Unsung Heroes: From patient to committed campaigner for breast cancer group

Jenny Clark. Photo / Dean Purcell

When Jenny Clark discovered she had breast cancer, she sought advice from the Breast Cancer Network.

After receiving its help, she helped the group organise its first national conference and raise money.

As the enterprising community liaison officer for Work and Income NZ, she helps charities find funding to continue their work. Her step to volunteering was natural.

"It's an informal network of breast cancer sufferers and survivors, so everyone knows what you're going through."

She became more involved when she helped organise the first national breast cancer conference in Rotorua in 2007.

"We had 475 people there, and were able to get overseas experts as keynote speakers.

"We managed to get funding for the conference, so that people who couldn't afford the trip were able to attend."

Miss Clark is now a life member of the network.

In her Work and Income role, she works mainly with Maori and Pacific Island groups.

Marion Cowan of the Te Au Vaine Takitumu Trust, who nominated Miss Clark for the Herald's Unsung Community Heroes series, says she has become her trusted friend.

"We established the trust as a Cook Islands women's group, and Jenny helped us get funding. It's good to know people who do help.

"We feel Jenny deserves recognition because of the unlimited time she gives graciously to groups in the community."

Miss Clark's other passion is local history. She has written two books for the Papatoetoe Historical Society, one on local women, called Cameos of Papatoetoe Women, and the other called East Tamaki.

"Cameos is really a series of little stories about the pioneer women in the area. It was inspired by Women's Suffrage Year in 1993. If you don't write these things down, they're lost forever.

"And East Tamaki takes you on a journey through local streets, pointing out the history in the area.

"This sort of book draws the community together, and there really did used to be a community here.

"It's just as well we did the book when we did, because a week after it was published, Flatbush was flattened."

Miss Clark is writing a history of Wiri, which is taking longer than expected.

She has also helped with the publication of two local church histories, St George's Anglican Church in Papatoetoe and St David's in Wiri.

She helps organise guest speakers and trips for the Papatoetoe Historical Society and, unsurprisingly, is also a life member of that organisation.