Barrett's Wessex

Barrett's Wessex was inaugurated in 2009 following a year of planning by a small steering group.

It eventually ceased to be in 2021 mainly due to Covid. It was superceded by Barrett's Patient Support.

2009 Inaugurated as Wessex Friends of Barrett's Oesophagus Campaign with 100 original members and a committee of 6, popularly known as Barrett's Wessex.

2016 Finebore Endoscope presented to Southampton hospital.

A history from the main items in the quarterly newsletters.

(Newsletters were produced quarterly from Autumn 2010 - Summer 2020)

Issue 1, Autumn 2010 Report of 2009 activities. Fundraising including LeJog cycle, Chris’s France cycle, Old Mill World Cup football fundraising, Kuti’s event and start of regular drop-ins.

Issue 2, Winter 2010: Large donations received from various building contractors and Esso Oil refinery. Tips for Christmas, Cool Food cookbook.

Issue 3, Spring 2011: HALO target in sight. BUPA sponsor Cool Food. New drop ins at Salisbury.

Issue 4, Summer 2011: Report on AGM and presentation of HALO machine to Southampton. Dr Praful Patel gave a presentation about Barrett’s surveillance.

Issue 5, Autumn 2011: Fundraising cyclist bound for Australia and runners readying for Solent Half Marathon. New Bournemouth drop ins. Burning Issues (from our FAQ sheets).

Issue 6, Winter 2011: Reports from fundraisers. Bill Boyce’s story, “I owe my life to BW and the HALO machine.” Burning Issues: Plasias.

Issue 7, Spring 2012: Spread of BW with new groups across the region, worldwide influence via website. Seeking independent charity status. Burning Issues: acid and reflux management.

Issue 8, Summer 2012: BW logo and strapline competition entries. Formation of Action Against Heartburn and working together to plan a Be Clear on Cancer Campaign for oesophageal cancer.

Issue 9, Autumn 2012: Charity independence report. New logo & strapline unveiled. Fundraising reports of Chris’s sponsored cycle through Holland and Nomansland fête.

Issue 10, Winter 2012: We’re now an independent charity and can claim Gift Aid. Report on curry evening. Upcoming events. Fundraising report: Chris’s cycle from Saigon to Angkor Wat.

Issue 11, Spring 2013: New group requests. Endoscopy experience. Looking at endoscopes. BOSS trial.

Issue 12, Summer 2013: Launch of fundraising for fine bore endoscope. Reports of previous fundraising endeavours. Upcoming events. Our website receiving 35 hits a day.

Issue 13, Autumn 2013: Post surgical reports from Jamie Roberts, Chris Robinson. Upcoming events: steam rally, Walk the Test Way, Horse or Cycle, Great South Run.

Issue 14, Winter 2013: Reports of street collections, Steam event, Walk and New Forest cycle fundraisers. Be Clear on Cancer campaign announced. New Year’s day walk.

Issue 15, Spring 2014: Prospective MP visits BW. Guide to our Website and Facebook page. Invittaion to Great South Run. Planned Race evening, curry evening, quiz night.

Issue 16, Summer 2014: Saluting fundraisers for BOC. Launch of Oesophageal Cancer Westminster Campaign. Inauguration of London Barrett’s support group.

Issue 17, Autumn 2014: About Cytosponge. BW new gazebo. Stubbington Fair report. Planned OCWC Westminster lobby.

Issue 18, Winter 2014: Reports of Westminster lobby, Cycle across the Andes, Great South run. Be Clear on Cancer campaign and Point To Your Oesophagus campaigns. Fundraising charity concert.

Issue 19, Spring 2015: What is UKBOR? Report of BCOC campaign = first February UK oesophageal cancer awareness month. Opera Babes concert. Fundraising at Soton Football match. BW on TV.

Issue 20, Summer 2015: BOC renewed website and Facebook page. BW promotional film made by Solent Uni students. Reports of Scoping Saturday, Kuti’s evening, Quiz Night, Cuckoo Fayre.

Issue 21, Autumn 2015: Reports from BOC, AAH, OCWC, BW AGM. Fundraising events – Thanks to abseiling Tony Austin, Great South Run plans & Chris to cycle through Burma.

Issue 22, Winter 2015: Launch of Barrett’s Bath. Launch of Barrett’s Essex. Launch of Down With Acid encyclopaedia. Plans for next February oesophageal cancer awareness month.

Issue 23, Spring 2016: Growing family of Barrett’s support groups. Barrett’s walker, Stephen, starts 1000 mile LeJog fundraising walk. Chris talks about cycle challenges. Forthcoming concert.

Issue 24, Summer 2016: Reports for AGM, Chris’s planned Burma cycle, Stephen’s LeJog progress. Down With Acid reprinted (thanks to grant from Southampton City Council).

Issue 25, Autumn 2016, Reports from AGM, Stephen completes LeJog walk, Chris’s Burma cycle. Fine bore endoscope presented. About PPIs, Endostim. Patient’s story: 24hr pH manometry.

Issue 26, Winter 2016: Fundraising reports: BOC Charity gala, BW zipwire challenge, Clare’s first 10K run. Next February’s oesophagus awareness month. Patient story: fundoplication.

Issue 27, Spring 2017: Report of Oesophageal Awareness month – bus adverts, newspapers, display stands. Size of the problem, discussion: 300,000 or 3,000,000? Announcing Barrett’s UK hub. [Barrett's UK site - Now Barrett's Patient Support.]

Issue 28, Summer 2017: Annual report. Salisbury branch inauguration event. Metrics for BW Website (120 visits a day) & DWA (600 visits following Chris’s appearance on Jeremy Vine show).

Issue 29, Autumn 2017: New lobby group launched: Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce. Salisbury fundraising: supermarket day x2, and Bath: hospital fête. Down With Acid reprinted- second edition.

Issue 30, Winter 2017: Reports on Barrett’s Essex and Barrett’s Bournemouth large meetings. Patient’s story: 10 years post fundo op.

Issue 31, Spring 2018: Report on Barrett’s Wales inauguration meeting in Cardiff. Publicising new Barrett’s UK directory website. BOC becomes BOUK. AAH report on Oesophagus Awareness month.

Issue 32, Summer 2018: Report on Barrett’s West inauguration. Patient’s story: Radio Frequency Ablation. Concern highlight over Anxiety with Barrett’s.

Issue 33, Autumn 2018: Reports on AGM, cycle across Wessex fundraiser. Medtronic film about BW. Report of Barrett’s Wales meeting with Welsh Assembly. HCUK new support group in Hampshire.

Issue 34, Winter 2018: LSCT petition, Medtronic awareness campaign, obit to founder and his personal message to Chris. Asenbar Spanish Assoc. Member's story of “Guts & Gaviscon”.

Issue 35, Spring 2019: Obituaries to Gerrard Bassett & Jeremy Hardy. Report of Barrett’s Essex meeting. Establishment of new Lymington group (Barrett’s New Forest). New Diagnostic tests.

Issue 36, Summer 2019{ Barrett’s New Forest news. 3rd Edition & reprint of Down With Acid now on sale. AAH report of Pharmacy bags campaign during February.

Issue 37, Autumn 2019: Report of BW AGM including talk by Prof George Hanna. New Barrett’s South Group: Barrett’s Bognor. HCUK Hants campaign. Focus on Anxiety including Patient’s story.

Issue 38, Winter 2019: RFA for Wales. New Barrett’s Essex branch (Harlow). Asenbar UEG report & funds to translate Down With Acid. New support group for Achalasia: Achalasia Action.

Issue 39, Spring 2020: Report of Barrett’s Bognor awareness & fundraising event and bus advertising. AAH #oesophebruary reports. Announcement of planned introduction of World Barrett's Day.

Issue 40, Summer 2020: World Barrett’s Day edition.

And, of course, a massive Thank You to everyone who helped raise funds by walking, running, cycling, abseiling, swimming and just holding collection cans. 

If you wish to be remembered here, please send pictures to support@Barretts.org.uk