This World Cancer Day, Hampshire Hospitals is shining a light on an inspiring project that is playing a positive role in supporting women living with gynaecological cancers.
Since 2021, patients being treated at the Trust with cancers including cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar, are invited to attend a peer support group taking an uplifting and wholesome approach.
Led by Cassandra Atkinson, Gynae-Oncology Cancer Support Worker at Hampshire Hospitals, the support group is based at an allotment in Winchester, with the environment providing an opportunity to deliver specialist support in a unique setting.
“When I was appointed to my role initially in 2020, I was encouraged to start a peer support group,” Cassandra explains. “We launched a more traditional one in Basingstoke, and because of the location most attendees were Basingstoke patients. I felt the women under our care in Winchester were missing out.”
Searching for the right form of support for a Winchester patient group, a virtual focus group was set-up to understand their needs.
It was during the height of the Covid pandemic, when indoor gatherings were limited and fresh air offered comfort as well as safety, that the idea of an allotment took root.
“The meeting showed less of a need for a traditional group, but I still felt Winchester patients could benefit from something. Outdoor activities were encouraged, and I suggested to the team an allotment plot,” Cassandra recalls.
She contacted organisations across the area, and in 2021 secured a plot in Stanmore, Winchester. What began as a simple idea soon blossomed into something special.
“Covid needed to pass before cancer patients felt confident enough to come and get involved. But gradually, women began to join, tend, plant and harvest together. Over time, the allotment became a space not only to grow vegetables but to rebuild confidence.”
One patient described it as “my sanctuary during treatment. I could just be me, lose myself in nature and chat with the other ladies without any worries, with people who understood.”
Another patient spoke about how powerful the group’s community has been:
“Going to the allotment has allowed me to meet exceptional ladies. They may not be aware of it, but they exude strength, joy, and positivity. They have inspired me to be stronger, that when life throws not just lemons but the entire fruit basket at me, I make sure I can make the best fruit salad in town.”
“There have been many patients come and go,” Cassandra says. “It has been a wonderful tool for them to build their confidence post‑treatment, to return to their usual activities, including work. The women who attend now have been weekly members for well over a year.”
The project is entirely funded through generosity and community spirit, with funding possible through donations made by the public. Overall, Cassandra and the team have raised thousands of pounds over the past four years. 
Today, the Stanmore allotment continues to thrive as a positive and supportive environment for patients, and, amongst the beds of flowers and rows of vegetables, it stands as a testament to strength, resilience and shared purpose.
This World Cancer Day, we celebrate our patients and dedicated staff, including Cassandra, who continue to drive this project forward, cultivating not only agriculture but an inspiring environment for wellbeing and support too.
