01732 711634 TONBRIDGE
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Thank you from the team at Babons Cancer Support
Meet the Team
Founders
Co-founder
Heidi Spickernell-Foad
Heidi Spickernell-Foad is a Co-Founder of BABONS
Cancer Support and feels passionately about the
need for counselling and signposting support for
people and families impacted by cancer in Kent.
Having personally experienced the pain of travelling
the journey of cancer and then end of life caring for
her mum, Jean Spickernell (affectionately known by
her grandchildren as BABON), she understands the
many areas of support that are needed by anyone
impacted by cancer.
Using the lessons she learnt about the system and
her commitment to help others, along with “Babon’s”
own desire to help other people through this
challenging time even when she was extremely sick
herself, Heidi strives to bring something that the
family feel is vital to the Kent area.
During Heidi’s career she has been a Company
Director requiring good organisation and
communication skills. Having had a break from work
to bring up her own 4 children, she has more recently
worked in a local primary school for 11 years, where
she has enjoyed working with all the children
throughout the school with inspiring music lessons
and leading the school choir.
Heidi’s mum, Jean Spickernell, often said she felt so
grateful to have the support and love of her family
and worried about others that didn’t, the mission is
that BABONS will offer this to all those that need it.
Co-founder
Tracy Spickernell
Tracy Spickernell is a co-founder and Counselling
Lead at BABONS Cancer Support. She graduated
from Newman University as an Integrative Counsellor and from Chichester University with a teaching degree. Tracy has over 30 years’ experience of working with young people in educational and pastoral settings, and 9 years of working with adults in a counselling setting. She is also a Level 3 Counselling Skills trainer. Before working for BABONS, Tracy spent 4.5 years heading up the Counselling Team at a Cancer Charity in Birmingham. Tracy brings with her not only the experience of working with people impacted by cancer therapeutically, but also an understanding of how cancer impacts the patient as well as the family and friends around them due to helping care for her mum, Jean.
She is the daughter of Jean Spickernell (Babon), a
devoted auntie and godmother and loves finding
creative ways to help people process difficult things.
Co-founder
Douglas Spickernell
Douglas Spickernell is a co-founder of BABONS
Cancer Support and was married to Jean for more
than 50 years. In supporting and caring for Jean during her illness, he brings with him a lived experience of the issues surrounding those impacted by cancer, and a desire to support others who may be going through what he did as a husband and a father. Douglas comes from a business background, having worked in the retail sector for 47 Years, the last 23 of which he set up and ran his own DIY company. He brings his business experience to BABONS Cancer Support and looks after the bookkeeping
alongside an independent accountant, as well as
liaising with HMRC and the Charity Commission.
Chair of Trustees
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Chair of Trustees
Neil Williams
I have been a personal friend of the Spickernell family for decades and I saw the extreme pain and frustration that they went through when the matriarch of their family became ill through cancer and subsequently passed away. When I was invited to play a part in their charity Babon, I saw the passion they had to try and ensure that other families did not have to go through the frustrations they had to endure.
Charities need to be run like businesses these days and I have many years of experience sitting on Boards ensuring companies meet their objectives including safeguarding and governance. I am also volunteer for the Samaritans and have a small coaching business which hopefully shows I can be empathetic and understand a lot of the suffering families are going through.
