About Us

What is Lady McAdden?

Our mission is to support the early detection of breast cancer through education, advice and awareness.

Nurses

Come and meet our nurses and find out who they are.

News

Find out the latest news from Lady McAdden.

Trustees

Our trustees do vital work; come and meet them.

Supporters

Recognition for those who support us.

Find us

If you’re coming to see us, we’re easy to find.

Since 1974

Lady McAdden is proud to be the only Breast Cancer Charity in the UK to currently offer one to one support with a nurse for Breast Awareness appointments, both remotely and face to face.

Finding any abnormalities early on will help you to take the next steps.  Early detection is key and the earlier the condition is found, the better the chances are of surviving it. You are also less likely to need a mastectomy (breast removal) or chemotherapy if breast cancer is detected at an early stage.

As an independent charity, we rely on donations, fundraising and specific grant funding when available. We are not connected to the NHS although we work closely with them and our Breast Awareness and Screening programme follows the NHS 5 point plan for Breast Screening.

With the risk of 1 in 7 of a woman developing Breast Cancer in their lifetime and being the most common form of women’s cancer in the UK, over 55000 women (and 380 men) are diagnosed each year in the UK. With almost half of those diagnosed with Breast Cancer finding the changes themselves, there has never been a more important time to be Breast Aware, although we also know that many women do not check their breasts because they – lack confidence, don’t know how, are scared of finding something or generally don’t think about it.

Our Mission

Lady McAdden outside the Breast Support unit

Our mission is to support the early detection of Breast Cancer through education, advice and awareness.

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Breast cancer education

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Breast cancer advice

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Breast cancer awareness

Our History

Lady McAdden has a very long history that starts with the Townswomen of Southend finding a purse with a significant amount of money in it. That lucky find was never claimed and so it was decided to do something worthwhile with it. On 4 April 1974 the Lady McAdden Appeal was set up, named in honour of Lady McAdden, the wife of the late Sir Stephen McAdden MP.  Our doors opened for the UK’s first Breast Screening Unit on 22 May 1976, which was formally opened by HRH Princess Margaret on 27 June 1977.

The NHS started their own screening programme in 1988 and Lady McAdden has continued to offer independent screening to a wider age group (starting at age 40) and has proactively encouraged the over 71’s to attend, where this is by request only with the NHS

The charity has grown significantly since then along with the technology available.  However, the principle behind breast awareness and our mission remains the same: the early detection of breast cancer.

What we do

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We raise the awareness of the early detection of breast cancer through education and advice. We do this by providing practical advice on how to be breast aware, support and advice, combined with educational information.

We base our information on the latest scientific research and developments and work closely with the NHS to ensure that we compliment the 5-point plan of Breast Screening.

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1. What is normal for each woman – do you have any concerns or recent changes?

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2. How to look at your breasts and feel them

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3. What changes to look for

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4. What to do if you find any changes

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5. Have a mammogram if able to do so (NHS screening starts at 50 unless in a trial area)

You don’t need a referral from a specialist or your GP, you can book an appointment with one of our nurses direct either online or by giving us a call.

Our Breast Awareness sessions enable a Lady McAdden Nurse to help you become #breastaware.  You will learn what is normal for you, how to check yourself and what to look out for.  Most importantly you will learn what to do if you find something and the importance of contacting your GP for further investigation.

Most recently, as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, we have successfully taken our Breast Awareness appointments online to offer remote appointments, meaning we have an ability to reach further and include those who cannot travel to us. This has been funded by the National Lottery.

For more information about our professional and approachable nurses please click here

In order to offer our services, we raise charitable funds in accordance with the Charity Commission guidelines.

Lady McAdden Princess Margaret
The Witham Hub

Unit 17, The Grove Shopping Centre, Witham, Essex CM8 2YT

Collected 622 Bras

Raised £457

Morrisons Witham

Braintree Rd, Witham CM8 2GD

Collected 939 Bras

Raised £788

Morley Nurseries

Southend Rd, Great Wakering, Essex SS3 0PU

Collected 280 Bras

Raised £224

My Fairytale Wardrobe

Bell St, Great Baddow, Chelmsford CM2 7JS

Collected 275 Bras

Raised £238

Hollywood Babes - Thorpe Bay

Hollywood Babes , 186 The Broadwat, Thorpe Bay, Essex SS1 3ES

Collected 174 Bras

Raised £121

Coco Boo

49 Rectory Grove Leigh on Sea SS9 2HA

Collected 595 Bras

Raised £491

The Bra Consultancy

16 Edward’s Walk, Maldon CM9 5PS

Collected 395 Bras

Raised £315

Morrisons Maldon

Limebrook Way, Maldon CM9 6GG

Collected 669 Bras

Raised £602

Harwich Library

Upper Kingsway, Dovercourt, Harwich CO12 3JT

Collected 382

Raised £291

Frinton Library

59 Old Rd, Frinton-on-Sea CO13 9DA

Bras Collected 415

Amount raised £320

Brentwood Library

New Rd, Brentwood CM14 4BP

Ingatestone Library

High Street, Ingatestone CM4 9EU

Nationwide Leigh on Sea

73 The Broadway, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 1PW

Funky Barnets

714 Southchurch Road , Southend-on-Sea SS1 2PS

Total collected 464

Raising £370

Tracies Nails & Beauty

108 Rectory Road, Pitsea SS13 2AH

Tesco Pitsea

Off High Road, Pitsea SS13 3JU

My Secret Wardrobe

Wickford, Essex info@mysecretwardrobe.uk

Basildon Library

Basildon Centre, The St. Martins Square, Basildon SS14 1EE

Vange Library

Southview Road, Basildon SS16 4ET

Fryerns Library

Whitmore Way, Basildon SS14 2NN

Morrisons 284 Hadleigh

175 London Rd, Hadleigh, Benfleet SS7 2RB

Collected 2157 Bras

Raised £1662

Morrisons Canvey Island

Northwick Rd, Canvey Island SS8 0SW

Collected 1675 Bras

Raised £1323

Rochford Nail Bar

8 West St, Rochford SS4 1AJ

Collected £468 Bras

Raised £370

The HAPPY Hub

Eastgate Shopping Centre Basildon SS14 1AE

Collected 602 Bras

Raised £509

Orsett Surgery

63 Rowley Rd, Orsett, Grays RM16 3ET

Collected 865 Bras

Raised £621

Mane Attraction

Hylands Parade, Wood St, Chelmsford CM2 8BW

Collected 153 Bras

Raised £140

Boo Boutique

11 Heralds Way, South Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford CM3 5TQ

Collected 300 Bras

Raised £232

Longfield and Tollesbury Surgeries

Princes Rd, Maldon CM9 5DF

Collected 869 Bras

Raised £473

Morrisons Grays

1 London Rd, Grays RM17 5XZ

Collected 491 Bras

Raised £316

Clacton Library

 Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea CO15 1SF

Total collected 298

Total raised £193

Rochford Library

 8 Roche Close, Rochford SS4 1PX

Shenfield Library

 Adult Community College, Hutton, Brentwood CM13 1BD

Collected 239 bras

Raising £169

Chipping Ongar Library

 The Pleasance, High St, Chipping Ongar, Ongar CM5 9AB

The Ironworks - Southend

90 High St, Southend-on-Sea SS1 1JN 

Waitrose and Partners Leigh on Sea

1231/1241 London Road, Leigh on Sea SS9 3JQ 

Total collected 91

Total raised £75 

Vange Library

Southview Road, Basildon SS16 4ET 

Total collected 56

Total raised £50

Pitsea Library

Maydells, Pitsea, Basildon SS13 3DU

Total collected 91

Total raised £75 

Christ Church - Stock

Christ Church, Stock, Ingatestone CM4 9BN

Westerings Primary Academy PTA

Contact The PTA, Sunny Road, Hockley, SS5 4NZ

Total collected 360

Total raised £296

Get In Touch

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This website has been funded by
The Pink Ribbon Foundation 

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And also by the 
The National Lottery

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Copyright ©

Lady McAdden Breast Cancer Trust
Registered Charity in England (1062236)
Registered company in England (03334552)

203 Elmsleigh Drive, Leigh on Sea, Essex, SS9 4JH

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This website has been funded by The Pink Ribbon Foundation

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This website has been funded by The National Lottery

Copyright © 2022 Registered Charity in England (1062236).
Registered company in England (03334552).
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