Fundraising update From planning your own summer picnic to taking on a virtual challenge, here’s a host of ways that you can have fun and raise muchneeded funds for Sarcoma UK – plus some inspiring stories from our amazing supporters.
Virtual Runner 500k challenge
What could be harder than training for a marathon?
We kicked off 2020 with this intrepid initiative – allowing you to run, cycle, walk, jog or swim 500km over a whole year! Some people are tackling it as part of their training for another event while others gave it their all as part of a New Year’s resolution. Plenty of people when lockdown started in March saw it as part of their permitted exercise.
Ryan Banner could talk for Derby. A happy-go-lucky chatterbox, he’s no stranger to raising money for all sorts of good causes. This year he decided to challenge himself with the Edinburgh Marathon in honour of his aunt who was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma in 2017.
If you haven’t yet started, there’s still plenty of time to get involved, get fit and have fun your way. Not only are you raising much-needed funds for Sarcoma UK but you’ll get a medal too. It’s super-simple – sign up with Virtual Runner (virtualrunneruk.com/product/500kmchallenge-2020) and register your participation with Sarcoma UK. You’ll get a fundraising pack and a Sarcoma UK top to wear. You need to record your distances – see here – and submit your proof by 5 January 2021 to get your medal. What better way to keep you motivated for the rest of the year? Susan Wheatcroft from Nottingham (pictured) was the first person to hit the 500 km target in early March. She’s non other than the organiser of Virtual Run UK who likes to practice what she preaches and confesses to getting a real buzz out of fundraising. Hats off to you Susan!
Give a little, do a lot Donating small sums can make a big difference: If you saved money on your daily commute or coffee by working at home, why not help others with the price of your travel or caffeine hit? Can’t get to the shops? You could donate the money you didn’t spend on Easter goodies or bank holiday treats to Sarcoma UK’s vital work. Your gym membership on hold? Work out at home and flex the money you’ve saved to helping our sarcoma work continue.
14 Connect Summer 2020
Having run long distance races before this time, he decided to push himself even further in his bid to tell the world about sarcoma. The challenge; to stay silent for one whole day at work. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done but my work team really came together and were behind me 100%,” says Ryan. Ryan’s sponsored silence, which raised £600, was part of a charity day he organised with his company to raise awareness of sarcoma and Sarcoma UK. “The whole day was amazing. My mum made bacon and sausage rolls for the team to buy for breakfast, which went down a treat, and after work there was raffle and a sarcoma quiz which everyone got stuck into. Loads of local cafes and restaurants got involved; they listened to what I had to say about sarcoma and then donated vouchers or prizes for the raffle. Even Nottingham Ice Centre donated an ice skating experience. “It was a great way to start everyone’s weekends off. It was a good laugh but also really educational.” By not uttering a single word, Ryan has brought sarcoma to everyone’s attention. “95% of my office hadn’t heard of sarcoma before my silence. Now everyone knows that sarcoma is cancer.”
Thank you everyone During this uncertain time, your generosity is continuing to make a difference to so many people. People affected by sarcoma still need your support. And we still need you to be there for them. Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have expanded and adapted our support services (read more on page nine). It’s only thanks to your fundraising and donations that we are able to offer this much-needed help. We are incredibly lucky to have such determined, creative and committed supporters. Every penny is vital.
Virtual fun while staying in touch
Time for a Great British Picnic
You can connect with friends and family through a host of fun and inventive ways thanks to the magic of technology. Here’s our top suggestions for fundraising at home but do get thinking about your own!
What better reason to link up with your nearest and dearest than for a picnic? As we all become ever more inventive, Sarcoma UK is asking you to host a Great British Picnic in your own space.
Get creative over dinner
By getting together with friends and family this summer for a picnic, you can raise awareness and funds for Sarcoma UK. You can hold your event anywhere you choose, anytime from May until September, so it’s really easy to get organised and have some foodie fun.
So many of us have been getting creative in the kitchen so why not share your foodie moments with others by a virtual dinner party? Celebrity chef Brian Turner has come up with a very special Sarcoma UK menu to make the meal go with style. There’s so many different twists to host a night to remember right from the planning and cooking through to the dining and entertainment! Get started by donating and downloading the menu while getting your guests to do the same. Pick the date and time for your virtual meal as well as deciding how to link up and you are on your way! You can even share your tips and tastings as you cook together before the main event. Add a bit of competition to the evening with an auction or a raffle – whatever works for you. Here’s everything you need sarcoma.org.uk/get-involved/raise-funds/virtualfundraising/virtual-dinner-party
Go the distance at home Does the Eiffel Tower feel a world away? Is the Gherkin beyond your gaze? Not if you take on a virtual climb in your very own home. Transform your stairs into the world’s most iconic structures and ask people to sponsor you as they would for any other climbing event. Set a date and pick your distance from a selection which spans the Sydney Harbour Bridge (1,002 steps) to the mighty Ben Nevis (22,197 steps). It’s easy to set up your sponsorship page on justgiving.com/sarcomauk – suggested target of £100 – and share on social media so your friends and family can lend their support. Check out more ideas for a virtual climb and other challenges here sarcoma.org.uk/virtual-fundraising
For fundraising tips and ideas as well as more information, visit sarcoma.org.uk/gbp or email fundraising@sarcoma.org.uk
Carol concert update It’s never too early to think about Christmas! After the sell-out success of our very first Christmas Carol Concert last year, we are already busy planning our next event. The festive evening of Christmas carols, readings and solo performances in aid of Sarcoma UK will be held on December 9 2020. We already have interest in tickets so don’t miss out – add your name to the waiting list: sarcoma.org.uk/carol-concert-2020
Let’s get quizzical The annual Chris Martin Quiz Night has become legendary for its fiendishly difficult questions and hugely supportive participants. The last event was as fun as ever and raised an incredible £37,000. Our thanks go to Zoe Conway and everyone who came out in such numbers with unfailing generosity for a fantastic night in aid of the Chris Martin Fellowship. It was a wonderful tribute to Chris in what is a vital development in the foundations of Sarcoma UK’s Genomic Research programme. If you fancy your own brain-teasing chances, here’s your perfect chance to enlist some friends and family with a quiz night in. Download a premade quiz or you can come up with your own. With your teams and a quiz master sorted, make a donation and you are all set. Our Virtual Quiz nights every Sunday and Wednesday have proved really popular since the spring. Its £3 to play against other Sarcoma UK supporters. See here for full details virtualquizevents.com/author/sarcoma-uk Connect Summer 2020 15
