when faced with the darkest times, people can be so kind-hearted, generous and thoughtful.

This year, we have met some incredible people who we hope will become life-long friends. Many of you we have laughed with, and plenty more we have cried with. 2024 has brought us many things but what has mattered the most is the opportunity to make a difference at what we know is an incredibly difficult time for so many local families.

Whether that support was from one of our many blogs, a wig or hardship grant or our new online support directory, we are proud of all our Primrose Projects, and we are especially proud when we can offer a small act of kindness to help those affected by breast cancer.

This year we stepped out of our comfort zone and tried new things, we created a new breast awareness campaign and introduced our new patient forum. We also held our first festival-themed fundraising event, which was an enormous success, and we threw a Halloween ball, which was fangtastic.

Donations reach us in many ways, and when we put everything together, they all help to make a gigantic difference. Here, we have broken down how donations have reached us in 2024.

Sponsorship Platforms 35.85%
Event - by Primrose 15.90%
Legacy Donations 15.85%
General Donation 10.08%
Event - in aid of Primrose 8.74%
Corporate Partners 4.98%
Match Funding 4.22%
Bra Drop Project 2.23%
Grant Funding 1.75%
Funeral Collections 0.41%

However, you chose to support us in 2024, and whatever you gave, that generosity has helped to fund a wide range of resources for our local breast care services and the many families that have been affected by breast cancer.

Your kindness helped purchase patient gowns for those who attend a one-stop breast clinic appointment at The Primrose Breast Care Centre. The specially designed garments are cleverly made to help accessing the breasts easier and allows a person to feel more dignified during their appointment.

We also purchased fleeces and gilets for Primrose staff, to keep them warm during the winter months, in particular when the screening team are out and about in the community.

We also held our first patient feedback event with the Plastic Reconstruction team, which helped identify how our charity can better support reconstruction patients. We are busy working behind the scenes on potential projects and look forward to sharing these plans very soon.

Our hardship grant scheme, which was introduced this year, made a significant difference to many. In November, we issued nine grants to those in financial hardship and hope to continuously provide this additional provision to those who need it.

We funded a BMI machine which is in constant use during consultations and reviews. A sound level meter for the theatre staff which highlights noise levels and various course reimbursements for staff.

We funded ten places on the Gentle Recovery online workshop for Primrose patients and funded a screening incentive scheme to help increase breast screening in areas where appointment attendance is low. We also provided a £5,000 resource grant to the breast screening service to fund soft furnishings and additional extras for the new screening service at Merchant House, Plymouth.

All funding we provide continues to meet one or more of our objectives. We work tirelessly to make a difference every year and look forward to some exciting new opportunities in 2025.

2025 will see new changes for our charity. These changes will help us to grow and enable us to be more creative and capture what matters the most and together we will make a positive change to help future breast cancer patients, their families and our local breast care service as progress isn't possible without change.

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails, and we look forward to taking this next journey with you.

Thank you for supporting us so we can support you.

A Message from our Chair of Trustees, Mrs Fiona Osmaston

As always, it is a pleasure to write and talk about our charity as we draw an end to the year. It is a great time to reflect on the work carried out by The Primrose Foundation. The charity is always overwhelmed with the generosity of people who run events in aid of our charity, attend one of our events or support us in other ways. You are invaluable and we appreciate your assistance with raising funds and awareness so that we can support patients and the work of the Primrose Breast Care Centre.

I have numerous highlights this year, among them is meeting Asmaa Al Alaak, breast surgeon and winner of the 2023 Sewing Bee, who has become our Patron and who flies the flag of The Primrose Foundation. Another is the AMAZINGconnections we have made through being a member of the Plymouth and Devon Chamber of Commerce plus ourFANTASTIC animation created in October and more recently features the voices of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. However, the best part of being Chair of The Primrose Foundation is that I get to meet people, their families, friends and supporters who have experienced an aspect of breast cancer and care and have decided to give something back. You are all BRILLIANT.

I am very excited about being part of The Primrose Foundation in 2025, we have a busy year ahead as we will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary. We start the year with a new charity number and as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This will give us the freedom to be more flexible and have more legal rights in the future, all of this is very important as we work under the guidance of the Charities Commission.

I am delighted to chair this charity and help steer it, along with our team of staff, volunteers and trustees, to further our support of all people going through breast disease and the wonderful work of the Primrose Breast Care Centre.

I wish you a wonderful new year and look forward to meeting you as you continue to support The Primrose Foundation.

FundraisingThe Primrose Foundation7 December 2024Comment