MEDIA ALERT – ‘PROJECT 15 – SUPPORT GROUP’ WINS CHARITY GRANT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – THURSDAY, 5TH FEBRUARY 2015

INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE:

  • FOUNDER OF THE MOUTH CANCER FOUNDATION – DR VINOD JOSHI
  • PROJECT 15 – SUPPORT GROUP LEADER – CHRISTINE GOULD

To set up an interview and for more information please call Media Ambitions on 0208 940 2222.

“We are thrilled to award the Project 15 – Support Group a £1,500 grant to celebrate the incredible work they do.”

Founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation, Dr Vinod Joshi

Today, one of the country’s leading mouth cancer charities, the Mouth Cancer Foundation awards Project 15 – Support Group with a grant of £1,500. The Northampton based support group won the Gold Prize in the Mouth Cancer Foundation Support Group Awards.

Project 15 – Support Group is a newly launched initiative set up by The Facefax Association, a Northamptonshire based charity that supports people with head, neck, mouth, face and other types of cancer. The group will meet at The Dunstone Bennett Complementary Centre to provide valuable information and emotional support for patients who are affected by head, neck, face or mouth cancer. Regular meetings will be held once a month to cover a variety of issues enabling patients to ask questions and express their concerns in an informal environment with other patients and people working closely with head and neck cancer.

The Mouth Cancer Foundation Support Group Awards aredesigned to reward the incredible work that support groups across the country carry out on a daily basis. The Awards recognise the support group leaders and healthcare professionals, who give up their spare time to support and work closely with people affected by head and neck cancers.

Support groups have become a place of solitude for mouth cancer sufferers. It is a place where they can share their experiences, and ask questions in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. It is also a place where carers, relatives and friends can go for help and advice. The Mouth Cancer Foundation recognizes the impact that the support groups have and how they can help improve a patient’s quality of life. In order to show their appreciation, the charity is rewarding organisations with innovative and unique support services with awards totalling £3,000*.

Christine Gould, the Manager of the Dunstone Bennett Complementary Centre and Project-15 Support Group leader says "The Dunstone Bennett Complementary Centre are very grateful to be honoured with such a prestigious award. Thisgenerous donation of £1,500 from the Mouth Cancer Foundation will enable the Centreto extend theirservices to people in Northamptonshire on a journey through cancer."

The Founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation Dr Vinod Joshi says “The applications we received were of a very high standard for this year’s Support Group Awards. To be able to recognise and reward these organisations and the work that they do, caring and supporting people with head and neck cancer is incredibly important. The judges were looking for evidence that the support group offers the opportunity to communicate experiences, improves patient services and tackles the consequences of head and neck cancer treatments. We felt that Project 15 – Support Group embodied all of these qualities and therefore decided to award them the Gold Award.”

For more information on the Mouth Cancer Foundation Support Group Awards visit

-ENDS-

For general press enquiries, please contact:

Elizabeth Ayto Laverack or Izabela Nair

Media Ambitions - 020 8940 2222

NOTES TO EDITORS

Mouth Cancer Foundation Support Group Awards

*Prize values will be awarded as follows:

Gold Support Award - £1500

Silver Support Award - £1000 sponsored by Irwin Mitchell LLP.

Bronze Support Award - £500

Terms and conditions apply. The judge’s decision is final.

The Mouth Cancer Foundation –

The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a registered charity no. 1109298.

The Mouth Cancer Foundation is a charity solely dedicated to supporting people affected by head and neck cancer. The charity’s online and telephone support service has given head and neck cancer patients and families the opportunity to articulate the consequences of their cancer journey and communicate their shared experiences. It is vital that the charity continues to provide free accessible information resources and ensure Mouth Cancer Foundation support is provided to those that need them.

About Mouth Cancer

Around 60,000 people in the UK will be diagnosed with mouth cancer over the next decade.

In the UK, 7,700 people were diagnosed with Mouth Cancer in 2011.

Tobacco use is still considered the main cause of mouth cancer. According to the World Health Organisation, up to half of current smokers will die of a tobacco-related illness – including mouth cancer.

Drinking to excess can increase the risk of mouth cancer by four times. Those who smoke and drink are up to 30 times more likely to develop mouth cancer.

Mouth cancer is twice more common in men than in women, though an increasing number of women are being diagnosed with the disease.

Age is another factor, with people over the age of 40 more likely to be diagnosed, though more young people are now being affected than previously.

Poor diet is linked to a third of all cancer cases.

Experts suggest the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), transmitted through oral sex, could overtake tobacco and alcohol as the main risk factor within the coming decade.

Cancers can occur in any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, and adjacent areas like the throat, salivary glands, pharynx, larynx, sinus, and other sites in the head and neck area.

Symptoms include:

An ulcer or white or red patch anywhere in the mouth that does not heal within 3 weeks.

A lump or swelling anywhere in the mouth, jaw or neck that persists for more than 3 weeks.

A difficulty in swallowing, chewing or moving the jaw or tongue.

A numbness of the tongue or other area of the mouth.

A feeling that something is caught in the throat.

A chronic sore throat or hoarseness that persists more than 6 weeks.

 An unexplained loosening of teeth with no dental cause.

More information about Mouth Cancer is available at the Mouth Cancer Foundation web site or by emailing .