Mansfield Firefighters turn calendar stars for colleague with breast cancer

Fire crews from Mansfield fire station have posed for a charity calendar which was set up to raise funds for a breast cancer support group.
The cover of the calendar, which the crews are aiming to release on Friday December 15,The cover of the calendar, which the crews are aiming to release on Friday December 15,
The cover of the calendar, which the crews are aiming to release on Friday December 15,

The calendar, which the crews are aiming to release on Friday December 15, features crews in action.

Funds from the calendar will be donated to The Amazon Breast Cancer Support Group at King's Mill, for district performance officer Louise Brownley, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2016.

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Unfortunately, Louise has recently received the news that the cancer has now spread to her bones.

Louise Brownley, with nurses from King's Mill's breast cancer unit, along with fire crews from Mansfield Fire StationLouise Brownley, with nurses from King's Mill's breast cancer unit, along with fire crews from Mansfield Fire Station
Louise Brownley, with nurses from King's Mill's breast cancer unit, along with fire crews from Mansfield Fire Station

Her colleagues wanted to do something positive to raise money for The Amazon Breast Cancer Support Group for Louise.

Darren Warner, one of the watch commanders for white watch said: "After Louise started to return to work, we thought of what we could do to support these people.

"We started thinking about what who could produce a calendar, which has been about a year in the making.

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"We started collating interesting pictures of the different crews in action - up ladders, with hoses.

"All the four watches in Mansfield were keen to get stuck in, everyone's been involved.

"Some of the funds raised will also go to the fire fighters charity, which helps those injured in service, and their families."

The Amazon Breast Cancer Support Group was founded by twelve Kings Mill Breast Cancer patients who felt help was needed for patients that went beyond the pure medical care given by the hospital.

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Louise said: "I've been blessed with good friends and family, so I've never had to use the Amazons service.

"It' so important that they are there for women with breast cancer, because you need to speak with someone who has been through it."

On December 4, nurses from Kings Mill Hospital Breast Clinic arrived at Mansfield Fire Station to have photographs taken for the calendar.

Louise said, in her blog: "These nurses are truly heroines in their own right, I think anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or knows someone who has, understands that when you get allocated a nurse as your point of contact, you forge a relationship, you place 100% of your trust in them, you invest your emotions, they become family.

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"I strongly believe without them the whole process of breast cancer would be 10 times harder.

"You lose everything that defines you as a woman, its brutal."

Louise, aged 46, has started a blog called Tour De Friends, which documents a group of 14 emergency service personnel, mostly from Notts Fire and Rescue (NFRS) but also including Notts Police, Princes Trust and Notts Fire Chief Mr Buckley, attempt to cycle 140 miles in two days.

There will be 500 calendars available, which have been kindly printed for free by Mansfield based printers, Linney.

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Some of the crews from Mansfield Fire Station will be outside the Four Seasons shopping centre on December 15 to sell the calendars, which will be £10.

You can also contact Mansfield Fire Station to buy one.