Natalie's fundraiser for Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust

Natalie Gordon is raising money for Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust
In memory of Jess Brady

Atlantic Rally Cruise Plus 2025 · 9 November 2025

Jessica Brady CEDAR (Cancer Early Diagnosis Awareness Research) Trust was set up in memory of Jess, who died aged 27, just 3 weeks after a late cancer diagnosis. Our mission is to improve GP awareness and diagnosis of cancer. We do this through the funding of training and research.

Story

Please will you sponsor me on the challenge of my lifetime?

As the nights draw in, I can usually be found snuggled on the sofa with a glass of wine watching Strictly Come Dancing. But not this year. Instead, I will be swapping the glamour and the glitz for waterproofs and a lifejacket!!

On 9th November, I'll be setting sail across the North Atlantic, on 'Mossy Joe,' as part of the ARC Plus (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers). I am not a seasoned sailor, and this is very much out of my comfort zone. The thought of crossing the ocean is frankly terrifying.

We will be sailing from Gran Canaria, down to Cape Verde, turning right and carrying on to Grenada in the Caribbean - a total of 3,400 miles. In the middle, we'll be around 1,500 miles from anywhere, except the bottom of the sea 2 miles below.

The prospect of stormy seas, sickness, sleep deprivation and around 20 days at sea is a daunting one. So, what can I do to make it all worthwhile? This is where you come in.

Some of you may have known Jess - daughter of my dear friends Andrea and Simon. They lost Jess to cancer almost 5 years ago and since then have set up the Jessica Brady Cedar Trust. They have worked tirelessly, though unimaginable grief, to campaign for earlier diagnosis of cancer in young adults by improving awareness - and have brought about real change.

Just last month, the Government announced the implementation of Jess's Rule - a new patient safety initiative to encourage GPs to take a "three strikes and rethink" approach when patients return repeatedly with worsening or undiagnosed symptoms.

The seemingly insurmountable task of taking on Parliament and the NHS dwarves my "getting on a boat", but if I can help give a tiny bit of support and help raise some money for this cause, I gladly will.

So, enough talk - if you're not persuaded now, you never will be!

Give big, give small but please help me to support the Jessica Brady Cedar Trust, so that no-one else need suffer such unbearable - and avoidable - loss.

To read more about the Jess and the Trust visit

https://jessicabradycedartrust.org.uk/

Donation summary

Total
£1,057.00
+ £246.75 Gift Aid
Online
£1,057.00
Offline
£0.00

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