A Lasting Legacy of Love and Creativity: Honouring Ferris and Gemma Newton

A Lasting Legacy of Love and Creativity: Honouring Ferris and Gemma Newton

The Fountain Centre has received a deeply meaningful legacy gift of £30,000 from the late Mr Ferris Newton, a former user of the Centre alongside his wife, Gemma. This generous donation is not only a tribute to the care and support they experienced here, but a powerful reminder of how legacy giving can help sustain our work for years to come.

Ferris Westrup Newton (1934–2022) was a sculptor, designer, and educator whose life journey took him from the rose gardens of Tyler, Texas to the creative heart of London and Farnham. After studying at Baylor University and Columbia, Ferris found his calling in industrial design at Pratt Institute, where he met Gemma Bontempo—a gifted American ceramist with a passion for cultural richness and artistic expression. Together, they moved to Surrey in the 1960s, where they taught, created, and inspired generations of artists.

Gemma (1938–2004) was a pioneering figure in ceramics education in Britain, known for her elegant, functional stoneware and her commitment to making art meaningful and accessible. Her teaching career spanned institutions like West Surrey College of Art and Design and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, where she introduced students to contemporary semiotics and the importance of cultural diversity in creative practice.  Ferris and Gemma were internationalists at heart—believing that art could unite people across boundaries and that beauty, harmony, and love were universal values. Their legacy gift reflects that belief, and we are honoured that The Fountain Centre was part of their story.


Why Legacies Matter

As an independent charity, the Fountain Centre relies on donations to provide emotional, psychological, and practical support to cancer patients and their families. Legacy gifts—large or small—can make a transformative difference. They help us plan for the future, expand our services, and ensure that no one faces cancer alone.

Ferris’s gift will help us continue offering the kind of compassionate care that meant so much to him and Gemma. It’s a legacy of kindness, care, and connection—and we are deeply grateful.

If you’re considering leaving a gift in your will, please know that it could help change lives. Just like Ferris and Gemma’s legacy, your support can live on in every conversation, every moment of comfort, and every act of hope we offer.

 

How Homeopathy Can Support Cancer Patients: A Research-Informed Guide from The Fountain Centre

How Homeopathy Can Support Cancer Patients: A Research-Informed Guide from The Fountain Centre

Cancer treatment is a complex journey—physically, emotionally, and mentally. At The Fountain Centre, we’re committed to offering supportive, holistic therapies that enhance wellbeing throughout the process. One such therapy is homeopathy, a gentle, natural approach that works to stimulate the body’s self-healing response.

What Is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy uses highly diluted remedies to address individual symptoms. It’s a complementary therapy—meaning it’s used alongside conventional medical treatments, not as a replacement. Research suggests homeopathy may help ease common side effects of cancer treatment and support emotional resilience.

Relieving Fatigue

Cancer-related fatigue can be overwhelming—especially following chemotherapy or radiation.

    • A clinical study found that 75% of patients using homeopathy reported reduced fatigue.
    • Patients often experience increased energy and a greater sense of wellbeing.

Easing Hot Flashes and Hormonal Imbalances

Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats can affect patients undergoing hormonal therapies like tamoxifen.

    • Studies show that homeopathic remedies may reduce the severity of these symptoms and improve comfort.

Boosting Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Clarity

Cancer impacts more than just the body. Mental health and emotional stability are crucial to recovery.

    • A randomized controlled trial of over 400 cancer patients revealed that homeopathy helped improve mental clarity, emotional balance, and overall quality of life.
    • Many patients felt more empowered in their treatment journey.

Supporting Pain and Symptom Relief

While not a substitute for conventional pain medication, homeopathy has shown promise in alleviating certain discomforts.

    • Patients have found relief from nerve pain, joint stiffness, and muscle aches, particularly those linked to chemotherapy.

 Homeopathy at The Fountain Centre

We offer homeopathy as part of our integrative cancer care services. It’s one of the many ways we strive to nurture the body, mind, and spirit of every person who walks through our doors.

If you’re curious about how homeopathy might support you, we invite you to speak with our team. Together, we’ll explore what feels right for you.

 

Homeopathic treatment is not intended as a substitute for professional, medical advice, diagnosis, or intervention. Your homeopath will not diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any physical, mental or emotional disease or condition. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified medical practitioner with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen.

 

 

 Finding Calm in Uncertain Times: How Mindfulness Helps Ease Anxiety During Cancer

Finding Calm in Uncertain Times: How Mindfulness Helps Ease Anxiety During Cancer

When faced with a cancer diagnosis—whether your own or a loved one’s—life can quickly feel overwhelming. The emotional toll of uncertainty, fear and change is real. But amidst the chaos, one gentle, powerful practice offers a way to stay grounded: mindfulness meditation.

What Is Mindfulness and How Can It Help?
Mindfulness is the practice of gently bringing your attention to the present moment, without judgment. It's not about trying to fix anything, but about being with what is—with kindness.

Research shows that regular mindfulness practice can help reduce anxiety and stress, improve sleep and mood, ease pain and enhance emotional wellbeing. For those affected by cancer, these benefits can be especially meaningful.

The Subtle Difference Between Stress and Anxiety
Stress is usually a response to external pressures, while anxiety often stems from worrying about what might happen next. Both can feel overwhelming, but mindfulness offers practical tools—like grounding, gentle breathwork and compassionate awareness—to soothe the nervous system and offer a sense of calm.

Making Space for Emotions
Cancer can stir up a wide range of emotions: fear, sadness, anger, even grief. Mindfulness doesn't ask us to suppress these feelings—it creates space to feel them without becoming consumed by them. Over time, it can help build emotional resilience, encourage self-compassion and support healing on every level.

Rewiring the Mind Through Practice
The benefits of mindfulness go beyond the moment. Regular practice has been shown to change how the brain responds to stress, improving focus, emotional regulation and clarity. It helps quiet the inner “alarm system,” making room for more balanced, grounded responses.

Why Practising Together Makes a Difference
While mindfulness can certainly be practiced solo, many people find comfort and strength in coming together. Group sessions offer a sense of connection, shared understanding, and mutual support. At The Fountain Centre, our mindfulness groups provide a safe, welcoming space for anyone affected by cancer to pause, breathe and reconnect.

Whether you're facing treatment, navigating recovery, or supporting someone you love, mindfulness can be a steady hand to hold.

Contact us to find out more about our Mindfulness sessions and how they could help you. 

 

 

Rachel’s Experience: Finding Strength and Support as a Carer

Rachel’s Experience: Finding Strength and Support as a Carer

This Carers Week, we recognise the dedication and resilience of those who support loved ones with cancer. Rachel, who cared for her husband Mark after his Stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosis, reflects on her experience and the vital role of the Fountain Centre in helping her family navigate an uncertain time.

Discovering The Fountain Centre

Rachel first learned about the Fountain Centre in the midst of medical appointments and difficult decisions, she sought a place where her entire family—herself, Mark, and their three young children—could find guidance and support.

"I was searching for something concrete and tangible—a place where we could each get what we needed," Rachel shares. The Fountain Centre became that place, offering counselling, therapies, and emotional reassurance at a time when she needed it most.

Support from our Psychological Support Service helped Rachel identify her children's needs and provided crucial emotional guidance for Rachel herself. Mark also received counselling, ensuring that every family member had access to the care they needed.

The Reality of Being a Carer

Life changed instantly after Mark’s diagnosis, as Rachel adapted to a new reality—balancing medical appointments, emotional stress, and everyday life.

"At first, there’s this very weird shock. It’s the biggest, most critical news you’ve ever received, but life has to keep going."

She describes the challenge of keeping life as stable as possible for her children while also facing difficult conversations with doctors and loved ones. The Fountain Centre’s complementary therapies, including Reiki and Reflexology, gave Rachel time to process her emotions, providing space to think and prepare for what lay ahead.

Prioritising Wellbeing and Finding Peace

Rachel emphasises how essential it was for her to care for herself.

"Mark and I were both so focused on each other and the children that I had to learn how to put myself first. And that was incredibly difficult."

Through this experience, she came to understand that looking after her own wellbeing wasn’t selfish—it was necessary to keep her family strong. Today, she moves forward with one guiding principle:

No regrets.

"Every decision, every moment we had together—no regrets. That’s what keeps me going."

Encouraging Others to Seek Support

Rachel hopes her experience encourages other carers to seek support, even when the road ahead feels overwhelming.

"The Fountain Centre helped us close the gap between the unbearable truth and the ability to accept it. The emotions we went through were impossible to handle alone."

For anyone caring for a loved one with cancer, Rachel’s advice is simple: be honest about your needs, reach out for help, and embrace every moment—however difficult it may be.

This Carers Week, we recognise the strength of carers and the importance of support networks like The Fountain Centre. If you or someone you know needs support while caring for a loved one with cancer, help is available.

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© {2025}The Fountain Centre

Supporting Cancer patients and their loved ones for over 25 years

The Fountain Centre is an independent charity located on level B within the Royal Surrey Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey Hospital. We provide emotional and holistic support, information and signposting, both online and face to face for you and your family.

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