A BORDERS charity is bidding farewell to one of its long-standing volunteers who made an "indelible" mark on the organisation.

Frances Gordon spent 16 years dedicating her time to The Lavender Touch - a cancer charity offering therapeutic support to patients and their carers - as a volunteer and product developer.

After closing her successful gym business in 2008, Frances joined The Lavender Touch to provide much-needed therapeutic services to help people feel "calmer and more relaxed".

Frances said: “A lot of what you want to do, to help people with a cancer diagnosis, is to help them to be calmer and more relaxed. It is a real blow to somebody to be told they have cancer. The therapies and the products help people to be aware of their bodies.”

Frances, alongside fellow volunteer Angela Secretan, helped to shape the bespoke therapeutic products The Lavender Touch now offers to cancer patients.

The initial launch of the products in 2010 included creams, lotions and washes all packed with aromatherapy oils.

Frances added: “I had been creating products at home so brought the idea to the team at The Lavender Touch.”

Jan Beattie, chair of The Lavender Touch said that Frances will be "hugely missed" and thanked her for her "invaluable" contributions to the charity's work.

She added: "Frances' contributions to The Lavender Touch have been truly invaluable.

"From her insightful therapeutic work to her dedication to developing our bespoke products, she has left an indelible mark on our organisation and the lives of those we support.

"Her warmth, empathy, and innovative spirit will be hugely missed but we wish Frances all the best with whatever she does next."

Although Frances is stepping down as a formal volunteer for the charity, she intends to continue her support for the local organisation.

She said: "It's been an incredible privilege to be part of The Lavender Touch family for these past 16 years.

"Witnessing the positive impact our work has had on individuals and families during their challenging times has been incredibly rewarding.

"I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had and look forward to seeing the charity continue to flourish."

The Lavender Touch is made up of a dedicated team of volunteers who aim to be a "beacon of comfort" to those navigating a cancer diagnosis in the Borders.

For more information on the work The Lavender Touch does across the region, visit: www.lavendertouch.co.uk