Debbie Fund Raises a Million

Chiswick mum's death spurs fundraising for cervical cancer research

The Debbie Fund, which was set up to raise money for cancer research after the death of Chiswick mother Debbie Phillips, has passed the £1 million mark, the charity has announced.

Debbie died in February 2010 and just hours before she passed away at her home, her daughter Sarah recorded singer Paolo Nutini's 'Autumn' into her mobile phone and put it up on You Tube.

It caused a sensation and became one of the most viewed video clips with 417,000 hits, entering the I-tunes top ten and official UK Singles Chart.

The Debbie Fund was set up shortly afterwards by her husband Mark, family and friends and in just 22 months has raised the six-figure sum for research at UCL into a dedicated drug development research programme for cervical cancer.

The mother-of-three, who was a solicitor, had several smear tests misread and by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer had spread. Nine months after her death, the High Court awarded compensation of £800,000 to her three children.

Cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer and an average of 3,000 new cases are diagnosed per year in the UK, half of whom are women aged under 50. The five-year survival rate is just over 60%.

A statement from the Debbie Fund said, "Debbie Fund is delighted to announce that a generous donation from city brokers ICAP following their 2011 Charity Day has taken the sum raised by the Debbie Fund to over £1,000,000 in only 22 months."

Lewis Hamilton, Nathaniel Parker and Imogen Stubbs made guest appearances at the ICAP Charity Day for Debbie Fund. Sarah Phillips, Debbie’s younger daughter, together with Richard Sutton-Mattocks, Chairman of the UCL Cancer Institute Research Trust, and Helen Jameson represented Debbie Fund. The ICAP Charity Day raised a staggering $20 million worldwide for their supported charities.

In September Debbie Fund held a glittering Ball at The Hurlingham Club hosted by Nathaniel Parker. Douglas Hodge performed “I am” from his Olivier and Tony award-winning performance in La Cage Aux Folles, Laila Rouass drew the raffle and Faryl Smith and Sarah Phillips sang a duet. Other well known faces, including Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, were at the event.

Nathaniel Parker said: “I am thrilled that Debbie Fund has crossed the landmark figure of £1,000,000. The fact that such a young charity doing such important
work has got there so quickly is quite remarkable.”

Debbie Fund seeks to have a continually evolving programme of fund-raising events.

December 14, 2011