When we started all those years ago, medical research teams in desperate need of funding to find
a way to beat this 'silent killer', often abandoned their projects because their chances of attracting sufficient funding
was almost zero. Equally, it was quite a shock to discover how little the general public knew about the disease which devastates
the lives of so many women and their families.
ROC can proudly claim to have reversed a truly significant portion of those twin dilemmas, but
only because you all rallied and gave us one hundred per cent support in our work. Not knowing what to expect to help raise
funds, we reached out to hundreds of people across the country, people like you who had the same sense of commitment, people
who had lost very loved women to this dreadful disease - women like Angela McGowan and Pamela Cullen who were the inspiration
for establishing ROC - and wanted to make sense of such a terrible loss. Together we achieved something memorable.
Initially we raised money to ensure that the ovarian cancer screening unit at St. Bartholomew's
Hospital in London, on the point of closure when we came along, were able to stay open and subsequently with our support attracted
an unprecedented donation of £22 million from the Medical Research Council to allow them to continue their work. Currently
we have just completed a two year commitment to fund the vitally important research work of Dr. Ian Hampson at St.Mary's Hospital
in Manchester.
Equally importantly, in an intensive media campaign, talking to women's groups across the country
and at endless fundraising events so many of you organised, we raised public awareness of a then little discussed disease.
We now feel it is time to let others take the lead in the fight against ovarian cancer, proud
to have been at the forefront for so many years and proud to have been part of ROC.
Any donations received after the 31st December 2005 will continue to be forwarded to Dr. Ian Hampson's
very worthwhile project at St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester.
Our very grateful thanks to all of you and a special, most sincere thanks to our patron, Michael
Ball, who from day one gave one hundred per cent support to our work, and raised thousands of pounds on ROC's behalf.
We hope, like us, you will continue to support other groups in their work to defeat ovarian cancer
and that ROC will always be remembered as an innovative, independent and determined charity, who proved that with the right
army behind them, anyone can make a difference. And we are proud to say with your help, we did.
With warmest good wishes on behalf of everyone at ROC, and again our thanks.
John McGowan, Chairman
