SIX years ago, Nicola Heath opened the doors to a centre in the heart of Hereford where she hoped she could make a difference to the lives of those dealing with cancer.

This year, the hard work and dedication of Nicky and her team at the Yeleni Therapy and Support Centre was recognised when it was the only charity based in the county to receive the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – which has the equivalent status for voluntary groups as an MBE for individuals.

Now, following that success and having been inspired by her brother Mark, who sadly lost his battle with cancer in August aged just 53, Mrs Heath wants to continue to spread the word about the good work being carried out at the centre.

Yeleni offers nine free complementary therapy sessions to anyone with cancer, with these sessions combined with on-going support through groups and workshops.

They include acupuncture, aromatherapy, deep tissue massage, Reiki, reflexology and yoga to name but a few.

Mrs Heath’s inspiration came after her sister-in-law, Sandy, had breast cancer and told her about the work carried out by The Haven.

Mrs Heath worked there for seven years as a therapist while running her own therapy centre, Healing Earth, with her partner, Peter.

She subsequently completed training at Penny Brohn Cancer Centre in Bristol before opening Yeleni six years ago.

And there is great need for such a service, with the statistics surrounding cancer proving somewhat sobering.

Mrs Heath said: “Currently there could be as many as 7,500 people living with cancer in the county with about 537 new cancer diagnoses per 100,000 people each year.”

Current statistics from Cancer Research show there are more than 200 different types of cancer and one in two people born after 1960 will have some type of the disease in their lifetime.

In 2016, Yeleni was the only charity in the county to have won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and was presented with the award by Lady Darnley at a ceremony at Hereford Town Hall in September.

Volunteers really are central to the success of the centre, helping to run the reception, maintain the garden, do DIY, hold events, carry out fundraising and offer donation Reiki.

Many are actually cancer survivors who want to give something back.

Nicky also offers a weekly relaxation group at the hospital in the Macmillan Renton unit to those patients waiting for their chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

A weekly relaxation group for the general public also runs each Wednesday at 6.15pm.

The Hereford Cancer Support Group is also hosted at the centre and cancer patients also have access to a free annual subscription to a mindfulness meditation course.

The charity works with Herefordshire Carer Support and Crossroads Care to provide free therapies for some of their carers in line with the Carer’s Act.

The free programme for cancer patients can be delivered for £315 per patient, allowing them nine free therapy sessions and they can then continue afterwards at a reduced rate per session.

But it is not only cancer patients who can benefit from the centre, as the team of therapists also help people to ‘stay well’, with advice about nutrition and their physical and emotional wellbeing.

£10 from each paid-for session also goes to supporting a programme for a cancer patient.

Mrs Heath added: “What we have here is time. We have time for people. Most people say they are walking into a home.”