Cancer survivor shortlisted to become Volunteer of the Year

BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

A cancer survivor is set to be honoured by a top charity for fundraising for its life-saving work for more than 10 years.

Victoria Botting, 27, from Aristotle Road, Clapham, has been shortlisted to become the Volunteer of the Year for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan.

Victoria, whose life was saved by a bone marrow donor in 2000 when she was just five, started volunteering in 2012.

She is now chairwoman of the Marrow Alumni committee, whose student volunteers have recruited 67,000 potential donors since its
creation in 1997.

She has led support for the Work from Home Heroes initiative – a campaign to raise awareness of the Anthony Nolan stem cell register in the workplace.

Project volunteers talked to staff at The Bank of England and other firms to recruit hundreds of potential lifesavers.

Last year she completed 310,000 steps a month to raise £665 for the charity.

She has created a new Marrow role giving advice to students about NHS careers, supporting medics and running workshops to help after graduation.

Victoria, an account manager, said: “I’m very shocked and happy. I do this work to give everything I can back to Anthony Nolan and then being recognised for it feels so lovely.”

She was diagnosed with blood cancer acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 1998 at the age of four and underwent gruelling bouts of chemotherapy.

She was in remission in 2000 but relapsed just 12 months later and was told by doctors she would need a bone marrow transplant to survive.

She said: “The happiness my donor has bought to me and my family and the fact that she has enabled me to live, experience everything that I have and even get to university, is just amazing.

“I actually had the chance to meet my donor a few years ago and it was such a special day.

“What do you say to the person who saved your life?

“I want to give something back and recruiting new potential donors with Marrow is the best way to do that.”

The Simon Dyson Award for Volunteer of the Year at the Anthony Nolan Supporter Awards 2021 will be presented at a digital awards celebration this month.

The awards recognise the outstanding achievements of volunteers, fundraisers, medics and donors who help the pioneering blood cancer charity save lives.

Celebrity winners have included Oscar winning actor Olivia Colman, reality star Bobby Norris and Olympic medallist Chris Newton.

Henny Braund, chief executive of Anthony Nolan, said: “It is remarkable to see how many people support our work to find a match for those in need of a stem cell transplant.

Without them, none of our life-saving work would be possible.

“Congratulations to Victoria. Your commitment and dedication to Anthony Nolan is anything short of inspirational. Your hard work is helping everyone who needs to find their lifesaving match.”

Anthony Nolan also carries out ground-breaking research to save more lives and provide information and support to patients after a stem cell transplant, through its clinical nurse specialists and psychologists, who help guide patients through their recovery.

Pictured: Victoria Botting (left)