THE word cancer is enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the hardiest of souls.

At best, the disease offers the prospect of months of painful chemotherapy and radiotherapy and a battle for recovery.

Such treatments bring with them their own traumas – not least the loss of hair and, for many women, the loss, too, of a sense of femininity.

It was this feeling that the charity Look Good, Feel Better was set up to ease. In Southend, it is now celebrating five, remarkable years of helping give back confidence to cancer patients.

Based at the Macmillan Centre at Southend Hospital, it provides practical support for women and teenagers struggling with the very visible side-effects of cancer treatment.

The twice-monthly workshops are run by 20 volunteers, open to patients with any form of cancer and in the past five years have welcomed hundreds of patients.

The free, two-hour sessions are led by trained beauty volunteers, who share tips and techniques to cope with eyebrow and eyelash loss and changes to the skin caused by cancer treatments.

Women whose confidence has been knocked by the devastating disease are also given a new lease of life with make-up tips – and a free bag of goodies donated, by make-up companies.

Sarah Wakeman, Look Good Feel Better regional co-ordinator, said: “Our fifth anniversaryworkshop was a really special one.

“As a team, we feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to share our professional makeup and skincare experience with such deserving women.

“To know what our ladies are facing and to hear them tell us our workshops ‘give them a licence to feel feminine again’ is so precious.

“It’s also lovely to see some great and strong friendships made between our ladies during the workshops.

“If it wasn’t for the loyalty and dedication of my volunteer team, we couldn’t have reached the number of women we have.

“I’m very grateful to all of them for their loyalty, dedication and time.”

The charity is looking for more volunteers with at least a year’s profession experience of beauty therapy to join its team. If you can help, call the head office on 01372 747500, or visit lgfb.co.uk.

‘LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL’

HELEN Jones, 40, from Billericay, who had ovarian cancer, is full of praise for the workshops and the charity’s efforts to help women affected by cancer.

She said: “You come here and you feel so much better, it’s like you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a support group that you can come to where others are in the same situation.

“As a woman, losing your hair is one of the worst things that can happen, coming here it makes you feel feminine again.”

Echo:

'WE’RE FRIENDS FOR LIFE'

A LOOK Good, Feel Better workshop provided the grounding for what looks set to be a lifelong friendship between two women who had cancer and have helped each other by sharing their experiences.

Alison Roche, 42, of Eastwood Old Road, Leigh and Andrea Foster, 53, from Rayleigh, met at one of the group’s workshops earlier this year and became firm friends.

Both had successful operations and are now cancer free.

Alison was diagnosed with breast cancer in June and underwent chemotherapy.

Andrea has been in the clear from breast cancer for a year.

Alison said: “I still had to go through chemotherapy and radiotherapy and the trauma of losing hair, which happened two weeks after my first chemo session. I’m now wearing a wig.

“Attending the workshop was brilliant. I was completely overwhelmed by how friendly everyone was. And we got free goods and makeup.

“I met Andrea at the workshop and made a new friend in her. We’re very close friends now. We speak every two or three days. It’s very good to be able to speak to someone that’s been through it. It’s very good support.

“I have had friends who had cancer, but Andrea had the same type of cancer as me, so I can speak to her and ask whether something is a normal side effect and if I need to be concerned or not.

“She puts me at ease. We have lots of things in common. It’s been very nice. We’re really good friends now.”

Andrea said: “The workshops give people a boost, especially people that are feeling a bit down.

“Me and Alison both went to the same workshop and we just got on well.

“We now go out for lunch and go for coffee together. Going to these groups are a really good place to meet people.”