Kent Mark Benevolent Fund (KMBF) Trustees John Shervington and Robin Evans recently had the rare honour of being invited along to the final evening meal, at an undisclosed location somewhere in the east of our Province, to present a cheque for £2,500 to cancer charity, Odyssey.
Based and originating in Kent, Odyssey is a charity that delivers residential courses for people living with and beyond cancer, including those with secondary diagnoses. When treatment ends, or becomes ongoing, many people are left unsure of what comes next. Odyssey supports people at this critical point, helping them rebuild confidence and feel more like themselves again.
L-R Janette Hannon, Dr. Howard Smedley, John Shervington, Emma Thomas, Robin Evans.
Emma Thomas, Odyssey’s Managing Director, told us “Each Odyssey course is a five-day residential experience for people living with and beyond cancer. The course brings together a small group of participants, supported by experienced facilitators. Through a range of activities and shared experiences, people are encouraged to try new things, take part at their own pace and focus on what they can do. The experience is designed to challenge without being overwhelming, with activities adapted so everyone can take part in a way that feels right for them. There is no expectation to be a certain way, or to talk about cancer, just space and time to step away from everyday life and focus on themself for a few days.”
Robin commented “We learned first-hand that every course is different, and participants are deliberately not given a detailed schedule in advance. This is a part of the whole experience, creating space to be present, to try new things and have time to focus. It became apparent from talking to attendees during the evening that this really works, with everyone promising to keep the content of the course secret so as not to spoil the surprise for future participants. The mantra of ‘What Goes On Odyssey Stays On Odyssey’ is clearly true.”
John added “The KMBF’s donation was extremely well received not only by the Odyssey team, but also the 16 cancer sufferers attending the course. A special note for me was that Odyssey founder, Dr Howard Smedley, Consultant Oncologist, was in attendance, to the pleasant surprise of the current Trustees and staff. Odyssey was the brainchild of Howard, with whom I worked in the early years of my career.”
The charity was named after the Greek epic poem ‘The Odyssey’ which focuses on the hero Odysseus, and his journey home after the fall of Troy. A journey that took as long as the Trojan conflict itself. Allegorically, the journey back to health takes as long as the initial cancer treatment, and it is the concept of longevity after treatment has finished that is important to the work of the Odyssey charity.