About Our Charity

Mary How 1941-1987

Mary was born in Victoria, Australia, and as a young woman she moved to the UK, where she met and married Raymond How. Mary and Raymond had two children, Jeremy and Victoria, and lived in West Chiltington in West Sussex, where they had many friends.

On the night Mary died, her husband vowed to start a health screening charity to make a bowel screening test available to as many people as possible – giving them the chance that Mary never had.

Find out More

The Mary How Trust for Cancer Prevention was founded in June 1988. (Our Registered Charity Number is 1122393.)

As well as screening for bowel cancer, the Mary How Trust looks for the early signs of many other life-threatening illnesses such as prostate and kidney cancer, heart disease and diabetes. And we’re here to listen to your health concerns, and offer lifestyle guidance to help you stay well. Read more about our health screening service.

The Mary How Trust is run by paid employees and volunteers. Our volunteers include our president, patrons and trustees/directors, as well as the many volunteers at our screening rooms, charity shop and at all our fundraising events. We feel blessed to have such wonderful support from the local and wider community. Learn how you can make a difference by getting involved.

The Mary How Trust is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales. Registered Company No: 06324356

Our trustee/directors have responsibility to ensure compliance with company law as well as the rules of the Charity Commission.

Our board ensures the Trust is well-governed and is transparent in all its affairs, and provides the Trust with a wide range of skills: medical, marketing, finance, human resources, business and experience of other, larger charities.

The board formally meets twice a year, and trustees who live locally assist the charity in an executive capacity on a regular basis.

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, and agree to ensure our fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful. Read our Fundraising Promise, which outlines our commitment to donors and the public.