LEADER and chair of Frome Town Council – Fiona Barrows – has shared news of her recent diagnosis of breast cancer.

The town leader revealed the diagnosis at the council meeting on Wednesday (February 18) – and pledged support for counselling charity We Hear You (WHY), which is aiming to raise £55,000 by the end of March to save their counselling service for anyone affected or bereaved by a life-threatening condition.

Speaking remotely at the meeting, Cllr Barrows said: “I’m joining you remotely this evening, because I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month.

“It is on both sides and in both sets of lymph nodes, which means treatment will be intensive and extensive, starting with six months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

“The timing of this diagnosis is, if I’m honest, heartbreaking. I think you all know how much I love being in this role as leader and chair, and how much I love this town. There is so much work underway, so much momentum, and so much more I want to do.

“Thank you to my fellow councillors and to all of FTC staff for your support over the past few weeks, it has really meant so much to me.

“And thank you now for going out of your way to make sure I can attend meetings online and continue to be effective in my role, even at a slight distance. I really do appreciate it.”

READ MORE: Frome Town Council share of council tax to rise by 6.8%
READ MORE: Dual role – and £15,000 leader’s allowance – to increase Frome leadership inclusivity

And she then made a personal appeal for people to back the WHY fundraising effort.

“If you are able to, I would really love you to consider supporting our local charity, We Hear You,” she went on.

“In so many of my appointments at the RUH, WHY’s name has come up. Doctors and nurses have spoken about how valued their support is, how much people have benefited from it, and how sad they are that the charity is facing possible closure, and that their waiting list is currently closed.

“Frome is known for coming together as a community so if you would like to support me, I would ask you to transfer that support to We Hear You, and help keep them going for the many people in our community who they support through the toughest times in their lives. Thank you.”

Lucy Kitchener, CEO of WHY, said: “On behalf of the people we support, our team and our trustees, I want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to Fiona for her kindness and generosity.

“WHY is facing a serious funding shortfall at the moment, and our vital services are at real risk. If you can, please donate to our appeal – support us at one of our events, host a small fundraising event, or share the appeal page with people you know.

“Every action genuinely helps, and it means we can continue being there for people like Fiona in the hardest of times.”

For more information, and to donate to the WHY appeal, visit https://tinyurl.com/we-hear-you-appeal.

READ MORE: Frome news from your Somerset Leveller