Bryan's royal reception recognises his commitment

A driver and cancer campaigner swapped patients for Buckingham Palace last week.

Bryan Baird, who is a driver assistant on East Kent Hospitals’ mobile cancer care unit, was invited to a reception hosted by the King and Queen because of his work as a community champion for Hope for Tomorrow, the charity that provides the vehicle. It is operated by Trust staff, bringing cancer care closer to patients' homes.

The reception, in the grand ballroom at the palace, was to honour community projects helping people living with cancer, as well as health projects trying to prevent cancer. Guests included actor Richard E Grant, radio presenter Adele Roberts, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, and Alastair and Heather James, parents of Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer in 2022 and raised millions for research into the disease.

Bryan, 68, who had treatment for testicular cancer in 1986, said: “You could have knocked me down with a feather when I got the call to say I had been selected to go.

“I felt very humbled to be there, with so many people who had done some amazing things. It was a day I will never forget.

“I was able to speak to both the King and Queen about working for the Trust and supporting the charity, which relies on donations to fund its services, and they were both very nice.”

Bryan worked as full-time driver on the mobile cancer unit for 10 years, after spending more than 30 years as a firefighter. He joined the team after retiring from the fire service and now works two days a week.

Bryan collects the unit, named Caron after TV presenter Caron Keating, who sadly died of breast cancer in 2004, from the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. He drives it to locations in Herne Bay, Dover and Folkestone, then gets everything set up for the clinical staff.

Throughout the day he makes tea for patients, chats with them, then completes his admin role, before packing the vehicle up and returning it to K&C. Colleague Denis Muldrew takes the wheel when Bryan is not working.

The dad of two, who lives in Birchington, said: “I had my treatment at K&C, and my mum was cared for in Brabourne ward when she had leukaemia. My dad also had prostate cancer treatment, and I wanted to give something back and do something positive.

“I didn’t really expect to be here 12 years later but I absolutely love it, and it doesn’t feel like work.

“The feedback from patients is tremendous, and the clinical team is superb. We get to know the patients really well so they almost feel like friends.

“I am one of the lucky ones, and I’ve now been in remission for more of my life than before I had cancer, and I feel very fortunate that I can still do this job as well as my community champion role, which involves giving talks and presentations to local groups.

“The reception was the icing on the cake; I don’t do any of it for recognition but it was an absolutely fantastic experience.”