This year, Mike and I are taking on the Hackney Half Marathon to raise money for two wonderful charities: Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and CoppaFeel!, the breast cancer awareness charity.

Being one of the most common types of cancers out there (1 in 7 women will be diagnosed in their lifetime), we probably all know someone who has been personally affected by this awful disease. My dear mum was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of 2023 – and while it was a scary time, she was fortunate to receive excellent care, thanks to the NHS, and it was caught early during her final routine screening. Thanks to this, she is now cancer free and doing well😊.

Breast cancer screening is not routinely offered to most people under the age of 50, even though around a fifth of cases are diagnosed in this age range. Because of this, it’s important for younger people know that they need to, and how to, check themselves for signs of cancer. This is where CoppaFeel! comes in – their mission is simple, to ensure all breast cancer in young people is diagnosed early and accurately. They achieve this through outreach visits in educational settings, media campaigns, and working with healthcare professionals to promote their cause. And it works – I remember encountering them raising awareness at a festival over ten years ago, and their message has stuck with me to this day.

I’m not normally one for doing my own fundraising – I find it quite difficult asking people to donate, especially in these difficult times. And I’m certainly not one for running more than 5k!!😮‍💨 This will be an all round huge challenge for me, and it will mean so much to me to receive any donations. If you read this and donating is not on the cards, I would ask that you take this opportunity to check your chest or go to your screening – it could save your life! https://coppafeel.org/breast-cancer-info-and-advice/how-do-i-check/

Thank you for reading, lots of love, S XX

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CoppaFeel! are the UK’s only youth focused breast cancer awareness charity, and we’re on a mission to get every 18-24 year old checking their chest.

We educate people on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and encourage them to check their chests regularly, so that if they notice something unusual they are empowered to contact their GP and advocate for themselves. We do this because when diagnosed early and accurately, breast cancer treatments are more effective and survival rates are higher. Early detection truly can save lives.