Octopus Trial
The Lady Garden Foundation kindly agreed to support some of the translational research within phase II of the OCTOPUS trial, a national study. Phase II of the trial involved 140 patients with relapsed ovarian cancer.
They were either given chemotherapy with the targeted therapy drug Vistusertib or chemotherapy with a placebo. This phase of the trial was the first of its kind to test whether this type of targeted therapy used alongside chemotherapy could improve outcomes for women with ovarian cancer. Dr Banerjee presented the phase II trial findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Barcelona in September 2019.
The results found that the treatment which combined chemotherapy and the targeted therapy drug Vistusertib was not superior to chemotherapy as a treatment on its own. However, the translational work which was part funded by the LGF, identified that patients with a certain molecular profile may benefit from the combination of targeted therapy and chemotherapy more than others and this is being analysed further as part of a collaboration between The Royal Marsden, the Institute of Cancer Research and Imperial College. Translational research from phase II of the Octopus trial is helping shape future studies by developing an understanding around which patients respond better to targeted therapy drugs.
Impact Update!
We are delighted to announce we have funded a Lady Garden Pre-Doctoral Fellowship. The Pre-Doctoral Fellowship programme at The Royal Marsden provides funding for nurses, allied health professionals, or pharmacists looking to begin their academic career.
The Lady Garden Foundation Fellowship will be undertaken by Andreia Fernandes, Lead Nurse for Gynae-oncology at The Royal Marsden since 2019. She has over 19 years of clinical and research experience in gynae-oncology across a variety of roles. She is passionate about improving outcomes and experiences for women with gynaecological cancer and is based within an active gynaecology research group.
Andreia has authored and co-authored several publications, including journal articles and book chapters. Her ambition is to be a consultant nurse and a leading academic researcher in gynaecological cancers.
The Lady Garden 2022 Challenge!
We are so thrilled to announce we raised over £30k at this year’s Family Challenge in Hyde Park! The money raised will go towards funding vital research and awareness-raising campaigns to revolutionise women’s gynae health.
With thanks to our headline partner Simplyhealth, the UK’s leading provider of health financing solutions, for supporting the creation of this event and enabling us to get back together in Hyde Park this year!
And a huge thank you to our incredible host, Davina McCall: “Lady Garden is doing such important work, raising vital funds and awareness for the five gynaecological cancers. There is still so much work to be done in this space and it’s events like these that make life-changing differences, in terms of fundraising and educating more people.”
Funding Update!
Our newly formed Lady Garden Scientific Committee, led by Professor James Larkin at The Royal Marsden, alongside our Chair Jenny, one of our Trustees Dr Annalisa Jenkins MBBS FRCP, and other medical experts, met to review various grant applications. Of those submitted, we have chosen four projects to receive Lady Garden Foundation funding and they are as follows:
1. Using Circulating HPV-DNA (cHPV-DNA) to assess response and monitor for relapse after chemoradiotherapy for cervix cancer- led by Dr Susan Lalondrelle
2. Incorporating advanced machine learning methodologies into radiotherapy planning for gynaecological cancer- led by Dr Alexandra Taylor
3. Predicting treatment benefit in low grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC)- tumour and liquid biopsy mutation analysis- led by Dr Susana Banerjee
4. and Integration of genomic data into endometrial cancer reporting at the Royal Marsden led by Dr Angela George
We are honoured to be able to fund projects of this magnitude thanks to you all and already cannot wait to see the results and the difference this research will make on the gynaecological cancer landscape. In addition to the above we have also recently purchased a Colposcope and Camera System’ which will specifically be used for the early diagnosis of, and to plan treatment for, gynaecological cancers, at The Royal Marsden Hospital.
Lady Garden 2021 Challenge
A HUGE thank you to all of you who signed up and took part in our 2021 Challenge in March of 2021.
Throughout the month you walked, ran, cycled, swam and generally exercised your way collectively to just shy of 28,000 kilometres which is the equivalent of travelling from London to Perth, Australia and back again!!
We raised over £146,000 for Gynae Cancer Research which is beyond phenomenal and wouldn’t have been possible without each and every single one of you!
Thanks also to all our ambassadors named on the left here for their support in rallying troops and promoting the challenge.
Autumn 2020 Urgent Appeal raises £55k
It goes without saying that 2020 has been rather different to what we had all envisaged. The effect Covid-19 has had on all of our lives is, of course, “unprecedented”
This is no truer than for our charity,
Since 2014 we have been working hard to improve the lives of women with a gynaecological cancer diagnosis through funding clinical trials. As we look to the future we have multiple more ways we plan on helping these women and also those with other gynaecological health issues that are sadly still not talked about and funded enough.
In Autumn 2020 we reached out to our supporters with an Urgent Appeal for donations so that we could ensure we can continue our work and we are so thrilled to say we raised more than £55,000 from this appeal.
Thank you so much to everyone who donated and all those who support The Foundation.
SURVEY REVEALS 86% OF WOMEN ARE UNAWARE OF GYNAECOLOGICAL CANCER SYMPTOMS & 58% ARE EMBARRASSED OR UNAWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING AN OPEN DIALOGUE
The pandemic has led to a significant disruption in cancer services across the NHS with activities across the whole cancer pathway being affected*. Cancer Research UK has reported that around 2.5 million cancer tests or treatments have been missed because of Covid-19 and The Institute for Public Policy Research reported a 43 percent drop between April to June this year (339,242 people in total) in urgent two-week wait referrals from GPs for diagnostic tests compared to 2019 (594,060 people).
Dr John Butler, Medical Director of The Lady Garden Foundation and Consultant Gynaecologist at The Royal Marsden Hospital comments: “Now the UK is well past the peak of the coronavirus epidemic the NHS is very much open for business and it’s vital that people attend their cancer screening tests and see their doctor if they have any new or persistent symptoms they are concerned about. There is a major concern that a fall out from the priority that has been given by the health service and government to managing coronavirus, will cause delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore the charity sector is seeing a major reduction in fundraising which is limiting lifesaving research.”
The nation needs to re-engage with the NHS as smear testing services resume across the UK and GP’s surgeries are open. Some symptoms of gynaecological cancers can be more subtle, and often misattributed and it is vital that women visit their doctor with any concerns.
Based on a survey carried out by the Foundation in July 2020, across 100 women from the ages of 18 to 44+, a staggering 78% of women were unaware of the five different gynaecological cancers and 86% of them did not know what symptoms to look out for. - The five gynaecological cancers, Ovarian, Cervical, Uterine, Vulval and Vaginal, are often referred to as Silent Killers, not only because of their complicated symptoms which can be missed by healthcare professionals, but also due to a lack of awareness surrounding these diseases. By the time a diagnosis is made, the cancer can be advanced and therefore, the chances of survival are far lower, with an average mortality rate of 44%. *
19 symptoms were shared with the surveyed women of which 44% were oblivious to them being possible indications of gynaecological cancers. 78% were unaware that a loss of appetite was a symptom, and on average 62% did not know that: constipation, feeling bloated, the need to pass urine more often, weight gain/loss or unexplained extreme tiredness could also all be manifestations of gynaecological cancers.
There is no single screening test available for all five gynaecological cancers which is why knowing what to look out for is so important. Raising awareness of these symptoms could lead to earlier diagnoses and essentially save lives. Smear tests can identify HPV or Human papillomavirus - this is the name for a very common group of viruses. Some types of HPV in the cervix can cause abnormal changes in the cells that can sometimes turn into cervical cancer. Our survey showed that due to Covid-19 around 25% of women were unable to progress with their annual smear test as clinics cancelled appointments and/or women felt uncomfortable visiting GPs. Raising awareness and removing the taboo on the subject of women’s sexual health is so important especially as many have not felt comfortable reaching out to their doctors alongside the pause in smear testing during the global pandemic.
The survey highlighted that 58% of the participants were either embarrassed or unaware of the importance of having an open dialogue with friends and family on gynaecological health, however 98% said that they would speak up more if they knew it could save lives.
Talking about and understanding the symptoms of the cancers will save lives. Help us by joining the conversation - it's time to ensure these cancers are #SilentNoMore.
*Cancer Research UK statistics- 2015-2017*The Institute for Public Policy Research
“The impact of COVID-19 in oncology – burnout and wellbeing”, a research project funded by The Lady Garden Foundation
Many of you will know of the amazing Dr Susana Banerjee. She has a long-standing relationship with The Lady Garden Foundation as we have funded some of her research into gynaecological cancer at The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Dr Banerjee is now leading a critical research study, calling on NHS staff to answer surveys about their wellbeing during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Lady Garden Foundation has funded this study thanks to the support of YOU!
The Royal Marsden want to establish a better understanding of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the wellbeing, resilience and burnout of NHS staff working in a cancer healthcare setting. Working alongside psychologists from Lancaster University, they will be launching a national study that invites all NHS staff looking after cancer patients to complete 3 surveys that will be released over the next year. Questions will assess burnout, resilience, well-being and coping strategies amongst staff, not just during the immediate COVID-19 pandemic period, but also in the long term.
Dr Banerjee says of the study “Those working in oncology face unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which researchers fear could cause anxiety and stress amongst the workforce. Cancer patients are particularly vulnerable, with often complex treatment plans in place. Clinicians are making critical and difficult decisions daily, balancing the need to continue care, with the risks COVID-19 presents for cancer patients. We need to support all staff – not only those on the frontline– so that they remain well and committed to their work in the NHS to keep delivering world class care to our cancer patients. Wellbeing, resilience and reducing ‘burnout’ is fundamental to this.”
Managing Director of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, Antonia Dalmahoy, said: “Funding ground-breaking research is a fundamental part of our support for The Royal Marsden, and means clinical teams can continue to provide the very best care and life saving treatments for cancer patients across the UK. It’s thanks to our generous supporters like The Lady Garden Foundation that we’re able to keep looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer, even during the most challenging of times.”
Royal Marsden Cancer Charity ‘Fighting Fund’
The Lady Garden Foundation has a long-standing relationship with The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and since we were founded in 2014 we have donated over £1m to fund ground-breaking research and cutting-edge studies in order to determine more personalised treatment for patients with gynaecological cancers.
Unfortunately cancer doesn’t stop because of a lockdown and the impact of COVID-19 is unprecedented and wide- reaching. As the Royal Marsden’s needs are changing daily, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has created a “Fighting Fund” to support staff and patients. Royal Marsden staff are working tirelessly in very challenging circumstances, and this fund will provide support for them as they continue to provide the very best patient care.
The Lady Garden Foundation has made a donation of £40,000 to this Fighting Fund in order to help support frontline staff as well as enabling remote patient consultations to prevent patients from leaving their homes unnecessarily. The Fighting Fund will ensure the hospital has the flexibility to respond to the crisis and be able to place the funding where it will provide the most benefit to patients and staff. It is thanks to all of our loyal supporters that we have been able to make this donation and we cannot thank you enough .
Lady Garden Poker Tournament
This November, Lady Garden co-founders Mika Simmons and Chloe Delevingne hosted the first annual Lady Garden Poker evening at Crown London Aspinalls in Mayfair. The tournament was a huge success, raising over £23k for the Foundation. The evening began with a private poker lesson held by professional poker player Roland De Wolfe before guests moved into the glamourous Sapphire Room for the main event. The atmosphere was tense as players, some more experienced than others, fought for the title. Guests on the night included David Haye, Georgia Hirst, Andrea McLean, Lauren Lyle, Jonah Hauer-King, Camilla Rutherford and Neil Stuke.
Gala 2019
Held every 18 months, the Gala is one of the largest events organised by the Foundation and this year was the biggest and best ever. The Ballroom at Claridge’s was awash with golden pink hues as 200 guests filled the room surrounded by heavenly flowers by Rob Van Helden. Georgie Ainslie hosted the evening keeping guests including Dame Joan Collins, Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York, Storm Keating, Thom Evans, Arizona Muse, Erin O Connor, Clara Paget, Samantha Cameron, Katherine Jenkins and Yasmin Le Bon entertained. The inimitable Johnny Vaughan ran the live auction and Ella Eyre got everyone out of their seats and dancing. With a three course meal, guest speakers, raffle, silent auction and plenty of raucous conversation, the evening was a huge success raising over £400k for the Foundation.
Fortnum & Mason Ladies Lunch
The 26th September saw a flurry of pink descend on Fortnum & Mason for the 6th annual Ladies Lunch hosted by Josephine Daniel and Tamara Beckwith Veroni. 170 guests took a seat in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room for 3 hours of fabulous fundraising with pink lips adorning the room courtesy of flowers by Flowerbx and a limited edition bespoke Lady Garden Foundation Hotlips ring by Solange. Vernon Kay kept the room in check as the host with the most and guests were treated to a special performance by the legendary Alessandro Ristori. The silent and live auction were a huge success and the whole event raised over £150k for The Lady Garden Foundation. As a cornerstone event of our calendar it was wonderful to be surrounded by of some of the Foundations biggest supporters on this special day in the midst of Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month.
Lady Garden
x Cult Beauty Tote Bag
In honour of Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, we have collaborated with Cult Beauty to create a limited-edition Tote Bag, designed to encourage us to stop beating around the bush and start talking about female health. With 100% of the profits going towards the invaluable research into gynaecological cancers that we as a charity leads, this tote does more than start a conversation.
The KX & LXU Lady Garden Run 2019
Following the success of last year’s Lady Garden Run which raised a phenomenal £86,000, The Lady Garden Foundation sprinted back into action on Saturday 18th May for the 2019 KX & KXU Lady Garden Run in Hyde Park, supported by Chucs Restaurants and Oakley Capital. The 500 strong participants were joined by long-term Lady Garden supporters such as Victoria Pendleton and Elizabeth Saltzman. Before setting off on either a 5k or 10k course, everyone got warmed up thanks to Paola’s Bodybarre, with Charlotte De Carle on the decks. All runners got a fantastic goody bags , generously donated by APE Snacks, Bumble, DASH Water, Deliciously Ella, Doisy and Dam, Heath and Heather, Marmite, Nails Inc., Ohne Tampons, Rebel Kitchen and Vaseline. The incredible £90k raised by this years event will go towards even more life changing research and gynaecological cancer support at the Royal Marsden Hospital.
Launch of Lady Garden x Gucci T-shirt
Launch of Exclusive Lady Garden x Gucci T-shirt at Gucci, Sloane Street
The Lady Garden Foundation celebrated its 5th anniversary with their second exclusive breakfast at Gucci’s flagship store on Sloane Street, this time launching their highly anticipated limited edition t-shirt in collaboration with the Italian brand. Photographed in the t-shirt outside the store by Amelia Troubridge, the photographer behind the first ever Lady Garden campaign, were Lady Garden Ambassador Suki Waterhouse, Ikram Abdi Omar, Serghinio Wooter and Kayden H. Lady Garden supporters Mary Charteris, Yasmin Le Bon and Storm Keating and Georgia Toffolo all enjoyed the delicious breakfast canapes and juices, as well as all the incredible craftsmanship that Gucci has to offer.
Women In Business Breakfast at Annabel's
Generously hosted in the Garden at Annabel’s, an otherwise cold Monday morning was transformed by the first ever Women In Business Breakfast, in aid of The Lady Garden Foundation. Guests, who had careers in everything from Finance to Fashion, were treated to a delicious breakfast, whilst listening to an inspiring Q&A between Lady Garden Chairwoman, Jenny Halpern Prince, and Author, Financier and all-round heroine, Dame Helena Morrissey.
The aim of the event was to raise enough money to fund a clinical research nurse for a year, which equates to around £45k. The guests heard from Lady Garden Trustee John Butler, a consultant gynaecologist and cancer surgeon at the Royal Marsden, about the difference their money would make to the lives of his patients.
Tabitha Webb Teams Up With The Lady Garden Foundation for Valentine’s 2019
The British designer and entrepreneur Tabitha Webb has teamed up with the women’s charity The Lady Garden Foundation on an exciting project for Valentine’s 2019.
Tabitha has designed a truly stunning limited edition ‘Pussy Galore’ blouse from which all profits of sales will go directly to the charity which funds research into gynaecological cancers. The fuchsia silk pussy-bow blouse is offered in 100% silk and carries a striking red lips print, making it the perfect choice for either a hot Valentine’s date or ultimate gift for the very lucky lady. As with all silk pieces from Tabitha Webb collections, every shirt is Made In England
Chloe Delevingne gets a Smear Test live on BBC
The Lady Garden are unbelievably proud of co-founder Chloe Delevingne for having a cervical smear test on live television, in a bid to combat the stigma around getting checked. Chloe herself discovered abnormal cells when she was 21, but recent figures show that cervical screening is at its lowest levels in two decades, with one in three women not taking their screening tests.
The NHS recommend women to get checked every three years, if aged 25 to 49 or every five years if aged 50 to 64. However, the survey published earlier this week suggested that young women are putting off smear tests due embarrassment and fear of being hurt. To dispel these myths, Chloe went live on air saying “It is a bit nerve-wrecking, but you just need to relax and talk to the doctor about it...It’s not painful, it’s just weird,”
Well done Chloe!
F&M Lunch —
Not only did September 2018 mark Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, it also saw The Lady Garden Foundation hosting its 5th Anniversary Ladies Lunch at Fortnum and Mason.
170 guests sat down for lunch in the incredible Diamond Jubilee Tea Room, which was transformed into its own kind of Lady Garden by Rob Van Heldon Flowers. With incredible raffle, silent and live auction prizes to be won, the Ladies Lunch has become a cornerstone of the Lady Garden fundraising calendar, which has raised an incredible £330,000 over the last three years alone.
Lady Garden Rumble —
From London to LA we’ve gathered an impressive selection of individuals from various walks of life to compete in our charity boxing event.
This year’s participants range from TV personalities, YouTubers, and models to entrepreneurs, business owners and professional athletes and many more; all who trained hard and joined in the fight against gynaecological cancer.
5th Anniversary: Exclusive shopping breakfast at Gucci —
On 5th December, The Lady Garden Foundation celebrated its 5th Anniversary with an exclusive breakfast at Gucci’s flagship store on Sloane Street. Celebrating The Lady Garden Foundation milestone in style, it also marked the exciting announcement of an upcoming collaboration between the charity and fashion house in the new year. Hosted by The Lady Garden Foundation Co-founders Tamara Beckwith Veroni, Jenny Halpern Prince, Astrid Harbord, Josephine Daniel and Chloe Delevingne, the well-attended event kicked off at 9am, with the more eager shoppers queuing around the block before the doors even opened. The Lady Garden Foundation supporters were out in force, with Esther Coren, Jamie Winstone, Mary Charteris, Storm Keating, Thea Green, Millie Mackintosh and Tina Hobley enjoying the delicious breakfast canapes and juices, as well as all the incredible craftsmanship that Gucci has to offer. The event raised an amazing £15,000 for the charity.
Carols by Candlelight —
The Lady Garden Foundation celebrated the start of the festive season with Carols by Candlelight at Christ Church Kensington. The star studded line-up of readers included AP McCoy, Simon Le Bon, Trinny Woodall, Lauren Lyle, Mika Simmons and Tina Hobley. Guests, including Poppy Delevingne and James Cook, also got to enjoy a glass of mulled wine and mince pies, as well as a chance to get their hands on some of our Lady Garden Knickers. The night was a huge success, raising an amazing £26,700 for the charity.
Campaigns
2019
For the re-branding of The Lady Garden Foundation, we partnered with Models1 for an exclusive Models1 photoshoot to produce original content for our website, social media and brand collateral.
The photoshoot was a day long at the beautiful Blake House in Battersea, London. The content was captured by Models1's Art Director Aaron Hurley.
Models: Models1
Make-Up: Charlotte Tilbury
Art Direction: Duzi Studio
Styling: The Deck London
Florist: Georgie Beattie
Hair: Raymond Bryson
A huge thank you to everyone involved!
Stripe
& Stare —
October 2018 saw the launch of an exclusive box of cheeky knickers in collaboration with Stripe and Stare.
The knickers are extremely soft, made of sustainably sourced modal from Austrian beechwood trees, and have been voted the most comfortable knickers in the world by Sunday Times Style Magazine. £40 for a set of four knickers with four colours embroidered with Lady Garden, Vajayjay, Poonanie and FooFoo, with proceeds going to the Lady Garden Foundation. Available in small, medium and large.
2017 —
The Lady Garden took it one step further in 2017 by enlisting the help of the Delevingne sisters, Suki Waterhouse, make-up master Charlotte Tilbury and the iconic Naomi Campbell. Teaming up with Simeon Farrar, each designed their own tongue-in-cheek t-shirt which were sold online and in-store at Selfridges.
2016 —
Building on this success, we came out with a second campaign with Topshop in 2016, this time with supermodel Cara Delevingne leading the charge. When asked about the campaign she responded
“There’s a taboo surrounding vaginas that I want to get rid of . . . it shouldn’t have to be so serious. It can be fun and easy to talk about. It should be.”
2015 —
In September 2015, which marks Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, Lady Garden teamed up with Topshop for it’s very first campaign. In sweatshirts designed by Black Score’s Simeon Farrar, Amber Le Bon, Anais Gallagher and Jazzy De Lisser helped the Lady Garden start a powerful conversation.
The message was simple: Get Talking, Get Checked. The campaign was a huge success, not only in terms of celebrity support but also in promoting the Lady Garden message. Following our debut campaign, our research showed that 81% of women were more aware of their gynae health, whilst 59% were more aware of the symptoms.
Follow Us
On Instagram
@ladygardenfoundation
