Farnham woman Vicky Carroll has taken a brave step and changed career, launching Brave Crab skincare for skin affected by cancer treatment and the first The Brave Crab & Friends Wisdom & Wellness Festival.

The festival, which will take place at Easthampstead Park Hotel, Wokingham, on Sunday, March 8, will focus on the physical and emotional side effects of cancer and Vicky will launch the skincare there.

Vicky was a psychotherapist but decided to retrain in complimentary therapies. “I was approaching 50, it was lockdown and I felt I needed to do something different. It was while I was training and also supporting cancer charities that I realised that there was nothing out there specifically for people whose skin has been affected by cancer. There is also a longing among people who are undergoing treatment – with all the toxins in their bodies – for something natural and non-toxic for their skin.”

Vicky sees the festival as an extension of the skincare philosophy and oncology experts will give talks on expert talks on sleep, fatigue, sexual health, nutrition, exercise, pain management and lymphoedema management. Alongside these will be wellness sessions, survivor stories and a marketplace of 15 specialist exhibitors offering cancer-related products and service, from skincare and wigs to adaptive clothing.

Vicky added: “I wanted to create a space that truly understands the realities of living with cancer — a place to feel supported, informed and uplifted. This festival is about wisdom, wellness and empowerment, and helping people discover what best supports them on their own path.”

Speakers will include ITV producer and cancer campaigner Helen Addis MBE; Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel, founder of Synthesis Clinic; and journalist and author Rosamund Dean, and all the speakers and therapists have either waived or reduced their fees so that the festival can make money for cancer charities.

“Charities are so amazing; they don’t fill a gap they actually sustain a whole system,” said Vicky. “All the proceeds will go to the three cancer charities I support: Move Against Cancer, Penny Brohn UK, and NCIO (National Cancer Integrative Oncology).”

Ticketing is flexible and designed around attendees’ needs, including a full refund guarantee with no questions asked for anyone who has to withdraw on health grounds. There is a choice of morning and afternoon attendance and ticket-holders can choose two or three wellness sessions to suit their energy. Two-session tickets are £60 and three-session ones £80.

The name Brave Crab was chosen not just because the symbol for the astrological sign Cancer is a crab, but because of Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician and philosopher. He described several types of cancer using the term carcinos, the Greek word for ‘crab’ because, when cut, a tumour looks a bit like a crab.

“There’s also the symbolism of a crab being hard on the outside and soft inside,” said Vicky.

All the skincare products are certified by COSMOS which guarantees them organic or natural.

For details of joining the festival and of the skincare range visit bravecrab.co.uk.