Bowel Cancer UK is a charity very close to my heart. My lovely Mam Olive sadly passed away because of this cancer in February 2012, just 3 months after diagnosis. Her last few months were very painful and distressing, as due to the extent that the cancer had spread it was already inoperable. I don’t know if she had symptoms that she ignored or did not realise their significance, but I do know with early diagnosis her prognosis may have been very different.

As I grew up she instilled in me a love of knitting, though I have chosen to crochet my stars for this challenge. As my own health limits undertaking a more physical challenge, I have opted to help in a way I know I can. If you can spare any donation to this excellent cause please do, so that Bowel Cancer UK can strive to prevent others suffering as my mother did in the future. Thank you.

Our vision is a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer but we can't achieve this alone.

Bowel Cancer UK is the UK's leading bowel cancer charity and we're determined to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer.

Bowel cancer is the UK's second biggest cancer killer. Every 12 minutes someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer. That’s around 44,000 people every year, and 120 people every day. We're determined to change that. The funds raised from Bowel Cancer UK's March knitting challenge will help us to provide support and information to patients and their families, enable us to fund and support research into bowel cancer and allow us to campaign for early diagnosis and best treatment and care for all.

Thank you.