16th July 2025

Cirencester Friendly: Adapting to life after breast cancer

“Life is different now, but I’m thankful to be here and looking to the future.”

Beverley Lambert is a Claims Consultant at Cirencester Friendly. Almost four years ago in November 2021, her world was turned upside down when she discovered a lump in her breast. She made an appointment with her GP to get it checked out and from there events moved very quickly. By the end of the month, she’d had a mammogram and ultrasound, which confirmed the lump was cancerous.

She was prescribed a course of chemotherapy to shrink the lump, starting in January 2022. This was to be followed by surgery to remove it and subsequent radiotherapy. Unfortunately, Beverley’s body reacted badly to the chemotherapy and she was so adversely affected she was rushed to hospital in April of that year, her life under serious threat.

After two weeks, she was well enough to be discharged and alternative treatments were employed which were less brutal on her body, but they still left her extremely tired and unable to eat properly. Slowly, Bev began to recover her strength and she reached the point in early 2023 where she felt able to return to work for a limited amount of time.

Since that point, Bev has gradually increased her hours. Thankfully her health has improved and she is now in remission.

“Getting back to work was a hugely important goal for me,” says Beverley. “Cirencester had been tremendously supportive throughout my treatment, paying my full salary while I was unable to work, which they didn’t have to do. Besides repaying this support, getting back to work meant leaving the cancer behind and getting on with my life. I was determined not to retreat from life, but to get back into the world and start living again.”

As well as financial support and embracing a phased and flexible return to work, Cirencester’s employee benefits proposition was also hugely important to Beverley. “My treatment took place during Covid, which created extensive backlogs in the NHS. While there was no delay in receiving the first surgery to remove the lump, there was delay for follow up surgery, which was not deemed so urgent. I opted to use the private medical insurance (PMI) I have through Cirencester to get that done more quickly. Being able to call on this was hugely beneficial to my mental health as I wasn’t in limbo and not worrying about when the operation might be. I still use my PMI for annual healthcare check-ups which gives me an extra level of reassurance.”

Beverley now works five mornings a week, occasionally working overtime if additional help is needed in the department. She is currently covering some duties from a colleague who herself is on sick leave. Coming back to work after almost a year away was a daunting prospect. “I was surprised by the nervousness and fear I experienced on my first day back,” shares Beverley. “I felt as if I was starting a new school, scared I wouldn’t be able to cope. The chemotherapy really affected my ability to concentrate on specific tasks, so learning how to focus again was one of the biggest challenges. I am so thankful I worked with a team that was so understanding and supportive.

Having this experience has undoubtedly made me better at my job. When I speak to claimants, I can empathise so much more with what they are experiencing. A serious illness doesn’t just attack your body; it gets into your mind. It’s so easy to doubt your abilities, lose your confidence and retreat into your shell. By sharing my story, I know I have given others the boost they needed to take that leap to get back to work.

I also make sure claimants are aware of all the additional benefits they are entitled to. Counselling services, such as Friendly Voice, can be invaluable, helping people with their mental rehabilitation, learning to live with illnesses like cancer and the aftermath.

My cancer treatment has left scars. Due to the damage caused by chemotherapy, I now have a heart condition and suffer from osteopenia, which weakens my bones. I’m not the same person I was but unlike so many others, I’m still here. I’m determined to live one day at a time and appreciate everything I do have, rather than dwell on the negatives. I feel lucky that through my work I can help others do the same.”

Beverely Lambert, Claims Consultant at Cirencester Friendly 

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