The Fountain Centre is continuing to see a steady rise in the number of people accessing our services, reflecting both the growing need for holistic cancer support and the trust placed in our team by patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

Rising Referrals Year on Year

Over the past three years, referrals into the Fountain Centre have increased significantly:

• • • • 2023: 1,157 referrals
      • 2024: 1,378 referrals (+19.1%)
      • 2025: 1,484 referrals (+7.7%)

If this conservative growth continues, we anticipate around 1,600 referrals in 2026, with further increases likely as awareness of our services continues to expand.

Appointments Completed

Alongside rising referrals, the number of appointments we deliver has also grown:

• • • • 2023: 9,091 appointments
      • 2024: 10,431 appointments (+14.7%)
      • 2025: 11,415 appointments (+9.4%)

Based on current trends, we expect to complete approximately 12,400 appointments in 2026, ensuring timely, high‑quality support for those who need us.

How We Support People Affected by Cancer

We now offer support for up to three years from diagnosis, giving people time and space to access the services that feel right for them. Support can continue beyond this timeframe if circumstances change — we recognise that every cancer pathway is different.

During the registration phone call, we discuss the number of sessions available so that people can use them at their own pace. There is no pressure to use everything at once; sessions can be spaced out and accessed whenever concerns arise.

For those on long‑term or ongoing treatment, we are able to be flexible. Our team will always work with individuals to ensure they receive the support they need, when they need it most.

Our Services

Our specialist team provides a wide range of support, including:

• • • • Complementary therapies
      • Psychological and emotional support
      • 1:1 therapies
      • Exercise and movement programmes
      • Information and signposting
      • Talks, workshops, and group sessions

As a charity, we aim to support as many people as possible. To ensure fair access, some workshops and classes — and all 1:1 services — will now be offered for a set number of sessions rather than on an open‑ended basis. This approach allows us to provide timely, meaningful support to a large number of individuals each year.

Our team will always help people make the most of the support available and, where appropriate, explore next steps or alternative sources of ongoing support.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I was overwhelmed by fear and a deep sense of helplessness. What followed was a whirlwind of medical treatment — eight weeks of chemotherapy, major oesophagectomy surgery, and another eight weeks of chemotherapy. Throughout it all, I felt as though I had lost control of my life.

As the treatment continued, anger and despair began to take hold. I no longer recognised the person I had been before cancer. Although my family and friends were incredibly supportive, I realised I needed to talk to someone outside my immediate circle — someone who wasn’t emotionally tied to me. Counselling was suggested, but at first I resisted the idea.

I saw seeking help as a sign of weakness. I kept telling myself I had to stay strong, that I had to fight the negative thoughts alone. There was also a sense of masculine pride — a reluctance to admit how vulnerable I felt, both physically and mentally, after everything I had been through.

Eventually, I made the call. I was offered an appointment quickly, and when I arrived at the Fountain Centre, I was welcomed with warm smiles, a drink, a biscuit, and a genuine sense of acceptance.

I went on to have 12 weeks of counselling, and I can honestly say it changed my life. My counsellor listened without judgement and helped me see that I could regain control, and that there were still parts of me untouched by cancer. I began to feel a renewed sense of self‑respect and found it easier to talk openly with others again.

The Fountain Centre also transformed how I felt about visiting the hospital. Instead of being a place filled with fear and reminders of illness, it became somewhere I felt supported and understood.

I cannot thank the team at the Fountain Centre enough. Reaching out for counselling was one of the best decisions I made. If you’re considering it, make it your decision — and give it a try.

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.