Reflecting on our partnership with Cancer Research UK

In July 2023, we were very proud to announce our partnership with Cancer Research UK, and kickstarted it by pledging to raise £10,000 towards the charity’s vital research and support for cancer patients and their families.

Choosing Cancer Research UK was an easy decision to make – as a team, many of our lives have been touched by the work of the charity, and the partnership went hand-in-hand with our commitment to make positive contributions through charity work and advocating for important organisations.

After a busy year of fundraising and spreading awareness, we’re delighted to announce that we surpassed our £10,000 target by raising £13,695! In this blog, we look back at the importance of our partnership, how our team raised money throughout the year, how this impacts the charity, and what you can do to get involved in the fight against cancer.

A year of fundraising and spreading awareness

Forty years ago, only one in four people would survive cancer, but thanks to the hard work and research from charities like Cancer Research UK, this figure has improved; today, two in four will survive the disease. We were intent on keeping this momentum going, and so began a busy and exciting year of fundraising across the country.

Fifty members of the Travel Chapter team jumped into action just days after we announced our partnership by joining the Steps Challenge 2023. This month-long challenge required our team to each walk an impressive 384,339 steps – a significant number that represents the amount of people who are diagnosed with cancer each year across the UK.

From hiking, dog walking and running to dancing, training and even hunting for Pokémon, the Travel Chapter team found innovative ways to complete the challenge, and they smashed it!

Our offices around the country were also buzzing with fundraisers throughout the year, often adorned with Cancer Research UK’s colours. From Stand Up To Cancer Bake Offs and virtual quizzes to clothing donations, car washes, fantasy football leagues and much more – the next fundraiser was never far away.

We were also thrilled to see individual members of the team organise their own fundraisers to raise awareness and honour the memory of the colleagues we have lost to cancer. These events included daily push-up challenges, muddy obstacle runs, and joining the Race For Life.

"Losing so many members of our team to cancer has been heartbreaking. However, I am so incredibly proud of the team's efforts with fundraising and their commitment to honouring the memory of our colleagues. Our collective efforts will not only help fund vital research but will also help us all to stay vigilant about our own health. I hope we can continue to do more as a team, making an even greater impact in the fight against cancer." – Jayne McClure | Travel Chapter CEO

How did our partnership impact Cancer Research UK?

In late July, we celebrated our annual TC Spirit Day, which happened to mark the end of our 12-month partnership with Cancer Research UK. We were delighted to be joined by our Relationship Manager, Kim Hammerton, who explained how our fundraising has impacted the research and support that Cancer Research UK is known for.

Kim explained how our fundraising supports the charity’s world-leading research, which is focused on understanding, preventing and treating cancer. This helps to fund the scientific studies in laboratories, universities and medical institutions across the UK that study many cancer types to better understand early detection, prevention, new treatments, and clinical trials.

As well as cancer research, our fundraising helps to raise awareness of the dangers of cancer whilst encouraging better, healthier lifestyle choices to prevent the disease.

Beyond research and awareness, we took joy in knowing that some of the money we raised went towards providing information and support services to cancer patients and their families, guiding them through their journey with the disease.

Key signs and symptoms of cancer

Our colleagues have lost friends and family to this disease, and some have loved ones currently battling cancer.

We have lost some incredible team members over the last few years: Marion Burns, Petranella Day, Lucy Simmons, Steve Slade, Lesley Ellis, Laura Brench and Krista Stringer. All the money raised and the work put into supporting Cancer Research UK is done in memory of our friends and loved ones.

Top tips for telephone and video appointments

Learn more about Cancer Research UK

To find out more about Cancer Research UK and the charity’s life-changing research, head over to their website where you can also learn how to get involved in the fight against cancer.

As a team, although our partnership with Cancer Research UK has come to an end, our commitment to raising important funds and awareness for the charity will continue, as does our mission to support charities and community organisations across the UK, both locally and nationally.

To learn more about our commitment to making a positive impact, visit our Responsibility page.

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