“The gala is everything to me” – Ovacome’s Fourth Annual Debbie Baldwin Gala raises over £24,000 to go towards the Charity’s vital work in supporting those with Ovarian Cancer

At the start of June, the 4th Annual Debbie Baldwin Gala took place aboard the Tereza Joanne in London’s Docklands, bringing together a remarkable group of supporters to raise an outstanding £24,379.95 for the UK’s ovarian cancer support charity – Ovacome.

This special event was created in memory of Debbie Baldwin – a respected lawyer, London Ambulance Service volunteer, and tireless ovarian cancer advocate, who sadly passed away in 2021 from the disease. It was Debbie’s husband Prav, alongside a host of family and friends, that managed to organise and host the first Debbie Baldwin Gala with Ovacome in March of 2022.

Prav grew up and lived a large portion of his life in Waltham Forest, and speaking about what the event means to him he said:

“The gala is everything to me. Deb had created a vision in early 2021 of organising an annual gala event to assist Ovacome in providing awareness and generating funds to support their excellent work. Her real focus was on awareness as an invaluable tool to combat the avoidable progression of the disease."

Since its inception, the gala has raised in excess of an extraordinary £240,000 helping to fund vital services for those seeking information and community during some of their most difficult moments.

7,500 people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year, and one in 50 women can expect a diagnosis in their lifetime. Ovarian cancer is classed as an uncommon cancer, and many diagnosed with the disease can feel isolated due to a lack of prior information and awareness, as well as a lack of understanding of where to get support once diagnosed.

Ovacome provide support and information to anyone affected by ovarian cancer, which includes people who have either been diagnosed with the disease or think that they might be at risk - as well as their friends and family and healthcare professionals. Every year the charity provides direct support to over 6,200 people through their support line and events, while nearly 80,000 people access their expert information materials.

Imo Simmonds, Ovacome’s Fundraising Manager commented on the significance of this now annual event for the charity:

“The Debbie Baldwin Gala is such a wonderful way to celebrate Debbie’s legacy. We really look forward to it each year. The funds raised go such a long way in helping Ovacome continue to provide the vital support and connection that makes such a difference to people relying on our services in their time of need. We’re so grateful to Prav and the gala team, as well as every guest who make this possible – your kindness is creating a lasting impact.”

The Gala has now taken on a life of its own in acting as central point of inspiration for raising awareness and money in aid of ovarian cancer. Rob Scott from Hornchurch was a longtime friend of Debbie and somebody who’s been involved heavily with the Gala each year. Following this year’s Gala, he’s decided to commit himself to running the London Marathon in 2026 to raise funds for Debbie’s memory and Ovacome. This year, Rob’s daughter Rosie ran the marathon herself, raising over £7000, showcasing the wide outreach the Gala has had since its inception.

The Gala has impacted in so many other ways too, each year bringing together local communities for a fantastic cause! Andrew Skinner, local Billericay businessman and Billericay men's football team sponsor, explained the importance of Gala to him and why he has been supporting the event every year:

“It has been an absolute pleasure to help support the gala over the last four years and we will continue to help in any way we can. First and foremost the work that the entire Ovacome team do is invaluable to so many people and makes such a difference. Secondly Prav and all those that help him truly are an inspiration to us all and long may this continue in memory of Debbie. We are so grateful to be involved and look forward to the 5^th Annual Gala.’

As the Gala team inevitably look towards next year’s event, they want to continue raising awareness of ovarian cancer and Ovacome’s vital work throughout the whole year, continuing to honour Debbie’s legacy.

Casting an eye to the future Prav said:

“Our dedicated team has been relentless in their efforts to raise awareness and funds for Ovacome beyond the annual gala. The team have had 3 cycle rides (London to Paris in under 24 hours, Sunrise to Sunset coast to coast in Italy and Milian to Zurich in under 24 hours), running the London marathon, climbing to Everest Base Camp to name just a few of the events. These are the lengths our team will continue to go to in order to fight this relentless disease that impacts lives.”

You can read more about Debbie’s legacy and find all of the connected fundraising pages as well as further information about ovarian cancer on Ovacome’s website here: https://www.ovacome.org.uk/home.