We currently provide free gifts to adults receiving treatment for cancer in hospitals in Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire. This is to keep people occupied, take their mind off thinking about cancer and give something to look forward to.

The gifts range from portable radios, model craft kits, books, puzzles, pamper packs and many more. Whilst those items may not a face value seem important when you are on the ward they become important. The gift we use as an ice breaker to get people talking and then spend time with them to reduce loneliness.

The Lewis Foundation was set up due to both myself and my husband Lee spending 4 years in and out of Talbot Butler Ward at Northampton General Hospital, when Lee's mum was receiving treatment for cancer. We noticed how sad and bored patients looked on the wards and in the private rooms when they were on their own without family and friends being present. A patient spends a lot of time alone. We talked about what we could do to make a patient have something to look forward to. This is so that they can take their mind off endless treatments and thinking about their cancer.

From our own personal experiences we know that for the patient and their family it is a difficult time - financially, emotionally and physically. This is why we wanted to assist in some way to relieve that.

The first project was paying for televisions so people did not have to pay £10 a day or £35 a week to watch TV.

During 2014 - 2015, I completed Tough Mudder and Rat Race - Dirty Weekend (20 miles, 200 obstacles). The money raised provided 11 TV and DVD players to go in the private rooms on Talbot Butler Ward in Northampton General Hospital.

Once this was achieved, we wanted to do something on a long term basis. This is when we came up with the giving of a free gift to people in hospital. This started in May 2016.

 Every Friday night we visit Talbot Butler Ward in Northampton General Hospital. We hand out these packs with our volunteer team, Laura, Keith and Jo. The patient on the ward can pick from a list of 27 gift packs free of charge, to either keep them occupied or a provide an essential item they may need.

We also provide packs to day outpatients receiving treatment at Haematology and Oncology departments in Northamptonshire. This includes BMI Three Shires and Kettering General Hospital. We also provide gift packs to Milton Keynes University Hospital Trust.

In addition, on request we provide home donations of our gift bags. We now supply 800 free gift packs a month.

We rely on fundraising and donations to enable provide 800 gift packs a month. We are all volunteers who do this round our day jobs.

The Lewis Foundation is all about helping others in our community and bringing members of the community together to support each other when they need it the most. We rely on donations and fundraising, which we really could not do without our community. People get involved in so many ways: they may make a financial donation, they might donate an item for the gift pack, they can help us pack the gift packs or hand them out. So if people can't afford to donate financially, they can give their time or skill to help. This way we have been able to include everybody and there is always a way to get someone involved when they ask to help.

Our events:

London Big Half - 4th March

Tough Mudder Midlands - 19th May 

National Three Peaks - 29th June to 1st July 

Northampton Half Marathon - 9th September.