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A leading north-east cancer support charity opened its doors to welcome a famous former footballer who himself has experienced his own cancer journey.
Aberdeen-based CLAN Cancer Support welcomed ex-Celtic, Arsenal and West Ham striker John Hartson to its CLAN House base on the city’s Westburn Road.
John took time out of his busy schedule to see first-hand the services and facilities the charity provides, speaking with CLAN clients and meeting some of the CLAN staff and volunteers who are based at the facility.
Diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was 31, John formed his own charity, The John Hartson Foundation, in 2010, with the aim of increasing awareness of testicular cancer whilst helping raise money to support others affected by the illness.
The charity’s ‘Grab Life by the Balls’ campaign has continued to go from strength-to-strength, with males throughout the UK being shown a video featuring John sharing his own experience of testicular cancer alongside receiving advice and guidance on how they can check for early signs of the illness.
John Hartson said:
“Through my own experiences and work with The John Hartson Foundation I know how vital it is that people experiencing cancer have access to professional advice and support within their own communities.
“During my visit to CLAN I was impressed by the range of services provided by the organisation, across such a wide geographical area, and was pleased to be able to spend some time chatting with individuals the charity helps.”
Dr Colette Backwell, chief executive of CLAN Cancer Support, said:
“We were delighted to welcome John to CLAN House to see for himself the services, advice and information that we provide to our clients here in the north-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland.
“John’s cancer journey is inspiring and the work his foundation carries out in promoting the importance of checking for early signs of the illness is vital. Support from individuals like John helps us to continue to raise awareness of our services, especially to men, and for that we can’t thank John enough for his time with us.”
CLAN Cancer Support is an independent charity which provides comfort support and information, free of charge, for anyone, of any age, affected by any type of cancer. CLAN aims to support people to reduce anxiety, stress and to increase their ability to cope with the effects of a serious illness.
Based in Aberdeen, the charity covers the whole of north-east Scotland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland. CLAN has a presence in Ballater, Banchory, Elgin, Inverurie, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth, Peterhead, Stonehaven, Turriff, Kirkwall and Lerwick.
For further information about CLAN Cancer Support please call (01224) 647 000 or visit www.clanhouse.org
For further information about The John Hartson Foundation please visit www.johnhartsonfoundation.co.uk
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