Having opened its doors in 2025 as Scotland’s first permanent, community-based support and wellbeing centre for those impacted by breast cancer, The House of Hope recently welcomed a number of Scotland Women players to learn about the nuances of what they do.
As well as delivering a breast cancer awareness clinic to the squad at Oriam, the charity played host to players Chloe Rollie, Evie Wills, Elliann Clarke and Alex Stewart to offer a peek behind the scenes at their Edinburgh headquarters.
As we enter Breast Cancer Awareness Month, House of Hope want to make it clear to women of all ages that checking your breasts for anything unusual is to be championed, in order that issues can be addressed at the earliest opportunity.
Breast cancer will affect 1 in 7 women in Scotland in their lifetime and by supporting the clinical work that exists, through emotional, practical and social support, House of Hope’s mission is to ensure that care is offered to anyone who might need it as they navigate their way through a breast cancer diagnosis.
Rosie Small, Breast Cancer Nurse Specialist at The House of Hope said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to run a breast health awareness session with Scottish Rugby, as part of our Hope in Your Hands campaign to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and encourage people to ‘check your breasts’.
“Many young women lack confidence, or actually avoid examining their breasts, due to fear of what they might find, so it was good to chat with the team and talk about benign breast conditions as well as breast cancer and answer their questions around breast health.
“I hope it has given them the confidence to regularly examine themselves and empower them to seek medical advice if they notice any changes in their breasts.”
The House of Hope provides wellbeing classes, workshops, support groups, drop-in sessions and holistic therapies such as oncology massage and aromatherapy. It offers a safe haven for those impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis with a relaxing living room, bustling kitchen, bespoke yoga and pilates studio, hair and wig salon, counselling room, kids zone and bra fitting/styling lounge.
Scotland Women centre Evie Wills said: “It is just astounding. When we got a tour, there were rooms upon rooms and they’ve just thought of everything; you can really see why so many people come here.
“As athletes, we think we know our bodies well, but with these workshops we are checking things we’ve probably never checked before. We know what a tweaked hamstring looks like but we don’t necessarily know what a mass looks like in our breast, or any changes in our breasts.
“I just think everyone should support everyone, no matter what they’re going through.”
Scotland full-back Chloe Rollie added: “Being aware of the House of Hope charity is really important. It gives us a chance to use it if we ever have to, or if we know someone who is going through a life-changing experience like this, that we can point them in the right direction to find the support they need.”
Breast Cancer Awareness Month runs throughout October and if you would like to hear more about the work that House of Hope does, or wish to speak to them at any point, you can do so here.
