Farewell to Sue after 25 devoted years

A grandmother who devoted nearly quarter of a century to making a difference to the lives of local people affected by cancer is saying goodbye to CancerCare's Slynedales centre in Lancaster.
Sye Tyson, centre administrator (centre) with CancerCare staff and volunteers.Sye Tyson, centre administrator (centre) with CancerCare staff and volunteers.
Sye Tyson, centre administrator (centre) with CancerCare staff and volunteers.

Sue Tyson, 63, one of the charity’s longest serving members of staff, will retire from her post as centre administrator in November.

Sue, who plans to spend the first months of her retirement relaxing and playing some golf said: “I will miss all my colleagues, our therapy team, and, of course our wonderful volunteers who have given so much help and support to me over the years.”

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First becoming involved with CancerCare in 1991, Sue was initially employed as a part-time secretary to Pippa Houldsworth - a local nurse and founder of the charity - before taking up her full time post as centre administrator a few years later. Throughout the past 25 years, Sue has dedicated her time to ensure the smooth running of CancerCare’s busy Lancaster centre on Slyne Road, giving a warm welcome to clients and visitors, helping to organise various fundraising events and coordinating the organisations’ growing army of volunteers.

Sue has also sat on the Committee for the National Cancer Self-Help groups and later, became their Conference Secretary.

Much has changed since Sue’s early days at CancerCare, when the organisation employed three full time staff who had just moved into their new premises, Slynedales, from a small office in St. John’s Hospice next door. CancerCare, supported by Sue, has continued to grow over the past 25 years which now employs 20 staff, 32 sessional therapists and over 120 volunteers, helping over 25,000 local people affected by cancer to date.

Neil Townsend, CEO of CancerCare said: “Sue is so much part of the fabric and soul of CancerCare and I know we will all miss her for so many different reasons.

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“ Thank you seems a very simple statement to say but is the most fitting thing I can say to Sue from all of us and the many clients who have come through our doors.

“ Sue is a shining example of all that is good about this place.

“We will all miss her very much.”

Sue said: “It’s been a privilege to work with cancer patients and their loves ones and to witness the positive transformation in clients from when they first walk through our doors, not really knowing what to expect, to then seeing them leave, weeks later, a completely changed person. I’m sure I’ll be back to visit Slynedales soon and be involved with CancerCare, but I’m looking forward to putting my feet up and taking it easy!”

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