I’ve always been a huge supporter of charities, I think this was important to my Mum, so it has continued through both me and my sister.
I often link fundraising to a challenge, more on that later, but it’s not always the case.
Did you know?
- 24% of people who menstruate in the UK say they or their family have struggled to afford period products in the last year.
- 13% who currently have periods say it is likely that they will be unable to afford period products in the next 12 months.
- 61% said if period products were cheaper or more free products were available, it would improve their mental health or well-being.
- 20% of people who can’t afford period products are coping by using makeshift materials, such as loo-roll or sponges.
Source – https://www.bloodygoodperiod.com/
These statistics are shocking and are the reason why I spend a percentage of my profits donating period products to a local food bank, The Community Cupboard. I can’t imagine not having access to these products. As most of my clients are women it makes sense for me to focus my efforts on helping women in this area of need.
Now on to the challenges…
…having completed my second London Landmarks Half Marathon on 7th April 2024, raising funds for Abigail’s Footsteps, I now find myself in need of a new focus, so I was pleased to see this pop up on my Facebook feed last week:
Bowelbabe Fund Jog 31 Miles Challenge
Facts and figures about bowel cancer
How common is bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Almost 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK.
Around 268,000 people living in the UK today have been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. But bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 50 every year.
1 in 15 men and 1 in 18 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.
How many people survive bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early. Nearly everyone survives bowel cancer if diagnosed at the earliest stage. However this drops significantly as the disease develops. Early diagnosis really does save lives.
More than 16,800 people die from bowel cancer in the UK every year. It is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK. But the number of people dying of bowel cancer has been falling since the 1970s. This may be due to earlier diagnosis, better treatment options and the start of the national bowel cancer screening programme.
Source – https://www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/about-bowel-cancer/bowel-cancer/
So how will I be fundraising for this?
I’m hugely grateful to the kind people who supported me in my half marathon efforts, so I won’t be asking for sponsorship again, but from now (Wednesday 17th April) until the end of May, I will be donating 2.5% of my profits to the Bowelbabe fund.
If you have any ideas of what my next challenge should be, please feel free to get in touch with me here.