The Sun launches #SweatySelfie campaign
Howard Lake | 1 September 2016 | News
The Sun has launched a fitness-themed social media campaign in aid of Brain Tumour Research in memory of Nicki Waterman, the newspaper’s fitness expert.
Celebrities including Kate Thornton, Ben Shephard, Emma Bunton, Jade Jones, Edith Bowman, Denise Van Outen and Rob Delaney have already posted their #SweatySelfie on social media, and urged their followers to do the same.
The sun is encouraging the public to take a photo of themselves getting sweaty doing some exercise, and to post their #SweatySelfie online and text SNAP53 £3 to 70070 to donate to Brain Tumour Research.
Waterman died on 11 August following her diagnosis of a glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumour, the most aggressive and deadly form of the disease, just 15 months ago. She had been a passionate campaigner for the charity Brain Tumour Research and her dying wish had been for her children to continue to fundraise and support the charity to help find a cure for brain tumours.
The campaign aims to raise £1 million.
Nicki Waterman’s daughter, Alex, said in The Sun:
“We now want to make her proud and raise as much money as we can — and nothing is more appropriate than fundraising by getting people moving. Just one per cent of the Government’s annual spend goes on brain tumour research. But with YOUR help, you could help us smash our £1 million target. That would be enough to run one of Brain Tumour Research’s centres for an entire year, helping scientists make positive steps towards a cure. Mummy loved the sweaty selfie idea and cried when I told her that’s what we wanted to do.”
Launched on 23 August, the campaign generated nearly 700 donations in the first two days, with the family’s Just Giving page raising almost £3,000 in that period. As of yesterday the total had reached £4,145.98.
Sue Farrington Smith, Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research, said:
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“Nicki did so much to raise awareness of brain tumours and the need for research funding when she originally told her story in The Sun. She continued to be a friend of the charity, supporting us on social media and attending our campaigning events. It was a privilege to meet her at the Houses of Parliament in March. We will remember this courageous and beautiful woman, taken far too soon.”
Another fab week of coverage but seeing @BlueSkyeThink in this article in @TheSun was our fav! #SweatySelfie pic.twitter.com/He9uf4DwPy
— Bluebird PR (@BluebirdPR) August 26, 2016
Here's how your #sweatyselfie can help raise funds for brain tumour research in memory of Nicki Waterman pic.twitter.com/i0QbjhlEyN
— Health & Fitness (@HandFmagazine) August 23, 2016
Brave Maisie Lossau joins The Sun’s #sweatyselfie campaign in aid of @braintumourrsch https://t.co/X7RUIp1bKN pic.twitter.com/vslO12mms5
— The Sun (@TheSun) August 30, 2016
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.