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Established in 1979, WOMAC (Women on the Move Against Cancer) is made up of volunteers all working in the motor industry, who raise money every year for cancer charities. Our aim is to raise as much money as possible to help in the continuing fight against cancer.
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In 1979 a young Grand Prix racing driver on the verge of a promising career was diagnosed as having terminal cancer and was treated at a London hospital. His name was Gunnar Nilsson. In the weeks before he died he showed immense courage in organising help for other cancer sufferers.
After Gunnar Nilsson's death, others were inspired by his example and wanted to continue his work. Led by Jean Denton, Baroness Denton of Wakefield CBE (who died of cancer in February 2001), a group of women in the motor industry founded the organisation which is now known as WOMAC (Women On the Move Against Cancer).
To begin with, WOMAC made a modest commitment to their cause: £1,000 was raised from a luncheon and the following year a similar amount was also donated to charity. By the third year, WOMAC had caught the imagination of many people in the motor industry and it wasn't long before collections were into five figure sums.
Now, each year, 'The WOMAC Party' has become a major event in the motor industry's diary. It is not only an opportunity to meet old friends but, more importantly, an occasion where everyone can contribute funds which help to fight the disease which has affected so many.
WOMAC funds a different cancer project each year. It could be to help patients at home as well as in a hospital or hospice, perhaps to provide equipment or buildings for the treatment of men, women or children. Sometimes the choice is determined by the care a friend, relation or colleague has received. Sometimes another particularly worthy cause is brought to WOMAC's attention by the medical profession. Whichever cause WOMAC supports, the overriding concern is that we raise as much money as we can to help the continuing fight against cancer. Since its beginning WOMAC has helped a variety of projects, a list of which is available here for your information.
Everyone involved with WOMAC gives their time, energy and expertise for nothing. There are no hidden overheads - no extravagant expenses. Every penny which WOMAC raises goes to the charity it supports and since the beginning we have raised more than £350,000. Obviously this is only a small contribution to the work of those involved in cancer care and research, but every little counts and WOMAC believes that it is helping in a small but significant way to bring about progress in countering and managing the disease.
Your interest in WOMAC is invaluable to us in helping to make the right moves to defeat cancer. Thank you for supporting WOMAC.
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1979 Gunnar Nillson Fund
1980 Leukaemia Research
1981 Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund
1982 St. Christopher's Hospice
1983 St. Christopher's Hospice
1984 Westminster Hospital (recovery room)
1985 Middlesex Hospital Urology Research Fund
1986 Malcolm Sargent Fund for Children
1987 Cancer patient counselling (London Hospital)
1988 WOMAC Research Fellowship (Whittington)
1989 WOMAC Research Fellowship (Whittington)
1990 Westminster Hospital (counsellor)
1991 BACUP (breast cancer counsellor)
1992 Hammersmith Hospital (day room)
1993 Hammersmith Hospital (chemotherapy room)
1994 Royal Free Hospital (brain imaging scanner)
1995 Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund (nurse)
1996 Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund (nurse)
1997 Cancer Relief Macmillan Fund (nurse)
1998 Sobell House Hospice, Oxford (palliative care team)
1999 Lucy's Roof Garden, Royal Marsden & malignant melanoma research (Chelsea & Westminster Hospital)
2000 UK Child Cancer Study Group
2001 Weston Park Cancer Trust and BEN's (Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund) cancer care unit at Alexandra House
2002 Royal College of Surgeons Fellowship (bowel cancer research), Sir William Rous Oncology Unit at Kingston Hospital and The Youth Cancer Trust
2003 Professor Cunningham's Lymphoma Research at the Royal Marsden Hospital; Willen Hospice, Milton Keynes
<a href="http://www.womac.co.uk/news/main.htm">Women on the Move against cancer
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