6 years on and we're only getting bigger and bigger, but we had to start somewhere. Read our founder's story and see how Unmask Cancer came to be!
Check out more about the lovely Bromley-based women's football team we sponsor annually!
They are currently recruiting players 18+ if you or someone you know is looking for a new team!
Read the stories of fellow Cancer Warriors and hear their experiences of diagnosis, treatment and how the continued living with cancer
"Promoting the importance of play"
The Play Team is incredible and helps those children stuck in hospitals over an extended period still find the fun of being a child!
We've worked with them for our Christmas Toy Drive and our current Easter Egg Drive.
Check out more of what they do over on their Instagram
We have followed and supported Poppy and her family for an extremely long time and taken every opportunity possible to help fundraise and spread awareness of their experience.
Read Poppy's story using the link below and see how you can help support
Since 2018, we've fundraised for a large variety of different charities, families and more!
Check out who we have previously fundraised for below!
Check out our supporters who have completed fundraisers on our behalf!
Created by our founder, using bespoke items perfect to provide comfort during chemotherapy treatment
In November 2017, at the age of 32, I was in the bath when I found a lump in my right breast. I waited 2 days to see if it had anything to do with hormones and if the lump would change or go away. When it was still the same 2 days later, I knew it was time to see the Doctor.
One week on and we were back in the Doctors office for the results, i already knew deep down what those results were going to be but even so hearing the Doctor say '' I'm so sorry but you have breast cancer'' still came as a shock, my first thought was 'but what about Sean and the kids' I was then told I had a stage 1 tumour 1.8cm in size and grade 3 which is the fastest growing cancer and would need either aggressive chemotherapy followed by a lumpectomy which is surgery to remove the lump or surgery and then less aggressive chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy and 5 years of hormone tablets as my cancer was boarding being hormone receptor-positive. We then went on to meet the lovely Gillian who was to be my breast care nurse, at this point my mind had gone blank and I couldn't take in anything she spoke to us about, thank god Sean was with me asking all the right questions.
I found my lump very early and because i went straight to the Doctor it made the whole process of treating it so much easier.
We waited until 2 days after Christmas to tell the kids, that was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life, they were amazing about it and have continued to be, i cant imagine how it must of felt at the ages of 11,13 and 14 to be told your mum has breast cancer but they have made me so proud.
Everything was put into action very quickly, I had my lumpectomy in January and started the 1st of my 4 chemotherapy sessions in February. I have now had 3 chemo's and have my last one on 25th April followed by 4 weeks of radiotherapy everyday Mon - Fri. I have lost my hair but lucky it has now grown back almost to pre cancer length, cant say the about my eyebrows though I was left with a few stands of hair and that's it but its all good as i found a wonderful beautician who does the most amazing micro blading, she was actually recommended to me by another cancer warrior, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made to have it done. You can't even tell my brows are not real hair. I have had some really tough days health-wise after chemo, but I am so so lucky to have caught it early, it hadn't spread, treatment began quickly, and it was all removed or destroyed through surgery and treatment all within the space of 8 months. I now take a tablet called tamoxifen every day which is a form of cancer hormone treatment and will be taking that until 2028.
I still have many health problems due to the severe side effects of treatment, I am in pain every single day and rely on lots of pain meds to get me through each day. I am currently having scans to see if we can find what's causing this pain, for many of us cancer really doesn't end when you get the all-clear, it hangs around making its mark on your body and mind for years to come. Another effect of treatment is I have severe anxiety and PTSD, I have found the mental side effects are just as bad as the physical and after speaking to many other warriors this is something a lot of us warriors deal with but don't receive half as much support with and that needs to change. This is something I would like to work on in the future by creating my own charity.
Planning these events is a real help to me, it takes my mind off the pain and anxiety and although yes it can be very stressful at times knowing i can help make life a little bit easier for others is always worth it, that and the fact its always an amazing night and so much fun.Having breast cancer has made me grateful for so my things especially my family and friends, I can not and will not ever be able to thank everyone enough. I have had so many amazing messages from so many lovely people, even complete strangers and each one I have appreciated more than I can say. They say every cloud has a silver lining and being able to hold these nights raising money for cancer charities to help those affected by cancer is my silver lining.
I want to raise as much money as possible and hope you will all help me do that and be a part of something special.
Last year I was officially 5 years into remission which is a big milestone to get to and to celebrate, I held 2 events. The Men's football tournament and my 5th ball - The Winter Wonderland Charity ball.
So far I have raised over £30,000 for other cancer charities. Now a registered charity (as of September 2023), I can officially fundraise for my own charity that I started in 2018, and have since grown with my 5 trustees and more helpers along the way! And the charity can begin taking steps toward becoming a well-known charity which can help other individuals and their loved ones affected by a diagnosis. A diagnosis affects everyone around, not just the diagnosed 'patient'
- Jo, Breast Cancer Survivor and Unmask Cancer Founder 2024"
We became team sponsors in 2021 and we've been proudly doing so ever since.
The girls have had many chnages with players going to uni, new players joining and new managers but they've still managed to make it work and continue to be champions.
Our logo is proudly on display on all Broms kits and they even have their pink kit which is a bigger representation of our support! We've been with some of these ladies since they were in the Bromleains Girls Under 16s and to see them grow as players and ladies has been a pleasure. Being with these women since they've been so young, it's been the biggest level of importance to educate and promote looking after their bodies and how to see any signs which could be life saving.
We're proudly going to continue sponsoring the Bromleians Ladies for as long as we can to help bring awareness and education around cancer to as many ladies and young women we possibly can!
The Broms ladies are currently recruiting new players!
Players League:
- KD1 West 24/25
The success of the team so far..
- KD1 West 22/23 Winners🏆
- KD2 West Winners 21/22
- SECWFL Kent Divisional Cup Winners 21/22🏆
If you're interested in joining a new successful Bromley-based team, give the team a follow on Instagram and give them a message for more details!
Read the stories of fellow cancer warriors and understand the process of their diagnosis, treatment and how they felt through their experience navigating it all.
"The main thing I’ve learnt during this is that you have to keep going. Being strong or positive doesn’t come into it, it’s just about taking one step after another and live in the moment. Never take your life for granted and if something doesn’t feel right in your body please seek medical advice" - Rachel, Cancer Warrior
Hi my name is Jill, in late 2005 I started to feel tired and had abdominal pain. My GP said he could feel a lump and took a faeces sample, the result was negative.
By February 2006 I didn't feel well at all so eventually my daughter called an ambulance. I was admitted and after a CT scan they still weren't sure what was wrong. I had emergency, investigative surgery, I woke up to be told part of my bowel and a tumour had been removed.
Six weeks later I found out the tumour was malignant, Bowel Cancer. The dreaded C word. I needed six months of chemotherapy, several stays in hospital.
Finally September 2006 it was all over, I could finally move on, or so I thought.
I had a CT scan every 4 months, and in June 2008 I was told there were secondary
tumours, metastatic bowel cancer. This time I needed a thoracotomy to remove lumps from my lung. Again I needed chemotherapy, stronger this time.
After a few rounds I was admitted with neutropenia, low white blood cell count, and in danger of organ failure. I didn't feel ill at all. It was decided to have a break from chemotherapy.
January 2009 I suffered an unrelated subarachnoid brain haemorrhage!!
Summer 2010 and the cancer was back in my lung. This time I had a procedure called RFA, radio frequency ablation, literally burnt the lumps away.
Summer 2011 and yet again the cancer was back in my lung, another thoracotomy. Let me tell you it's a very painful surgery to recover from, having ribs broken and all the muscles in your back cut through. I still have problems now.
I didn't have chemo this time, apparently after six weeks from surgery its too late for treatment.
This year 2021 will be my last CT scan, 15 years since it all began and 10 years since the last incident.
It's been a bumpy road, lots of ups and downs. At the end of the day I'm alive.
A cancer diagnosis is devastating, but with support from friends and family you can get through it. My specialist nurse once told me "Its harder to live without cancer than to live with it". So true, the anxiety waiting for test results is awful.
I didn't expect to have a little skirmish with breast cancer in 2018, luckily a regular mammogram showed up the lump, and after a biopsy I was told there was a tiny spot of invasive cancer. Part of my breast was removed, thankfully no chemo but 3 weeks of radiotherapy!
So that's my cancer story!
My warrior story.
Hello, my name is Heidi, I’ve been married 28 years and have two grown-up sons aged 25 and 27.
When I was 31 I found out I’d inherited the mutated BRCA1 gene from my mother which is the faulty breast cancer gene and quite unknown about in 2002 . Within three months I had a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction to reduce my chances of breast cancer. In 2016 aged 45 I had a hysterectomy with BSO to reduce my risk of ovarian cancer. All went well then 17 months later in 2017 after three months of unusual constipation and bloating an unplanned scan diagnosed I had stage 3C peritoneal cancer which was aggressive and it spread throughout my abdomen. 7 weeks later I had full debulking Surgery which involved an 18 inch midline scar removing my peritoneal lining, omentum, appendix, spleen, all large colon, some small bowel, 5 L of fluid and leaving me with a permanent stoma ( Ileostomy). Last year I was diagnosed with secondary liver cancer and six weeks later had half my liver removed along with the tumour and lots of scar tissue from previous op but surprisingly to everyone 3 weeks later it was discovered it wasn’t a cancerous tumour it was a granuloma, a group of cells that mass together. I made a good recovery but since that surgery my cancer markers have been rising higher although scans show Ned and I have kidney damage from severe dehydration meaning I need regular infusions of fluid and magnesium for a magnesium deficiency...otherwise life goes on, I travel when I can, enjoy kayaking, cycling, hiking and generally life itself .
I was feeling really tired, having abdominal pain and also getting a painful burning feeling in the lower part of my stomach after eating some foods. I kept on going to my GP but was just told to take Buscopan, which is a medication to treat stomach pain and IBS.
However the symptoms kept on getting worse, in both April and May 2018 I was admitted to hospital. The doctors diagnosed me with an ovarian cyst. I had a CT scan, MRI scan and ultra sound, but nothing else was found.
I started trying to deal with some of my symptoms myself, by changing my diet, drinking peppermint tea and taking high strength probiotics. This did help soothe some of the symptoms, so I thought maybe I might have a food sensitivity. Yet, the pain in my stomach was still there. I asked my GP for a colonoscopy, but they advised I didn’t need one. I was informed I was too young for anything serious to be going on but I’m my gut I knew something was wrong.
I went to go see my dermatologist, who looked into the side effects often caused by my psoriasis medication. When realising none of my symptoms matched this, they quickly booked me in for a colonoscopy.
I had appointment with gastro consultant on the 17th August and had my colonoscopy on the 12th November 2018. At my colonoscopy they detailed what I saw on the screen was a lesion on my appendix, which would mean I’d need to be sent for a two week urgent appointment. At this point I was worried, but I thought the worst it would be was an inflamed appendix. I was wrong.
I had an operation within 2 WEEKS and after this I was told that I had stage three or four bowel cancer.
The cancer had spread outside the bowel and the ovarian cyst that was picked up a few months ago, was part of this spread. However, due to my young age, nobody at the time put this down to advanced bowel cancer
It was devastating, but when you find yourself in a position like that, you have no choice but to keep on going.
DURING operation, I had a hysterectomy, as well as the removal of two sections of my bowel and a stoma created. This was really tough to deal with and STILL IS. However, I’m so lucky to have the most amazing step son, Jac, who I absolutely adore. As well as my nieces and nephews, who all give me a reason to smile and laugh again.
However, my treatment plan had to be changed as I was having such severe side effects. When I breathed in cold air it was like I was choking and simply washing my hands felt as though I plunged my hands into a bowl of needles. I couldn’t eat or sleep and had sickness for days. I’m so grateful to my husband who helped me with every task and supported me throughout.
My cancer spread to my lung in September 2019. So now I’m stage four. However I had successful surgery in November 2019 and further chemotherapy treatment until April 2020. I recently received some positive news that my scan was clear while on chemotherapy.
I had a follow up scan in September 2020 off treatment and it was finally clear.
I'm currently recovering from my stoma reversal surgery and due my 2nd scan off treatment on the 14th march and hopefully will get the results by the end of the month.
I will continue to be monitored for the next 5 years every 6 months with scans, blood tests and appointments so the nightmare of cancer is still not over. However I am starting to rebuild my life and I started back to work in May 2020 and rebuilding my fitness with Lauren Green at empowered women fitness.
I've also fundraised for Bowel Cancer UK to help make sure in the future that no other family needs to go through what we are. Since 2019 I’ve raised over £2,00 by doing the Cardiff Walk Together and Step Up For 30.
The donations meant so much to me. I’m hoping to do more this year.
It’s my mission and duty to raise awareness as much as I can so no one else experiences this illness that takes so much from you.
Being strong or positive doesn’t come into it, it’s just about taking one step after another and live in the moment. Never take your life for granted and if something doesn’t feel right in your body please seek medical advice.
Hi, my name is Betty , I’m 34 years old and I was diagnosed with invasive triple negative breast cancer.
I want to share my story with you because what happened to me was unreal and the way it happened to me it can happen to many other women out there.
Back in 2019 I found a little lump on my left breast , I was a bit concerned about it so I decide to go to my GP.
When I finally got my appointment my Doctor said was nothing bad , lumps like that are very common and can appear any time specially if you’re taking contraception pills and that’s was it !!
A few months later I was planning on having a breast augmentation surgery so I looked for a doctor in Brazil because they are the best there. Between messages and video calls about everything I wanted I commented with the doctor about this little lump that I had on my breast , he strongly recommended that I should be seen for a doctor and get an ultrasound as soon as possible. So I did, once again my GP said was nothing to worry about, that I was very young to get cancer etc... I started to cry , I was super anxious and scared, I just wanted to know what was that ! Unfortunately I have cases in my family with other types of cancer , only after this whole situation I got booked in to see a specialist at the hospital. When that day came the same thing happened again , that is nothing to worry about, doesn’t look nothing serious, but he send me to do an ultrasound on that day and on that moment they realised it might be something, so I had biopsy done right away. First diagnosis was that I have a fibroadenoma, which is very common in young women like me , but wasn’t, it was cancer ! I couldn’t believe myself that was happening to me !! Many dark thoughts came to my mind, like that I am going to die ? Is it god punishing me? What I did wrong ? Why me ?
I can’t explain what I felt on that moment, but one thing I knew for sure , I didn’t wanted to die , that I still have so much to live and giving up wasn’t an option and so my journey against breast cancer began . I just need it to know from where to start , chemotherapy or surgery first !I went through thousands of exams MRI , CT scans , Bone scans , mammogram, and others.
I also started to be followed by Macmillan cancer support too .
Macmillan cancer centre they give you all the support and advice you need on that difficult time of your life . You have so many questions, so many doubts, fears, such as health, treatments , job and financially. YES, because if you’re on treatment you won’t be able to work , that was a scary one for me ,because I’m immigrant and I have no family support here. Three weeks later i started my chemotherapy, the most scary day of my life I confess ! You don’t know what’s going to happen, how your body is going to react etc...
Until the worst happened, COVID-19 , pandemic, virus, lockdown... omg I was on chemotherapy treatment, I had no idea what to think !!
Suddenly everything changed, was horrible, you already have so much to deal with and now you have cancer vs covid .
You feel lost , lonely, covid stopped the world but covid does not stop cancer!! Such an uncertain future, but I decided to stay positive, motivated and share my entire treatment process and journey during lockdown period on social media. The reason why I did that was simple , I wanted to pass the message that when you really want something everything is possible. When you deeply believe on it, fight for it and you’ll beat cancer .
Luckily for me I react super well to the treatments , with some ups and downs obviously, some side effects too which is totally normal. I’ve learned you’re allowed to scream, you’re allowed to cry but do not give up ever... you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have . Between chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy a year has passed.
Cancer may have started the fight, but I will finish it .
At the end of the day I am thankful that my blessings are bigger than my fears . Every situation in life is temporary, so when life is good make sure you enjoy the fullest and when life is not so good, it will not last forever and better days are coming
.Enjoy the little things and be joyful , smile more , live more ❤️
The Play and Youth Team at King's College Hospital is made up of qualified and registered health play specialists and a hospital youth worker. They are an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), with the aim to support children and young people’s hospital journeys by creating positive experiences, allowing them to reduce anxieties, build resilience, and improve wellbeing.
Their services include:
Their youth worker supports young people aged 12 years and over during their hospital stay. They work with patients and their families and carers to make a difference to their care throughout their stay. They work in all paediatric inpatients wards.
The youth worker’s role includes:
Their facilities include a sensory room where patients and families can book sessions with their health play specialists and special family time. The youth worker runs a youth room that young people can visit to have some time off the ward.
It is a fun, relaxing environment equipped with lots of activities, resources, and gaming consoles, where young people can feel more comfortable and relaxed, away from medical environments.
Over the final festive period of 2024, we worked with the Play Team - Sophie in particular - to come up with the best way we could give back to the hospital where our founder Jo and our charity ambassador Poppy The Brave received some of their cancer treatments and how we could make it extra special for those children staying in hospital over Christmas.
Then the toy drive was in motion!
After months of donations kindly donated by so many of you, we were able to pack up and donate over 300 gifts for the children on the wards and over 150 selection packs for all the siblings who would be visiting their siblings over Christmas to treat them too!
We're now working on our Easter Egg and Crafts drive to donate again to those who are in hospital receiving treatment!
If you would like to help, please use the link below to donate and we will go out and buy eggs and crafts on your behalf to put towards our final donation on April 15th
The information in this section was previously taken from the GoFundMe page to appropriately inform our followers of Poppy's story through the words of Che (her mother) in February earlier this year.
Poppy was doing well. She responded so well within the first 30 days post-transplant.
Sadly, this January (2024) we noticed Poppy again wasn’t her usual self. After pushing for weeks we managed to get Poppy a procedure done which sadly showed she had relapsed for a second time. Her third battle with cancer.
We sat with her new consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital on 14/02 who told us that this is our last chance at a cure for Poppy so it HAS to be right.
With this being said we, as a family, want to spend as much time as we possibly can because they sadly don’t know what the future holds.
With Poppy’s care now transferring to a main children’s hospital, this comes with extra costs and this comes with Jordan, Poppy’s dad, having to take time off of work to help share the hospital and home load and of course, be there for his children.
This move to London for treatment also may mean as a family, we have to relocate to London to stay for some time as a family to be together as much as we can and give our absolute everything to get this right. We have spent so much time away from one another over the years that this time we all want to be together as much as we possibly can"
Now, in August of 2024, the family have announced to their social media that the last treatment taken place for Poppy, which is called CAR-T Therapy has unfortunately stopped working, and the cancer is back within Poppy's bone marrow.
This now means that Poppy is placed onto palliative care which will focus on providing a further QUALITY of life rather than focusing on an extended quantity of life.
Throughout various of our events, we've donated to and raised awareness around The Catterall Family's story.
There is a GoFundMe which has been set up since Poppy's first diagnosis which is still running now to help fund for anything the family wish to do with Poppy whilst they can, and also help support Che and Jordan as they aren't able to commit going back to work completely due to Poppy's diagnosis and continuous hospital visits for appointments, check ups, medication and so much more.
You can follow Poppy's mum on Instagram also - @che_momcologist - for more up to date, daily information regarding life with Poppy and how she is doing day to day,
Willow is the only national charity working with seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 to fulfil uplifting and unforgettable Special Days.
Since 1999 Willow has fulfilled more than 17,000 Special Days for young adults living with life-threatening conditions such as cancer, motor neurone disease, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease. For some their Special Day is the opportunity to return some normality to their lives. For others it is the last chance to fulfil a dream. But for all, at what is the most difficult of times, a Special Day can lift spirits, reunify families and be a source of strength when it’s needed most. Founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter, Bob Wilson and his wife Megs, Willow is a lasting memorial to their daughter, Anna, who died of cancer aged 31. Anna’s love of life and the enriching experiences of her own Special Days were the charity’s inspiration.
Trekstock gets young adults in their 20s and 30s moving again physically, socially and psychologically after cancer has stopped them in their tracks
"Our Vision: to help young adults with cancer in the UK to thrive with, through and beyond a diagnosis of cancer.
Our mission: every day in the UK 34 young adults is diagnosed with cancer. Young Trekstock exists to ensure that no young adult in the UK faces it alone.
Why we are needed: Most people take moving into their 20s and 30s for granted, however every year in the UK more than 12,500 young adults are told they have cancer.
We feel more strongly than ever that this group of young adults need and deserve an organisation dedicated to providing information and support programmes to help them deal with the emotional and physical impact of cancer and to help get them moving again once treatment ends. Trekstock delivers practical and social support programmes tailored to the needs of young adults, to give them a better chance of living well through and beyond cancer.
All of our programmes are developed in collaboration with the people we support and work to improve their physical and psychological wellbeing, and their quality of life and provide them with the tools they need to get moving again through and beyond treatment.
Psychological wellbeing, physical activity and social support are the most common subjects that our Trekstock community tell us they need support with. Therefore, we work hard to provide a range of holistic support to meet the variety of needs of young adults with cancer.
The Little Princess Trust provides free real hair wigs to children and young people, up to 24 years, who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.
We have a trusted network of salons, and wigs are fitted at an approved salon closest to you. We start by matching as closely as possible to the natural hair colour. Because it’s real hair, the wig can be cut, curled, or straightened to match an original look — or to create a new style. In 2016, thanks to the huge efforts of our fantastic fundraisers, we were able to begin funding academics and organisations involved in researching the causes of paediatric cancer. When The Little Princess Trust first began, we hoped for a day when there would no longer be a need for an organisation like this. We hope, by funding research, to one day make this a reality.
BaggyTrousersUK is a cancer charity based in the North West of England, it was founded by Jack Broadley in 2014.
After going through his own experience of testicular cancer at the age of 21, Jack decided to take on this challenge to embark on a journey that would inspire him to helping others that have been affected by the illness that he’d once had.
Jack felt an inherent urge to make a difference in the lives of males affected by testicular cancer and that, with the charity being run by a survivor, he could get the message across to others by the telling of his experience.
As a charity we deliver a number of different services, we raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer, actively promoting the benefits of early detection and encouraging males to visit their GP if they detect any of the signs or symptoms.
We provide financial and peer support to men who have been directly affected by testicular cancer via telephone, email, social media and a monthly peer support group.
Poppy was first diagnosed with Leukaemia at 15 months old and has relapsed 3 times. She is now 5.
She has had a wide range of treatments including CAR-T and is now placed onto a pallative care scheme to ensure she maintians a good qualkity of life over quantity.
She is still receiving regular treatment and is living life to the fullest - attending gymnastics and football sessions weekly!
On the week beginning March 17th 2025, Poppy had results back from routine checks...she was CANCER FREE! Whilst everyone including Che and Jordan knows this may not be a forever thing, it's still huge and shows her body is still fighting. She's forever got our full support!
She is also now expecting to become a big sister!! She's loving life and we can't wait to continue to give support to her, Che and Jordan, Jude and her soon-to-be little brother ♥️
Go Poppy The Brave 🦁🧡✨
"All About Us: We are the first breast cancer charity in the UK to solely create awareness amongst young people, with the aim of instilling the knowledge and tools they need to get to know their bodies. We like to talk about a serious message in a light-hearted way, empowering people to start healthy habits for life.
Our Vision We want everyone to have the best possible chance of surviving breast cancer. Ideally we want to live in a world where all breast cancers are diagnosed at the earliest stage possible, at which treatments are more effective and survival rates are higher. Although our main focus is on breast cancer education, we also instigated the #RETHINKCANCER Campaign, as we strongly believe young people should be taught about all cancers and how to lead healthy lives from a young age.
Our Mission To ensure all breast cancers are diagnosed early and correctly by… Encouraging you to check your boobs and pecs regularly from a young age. Educating you on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. Empowering you to seek advice from a doctor if symptoms persist."
Macmillan cancer support because cancer can affect your life in so many ways, we do whatever it takes to give people the support they need.
"Get support when you need it. We know cancer can affect you physically, emotionally and financially. We're here to help. We have an online community for people affected by the same cancer to talk and share their experiences and ask an expert any questions.
Find out about the different types of cancer A- Z, including symptoms, tests and read more about the different cancer treatments and drugs, and get help with treatment decisions.
Arrone is our first-ever fundraiser since being a registered charity.
"I met Arrone on August 15th at the Holi colour festival in Ibiza along with his girlfriend Krystle, we hit it off immediately and spent the whole day and night together making some of my favourite Ibiza memories to date. We had to leave the next day as we were flying to Amsterdam but have remained friends over the years and since my cancer diagnosis we have become closer than ever, they are two of my best friends, my family. He decided near the end of October that he was going to take on the 100 push-ups a day challenge to raise money for us to make and donate chemotherapy bags to the hospital where I was treated" - Jo, Unmask Cancer Founder
He had recorded his push-ups every day and they had been done on the shop floor or behind the tills at work as well as in the carpark and staffroom at work, the park, the middle of the high street very hung over the day after the Winter Wonderland Ball, the gym and at home with his 6-year-old niece always making him save his last 20 of the day on Wednesdays so she can do them with him, how cute is that!
The Just Giving page went live on October 31st with a target of £150 and raised over that before the day was over. His girlfriend Krystle who has been managing his Just Giving page then upped his target to £300 and again he smashed that within days and the target got changed once again to £750.
By December 1st Arrone had raised £1,020!
Arrone thank you so much for what you done for Unmask Cancer, you smashed this challenge so far and we are so proud to have you as our first official fundraiser.
Declan was gifted a double bungee jump voucher and asked if he could do his jumps in honour of Unmask Cancer and also help raise both awareness and funds for the charity.
We couldn't wait to watch....with our hands over our faces just like this 🫣 but we were there to support you regardless!
He completed a FRONT and BACK-facing jump on the day of his challenge, which was scary, but he did it with ease and no hesitation! We were beyond excited to be there supporting Declan after all the help he has provided for us over the past 2.5 years 💙
This fundraiser was completed at UK Bungee UK - Windsor location
Madison reached out after seeing our post about our Easter Egg Drive, which we have set up to donate to the Kings College Hospital children's cancer wards and support the KCH Play Team who are helping care for the children spending Easter having life-saving treatment. She stated that she was a 'Community Champion - a completely true and well-deserved role after seeing all the work she has done for others - at TESCO!
She reached out to ask if we would be happy for the store to set up an Easter Egg drop off point for our first-ever Easter egg drive and of course we jumped at the chance as having a big name like Tesco backing our corner/fundraising is absolutely huge for us.
March 31st was the first day of the stand being within the Old Kent Road Tesco store and by April 7th, we had a message to see if we could come and do an early pick up as the collections stand had been COMPLETELY FILLED!!
We were so shocked by this as it had only been a week, we were really expecting that message to be a little update and not a message to come and collect.
Upon that collection we received a total of 140 small eggs, 28 large eggs, 4 activity packs and some extra goodies too! This was really incredible and meant 140 children outside of other donations were going to be receiving something from us this Easter which was really something so special to us, as well as all the special staff members within the KCH Play Team who help make the experience a little bit easier and more colourful for these little ones who are experiencing everyone's worst nightmare
On Tuesday, 15th April, we did our final collection and again we were absolutely blown away with the support from the workers and the community about the amount of donations we were still receiving off this one little collection stand.
Within this collection we gathered another 70 eggs making the overall total from Madison, Tesco and the local community 250 donations!!
We were truly astonished by the love and support provided by the community at Tesco and the biggest appreciation to Madison - without her, we wouldn't have half as many donations!
After a long process of planning and getting everything just right to create something special, unique and comforting for an individual going through treatment, over the last 6 years of being a charity, we’ve designed our ‘Chemo Kits’ and started getting them out into the world 🙌🏼
Now being in a financial position as well as being provided with a generous donation from Superdrug, we've been able to fast-track the development of these kits and we now have the contents to make over 150 Chemo-Kits! That seems like a small number for now but as a starting point, 150+ chemo-kits are hopefully going to provide each new owner something to be hopeful and joyful about during their life-saving treatment.
There are so many things included in these kits which can help people stay occupied during their treatment and hopefully keep a smile on their faces ✨
It is such a lovely unique way to spread a little bit of happiness during a daunting time and the tote bag is the perfect bag for carrying all your important hospitals bits with you whether it’s for a chemo session or an oncology appointment. Its light weight makes it easy to carry 🩷
We are accepting donations through our latest GoFundMe to help towards the costs of making a ‘Chemo-Kit’ for someone in a local hospital if you do wish to help support our charity, and our work and put a smile on someone’s face in hospital 🫶🏻
What’s included in a Chemo-Kit?
• 1 colouring book with a set of colouring pencils
• A crossword or word search book
• A5 notebook
• Daily Medication Box
• Vitamin E Lip Balm
• Vitamin E Body Butter
• 2 Lemon Teabags
• Small Hand sanitiser
• Bamboo Soft Toothbrush
• Positive Affirmation Cards
• Foot Pack
• UC Founder Treatment Recommendation Card
• ‘My Chemo Kit’ Bag