KEEN photographer Karen Burrows of Lapford has produced a calendar featuring views mainly around Devon, some really local, all her own photographs, to raise funds for FORCE, the Exeter-based cancer charity.

A member of Kirton Photography Club, Karen has usually had at least one photograph included in the club’s calendars but this year, because of Covid, the club has not produced one.

Karen has a special reason for wanting to support FORCE. After some months of health problems, she began to feel really unwell last December and was admitted to hospital.

“Nothing could have prepared me or my family for the diagnosis I was given. I had Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer with spikes of cancer on my lungs and liver. We were devastated,” she said.

Chemotherapy followed, blood transfusions and a magnesium transfusion before she began to feel better.

Then came Covid-19 which meant Karen had to cut herself off from all the people and things that had given her support and comfort.

“When I was at my lowest I was introduced to FORCE and their counsellors who could support me. When I was at my darkest hours they telephoned me all the time, they were fantastic.

“I said I wanted to do some fundraising for them. I could produce a calendar using my photographs and their logo and the people at FORCE said ‘Yes’.

“I had begun thinking about this during lockdown. Cyril Chudley has helped so much especially with editing my photos and re-sizing for printing. He also helped me decide which photos were good for the calendar,” said Karen.

The calendars are £5 each, available from Karen, telephone her on 01363 83985. In the first two days of the calendar being delivered, Karen had sold 130 with another 50 on order. They are printed by Hedgerow Print of Crediton.

“I wanted to say how wonderful FORCE is. It is all run by charity but I could not have done this calendar without Cyril,” Karen explained.

She joined an on-line art group with FORCE, an on-line exercise group and other activities with it.

“My chemotherapy has finished, I am on maintenance dose now. My cancer is incurable but I have taken control, thanks to this amazing charity. I have my life back. I am so grateful to them, I would not be where I am without them.

“This is my way of saying ‘Thank you FORCE’,” said Karen.

She and her husband John have a daughter, a son and daughter-in-law and an eight months old grandson.

A former chef, Karen had also worked at Exeter Prison. She did karate in her younger days and played rugby for Exeter Ladies. She played rugby for Devon and said she had loved her rugby days. She has been living at Lapford for 25 years.