# Crohns and Colitis UK benefits from Facebook holiday photo campaign

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/07/10/crohns-colitis-uk-benefit-facebook-holiday-photo-campaign/
- Published: 2014-07-10T13:47:43+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Make-up artist Bethany Townsend has helped the Crohns and Colitis UK charity achieve
international prominence by sharing photos of her sunbathing on holiday with her
colostomy bags on view. Inspired by the #nomakeupselfie campaign and the #GetYourBellyOut
campaign on Facebook, she decided to show that she wasn’t embarrassed about her 
condition, and wanted to try to help raise funds for a cure. With support from the
charity she posted her holiday photo, using the ‪#‎myCCUKstory‬ hashtag. She explained:

> Finally after three and a half years, I decided that my colostomy bags shouldn’t
> control my life. So when I went to Mexico with my husband in December last year
> I finally showed I wasn’t ashamed. Still hoping for a cure…”‬

 

[Post](https://www.facebook.com/crohnsandcolitisuk/posts/930808556945201:0) by [Crohn’s and Colitis UK](https://www.facebook.com/crohnsandcolitisuk).

   Townsend contacted the charity privately via Facebook to suggest posting the 
image. They posted it the next day on 21 June 2014 on their page. Within four hours
it had been viewed by one million people. In the first 24 hours that had risen to
over seven million. By 4 July the total had risen to over 12 million views, with
over 240,000 likes and 19,000 shares. The story has been covered around the world.

      There is no figure yet available on the level of income raised.

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 * **[How charities used #GBBO to engage with supporters](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/08/05/how-charities-used-gbbo-to-engage-with-supporters/)**(
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