Fundraising
Rugby players, florists, chief executives, parents, accountants, teachers, sales assistants, marketing directors, call centre staff, shopkeepers, solicitors, lorry drivers… The Prostate Cancer Charity has become the natural home for people from all walks of life in the UK who want to do something about prostate cancer.
99% of The Prostate Cancer Charity’s work in 2005/06 was paid for by donations, sponsorship, charitable grants and legacies. Only 1% of our work to tackle prostate cancer was covered by Government funding.
As we receive virtually no government funding, it is donations and legacies, fundraising activities, grants and sponsorship that carry our work forward and help thousands of men with prostate cancer and their families. It may sound like a cliché, but none of this could have happened without you.
For the first time, people giving monthly and single donations through our direct marketing programme together contributed over £1 million, including Gift Aid.
Energetic effort
In their third year of support, Snap-on Tools engaged 400 franchisees, raising £35,000 through the ‘gissaquid campaign’. They encouraged customers to donate £1, uniting their network under a common purpose that was highly relevant to their predominantly male audience. If your company would like to support us, call Denise Bailey on 0208 222 7640.
Fundraising events in communities across the UK raised £927,000, an increase of 74% on the previous year.
Maureen Dickson persuaded 100 people to do a 10km ‘Dawn Walk’ along Brighton seafront to meet the sunrise at 6am. Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and The Metropole Hilton donated refreshments. Inspired by its success, Maureen repeated the event in September, and plans to do so again in 2007.
Many companies, such as Coors Brewers, chose to work with us because supporting men’s health brings their own brands to life and is important to their staff and customers.
Tilehouse Rotary Club in Hitchin are planning their own Dawn Walk, to add to the £13,000 they have raised to date. They also have a team of nine who ran the Milton Keynes half marathon for us – a great example of a committed Rotary Club. We are hoping the Dawn Walk will catch on across the country. If you would like to organise one, please email events@prostate-cancer.org.uk.
A prostate cancer specialist nurse on our Helpline is now being funded by a legacy. To find out what a gift in your Will could make happen, please contact Gaynor Buxton on 020 8222 7627.
David Hillier, Chief Economist at Barclays Capital, was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 37. Last year, with the help of friends and business colleagues, he raised an astounding quarter of a million pounds in a challenging New York bike ride. And he’s still at it: “I’m going to raise as much money as possible for The Prostate Cancer Charity – one of the few organisations that gives men of all ages access to information on the disease, along with help in coping with diagnosis.”
"We nominated The Prostate Cancer Charity as beneficiary of our annual staff quiz, raising £10,000. We have a strong interest in our employees’ health and wellbeing, and were able to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer through a light-hearted event."
Euan Harkness, Barclays Capital
Friends of former England Rugby Union player Andy Ripley, who has prostate cancer, rowed for 24 hours to raise £2,000.
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