COPES November NEWS 2025
NOVEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER
Our November Coffee Morning Support Group is on
Saturday November 1st 2025 from 10 am to 1 pm
Ekco Sports and Social Club
Southend SS2 6PU
Drop in, you’ll be sure of a warm welcome. We are run by women who’ve had a gynae cancer diagnosis, at different stages of their journey. We understand, and try to brighten your days.
All free……..refreshments, support, complementary therapies, fun.
CLAY COTTAGE AFTERNOON TEA & POTTERY PAINTING
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COPES………20 YEARS!
What is COPES?….. Who runs COPES?….. What are our aims?
COPES was set up in November 2005 by Mr Razvi, still a much respected consultant and Emma Chaplin, who was working as a very caring CNS on the Gynae Oncology team at the time. They, along with other nurses and healthcare assistants, Sue Page, Chris Sewell and Mo Webster, set up a much needed support group. In the early days, they were helped by patients Denise Fielding & Rosemary Petronis and other patients of that time.
We are very proud to say that these people are still involved with COPES in many ways, all of them receive a newsletter and are in touch with the exec members.
For the last ten years, COPES has been managed by an Executive Committee, Wendy Davies, Chris Roostan and Sue Soper. We have lately been joined by Jan Groves and Christine Reynolds who have added much appreciated support. The exec team meet regularly to plan COPES events. The exec committee and other COPES members also meet with the hospital staff members on a quarterly basis, often linking with us on the latest research news, future developments of COPES and allocation of our spending priorities.
COPES is a volunteer led, independently run small charity, not large enough to be affiliated to the Charity Commission. Our accounts are reported on a quarterly basis to the COPES Committee and our books are always open for scrutiny.
We support the members and the hospital teams in many ways.
In the last few years we have organised many fun events for our members as well as monthly coffee mornings. We have also bought noise reducing wireless headphones for the CNSs, an examination chair for the Women’s Clinic and douche bottles and comfort boxes for some hospitalised patients. We also donated £2000 to the hospital’s Spotlight Appeal.
Our COPES AIMS are
Patient support, research, education and raising awareness of gynaecological cancers within the Essex area. We hope to continue with these aims!