Campaigning Hucknall councillor gets the all-clear from cancer

But now, seven months later, he has had the great news that, having finished an intensive course of chemotherapy earlier this month, he has now got the all-clear from cancer and is in remission.

Coun Bladgen (Ash Ind), former first aid instructor at St John’s Ambulance and a former caretaker at Spring Street School, said, “When you get told you’ve got cancer – it’s obviously a blow.

"My grandson Aaron had been diagnosed with cancer during lockdown and he sadly died at just 27, leaving his wife and my great- granddaughter.

“When I received the leukaemia diagnosis, I had to think of my family and what they’d already gone through.

"I didn’t want a fuss – I only told council leader, Coun Jason Zadrozny, and our team of Hucknall Ashfield Independents because my busy chemotherapy sessions meant I had to miss meetings.

“I literally turned the waiting room at City Hospital, Nottingham into my council office.

"Sometimes, I was sat on a drip taking phone calls from residents asking me sort out fly-tipping, problems with anti-social behaviour and concerns about Government housing targets.

"I did this three times a week for 18 weeks.

“Of course, my colleagues Trevor Locke, Dave Shaw, Lee Waters and John Wilmott were brilliantly supportive as fellow councillors and friends.

“I never told a single constituent I had cancer.

"They had their problems and it was my job to deal with their problems, not burden them with mine.”

Coun Blagden also paid tribute to the NHS staff who helped him throughout his treatment and revealed what it meant to him to ring the bell to signal he had beaten the disease when he left the cancer ward

He continued: "I’d like to thank NHS staff who cared for me, they have been marvellous.

"When I rang that bell, I rang it for Sheila.

“After all these years of marriage, we’re still like teenagers.

"I rang it for my family who had suffered enough from cancer issues, I rang it for my grandson, I rang it for every patient who is still going through the cancer journey and I rang it through Hucknall.”

Coun Zadrozny said: “Jim is an inspiration.

"When he told me he’d been diagnosed with cancer, his first thought was for his family and for the residents of Hucknall.

"He has been fighting cancer and at the same time as continuing to fight for Hucknall.

"He has been fighting to ensure the council got regeneration money for Hucknall – via the Levelling Up Fund – for a second swimming pool and other improvements at Hucknall Leisure Centre, which will be complete in April, and for more events in Hucknall like the Food and Drink Festival, which was his idea.

"I look forward to continuing working with Jim and I’m delighted with he has received the all-clear.”