Northamptonshire breast cancer charity founder tells £3.4m fundraising story in Crazy Lady book

She’s been a headteacher, a cancer patient and a charity founder – now ‘Crazy Lady’ Glennis Hooper has become an author.

It was a promise made to her late life-long friend Marilyn Clapham as Glennis nursed her pal that made her sit down and finish the project first begun more than two decades before.

Now her memoirs – She’s One Crazy Lady – have been made into a colourful record of Glennis’ life before and after her life-changing cancer diagnosis.

At a packed book launch Glennis paid tribute to everyone who helped her on the journey to raise £3.4m for cancer services in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, and to her best friend who had been with her every step of the way.

She said: “I had the idea to write a book when I was having breast reconstruction. I decided to write the book but we were too busy and it got pushed to one side. Marilyn used to say ‘get that bloody book done’ so I finally sat down and finished it.”

Crazy Hats was established in 2001 when Glennis was diagnosed with breast cancer. A visit to Debenhams in Northampton with Marilyn during treatment for chemotherapy inspired a ‘simple, crazy idea’, a fundraising day with people wearing crazy hats to school or work.

The day took off with Glennis ‘persuading’ Marilyn to help launch Crazy Hats. Twenty years later volunteers had raised £3.4m to improve breast care services across two counties.

One of those paying tribute to Glennis was Deborah Needham, chief executive of Kettering General Hospital (KGH).

She said: “It would have been very easy to sit at home and do nothing but the £1.4m raised for Kettering General Hospital is a huge amount. I don’t think I’ve known anybody raise as much for the NHS.”

Crazy Hats called it a day in 2021 with one more project to complete at KGH.

Sadly Marilyn died as a result of cancer in November 2022. At the Park Hotel launch yellow roses were handed out in Marilyn’s memory.

Glennis said: “She was a wonderful friend. The book would not have happened without you all. It has always been my ambition to write a book. Now I’m really looking forward to the next chapter of my life.”