Julie Frankland
10 February, 2025
News

Wesham home scent brand raises funds for Rosemere in memory of founder Karen Cope

A lockdown hobby that turned into a new business for Wesham mum and hairdresser Karen “Kaz” Cope, who lost her life to cancer last year, has just helped her family and friends raise a donation of £2,000 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Kaz Cope, founder of home brand ‘Scent-e-mental’

Kaz’s husband Hadyn held a sale of melts, diffusers, soaps and laundry products made by Kaz under her ‘Scent-e-mental’ brand name at the Newton home of their friend Alan Robinson. The sale raised £900, which Hadyn added to the £1,100 raised for the charity at Kaz’s funeral service and wake last July.

 

Kaz was just 57-years-old when she passed away of spindle cell sarcoma, a rare form of bone or as in Kaz’s case, soft tissue cancer. Kaz had first been diagnosed with the disease more than a decade ago. Doctors had discovered cancer cells when treating Kaz for a different condition. 

Some of Kaz’s products at the fundraising sale for Rosemere Cancer Foundation
Some of Kaz’s products at the fundraising sale for Rosemere Cancer Foundation Credit: Rosemere Cancer Foundation

 

Following various surgeries and radiotherapy, Kaz was given the all clear but the cancer returned last year. It was Kaz’s fourth cancer diagnosis as in between time, she also underwent successful treatment for thyroid and lung cancer.

 

Hadyn (third left) with Ellie and the donation in Kaz’s memory. With them are Kaz’s sister Lynn and her son Daniel (first left) together with James and Alan (far right)
Hadyn (third left) with Ellie and the donation in Kaz’s memory. With them are Kaz’s sister Lynn and her son Daniel (first left) together with James and Alan (far right) Credit: Rosemere Cancer Foundation

Hadyn, who works in the railway industry, said: “Kaz really went through it with her health. During the start of lockdown, she was looking for a new hobby and started making scented wax melts, which family and friends began buying.

 

“Kaz then began expanding her product range to include lots of other home items including diffusers, room sprays, carpet fresheners and soaps. She spent hours researching and testing eco-friendly ingredients and worked with another friend of ours, James Graves, who helped her produce all the packaging and branded labelling. She was doing really well.

 

Hadyn continued: “After Kaz’s passing, we had a lot of surplus stock. Our daughter Ellie and I decided to hold a sale to raise funds for Rosemere Cancer Foundation. We’re so grateful to everyone who came and bought products and continue to do so, and to Alan for letting us convert his games room into a salesroom for the event. We’re planning another sale later in the year for the same cause.”

 

Yvonne Stott, community and events fundraiser for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “We are very grateful to Hadyn and Ellie for deciding to hold the sale of Kaz’s lovely hand-made products for us. Thank you to everyone who supported the sale and collections in Kaz’s memory. The donation in Kaz’s name is a wonderful legacy.”

 

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, which is the region’s specialist cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and also at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including that at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

 

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free. ­For further information on its work, including how to make a donation, visit www.rosemere.org.uk