In 2013, Tracie Mills, the founder of Arden Angels was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and started the path of intense chemotherapy, following with a double mastectomy, all under the superb care of the Oncology and Breast Care teams based at the UHCW Hospital in Coventry and subsequently The Maple Unit at Rugby, St.Cross. Her dream started as raising £1000 for one new chemotherapy chair for the Arden Centre in Coventry where she had been receiving treatment, she wanted to give something back for the care and support she had received during such a difficult time. 

Many friends and family jumped on board and for the past 10 years, Tracie has been spurring on the public, local businesses and anyone else who would listen, to help, support and fundraise for her charity.  The kindness and generosity of our local community was second to none and this is where the Arden Angels became the ladies, gents and children in pink who could be seen everywhere and anywhere doing whatever they could to raise vital funds.  Impressed by support, Tracie decided to further her target to £10,000, then it was £50,000 and as we stand today her target was £100,000, with this now in sight and a new total to be announced very soon, it could well be rising again very soon. 

With a life expectancy of 5 years at initial diagnosis in 2013 we are thrilled to say with a fight, 10 yrs on she is luckily still here, still pushing, still fighting and still nagging and although it has not been an easy path for her and the past year in particular, incredibly difficult.  Tracie was told just before the COV-19 Pandemic that she was now terminal and in Palliative Care as the disease had returned and invaded muscles and the chest wall and most recently invaded her liver and lungs and with one viable chemotherapy left available to her, which she is currently receiving at the new purpose built Maple Unit at Rugby St.Cross Hospital. 

Arden Angels were at a staggering £85,000 and are proud to have been fortunate in being part of bringing Cancer Services to Rugby and in Autumn 2022 were able to donate £30,000 to bringing Breast Services back to Rugby for all in our community able to feel the benefit of both chemotherapy and breast clinic services.  Back in 2019 we were able to provide the Arden Centre at Coventry with not one but twenty new chemotherapy chairs for patients at a cost of £20,000.  We will continue to fundraise and support in any way we can to support the community of Cancer Care in Rugby & Coventry, with having no or very little overheads and the support of people and local businesses in Rugby & Coventry we are proud to say that every single penny raised goes direct into our fundraising pot and we decide where every single penny goes.

To date and to name just a few, our fundraising events have included 42 + Skydives, numerous headshaves, fancy dress pub crawls, treasure hunts, pay what you think, fun days and often of late funeral donations from loved ones passed and the memorable "I'm an Angel, Get Me Out Of Here".

We recently held our massive "Strictly Pink" event on June 9th, 2023,  where 12 contestants took on the huge task of learning to dance with the support and kindness of Jackie Fallon, her family and her incredible team of experienced dancers from Your Time To Dance in Coventry. The night was fabulous, packed to the rafters and we raised a stupendous £23,000 during the 8 week period. We hope to repeat this event on a bi-annual basis. This money has been added to the pot and we will fund accordingly in support of cancer patients and their families very soon.

We are currently looking at sending another team of skydivers to the air in October and another bunch in Spring next year. We have some other great ideas in the pipeline which will be revealed soon along with our continued success of monthly bingo and weekly bonus balls.

Tracie lives on in hope that the legacy of Arden Angels continues for many years to come and continues to help the future of Cancer in Rugby & Coventry. Cancer is a devastating disease, not only for the patient but for the family and friends involved. It turns lives upside down and changes the patient dramatically, treatment is debilitating and this can have a huge impact on the patients loved ones, friends and family.

In 2020 we were honoured to receive Charity Supporter of the Year, a proud day for us all to receive such a prestigious award from our wonderful NHS and hopefully have more to come.

A final few words from Tracie...

"I am still here fighting the good fight, a lot of days are now getting harder than others, supported by my wonderful wife and son and my amazing friends, family and Arden Angels, I do not think their will ever be enough words for me to thank you all, I am truly grateful and assure you I will go down fighting and continue with the tenacity and sheer determination that I always have."

If you have an idea for fundraising or would like to join the team of Pink Angels (Male/Female or Child) we would welcome your support, please be sure to get in touch.

Thank you so much for your continued support, it means the world to us and every single penny does really make a difference and will make changes in the now and the future.

With love

Nickie, Tracie and the Angels xx

Please contact us:- 

millsey@live.co.uk or nickie149@me.com or on our Facebook page Arden Angels to get involved or support.