babyballet Danceathons raise over £1mn for Tommy’s, & other event news
Melanie May | 20 March 2023 | News
A round up for fundraising events including babyballet’s Danceathons for Tommy’s, the annual Tour de Law cycling challenge for Breast Cancer Now, and the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre’s first annual fundraiser.
Tour de Law back for 11th year in aid of Breast Cancer Now
Tour de Law is back in the office for its 11th year following another successful event last autumn, bringing people together and supporting super-competitive law firms as they raise money for people affected by breast cancer. From Wednesday 11 to Thursday 12 October, barristers and solicitors across the UK will take part in Breast Cancer Now’s annual charity cycle race to raise funds to help those affected by breast cancer. Breast Cancer Now will kit out offices with two static bikes, with chambers and law firms having from 8am on 11 October until 4:30pm on 12 October to clock up as many kilometres as possible. Since its inception in 2012, Tour de Law has raised over £1 million for breast cancer research and support, with last year’s event raising over £110k alone – enough to fund a new research project for a year.
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St Giles Hospice to hold Safari Solstice Walk in June
Fundraisers are being invited to join St Giles Hospice’s wild and wonderful Safari Solstice Walk this summer on Saturday 17 June in Lichfield. Safari-themed fancy dress is encouraged for this 10k adventure around the streets of Lichfield City Centre, starting and ending at Lichfield Rugby Club. The Solstice Walk begins at 8pm, with a route around the historic city of Lichfield as the sun begins to set, with participants being welcomed back across the finish line at Lichfield Rugby Club and presented with a special Solstice Walk medal. Following the walk, the ‘sunset celebration’ will continue until late into the evening with live music and a fully licensed bar.
Duchenne UK launches Duvet Days
Duchenne UK has launched a fundraising campaign to help families living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The campaign, Duvet Days, encourages people all over the UK to #DuNothingForDuchenne by donning PJs, wrapping up in blankets and snuggling down under a duvet with family and friends – all the while raising funds for DMD. More information about Duvet Days at: duchenneuk.org/duvet-days and people can support the campaign by hosting their own Duvet Day and posting about in on social, including the handle @DuchenneUK and the hashtag #DuNothingForDuchenne.
Toddlers support Tommy’s through Danceathons
Toddlers from across the UK have raised £1,120,057 for pregnancy charity Tommy’s through three Danceathons in 2016, 2018 and 2022 at babyballet® dance schools in Scotland, England and Wales. Danceathon sees babyballet® stars sponsored by friends and family to wear their brightest, most colourful clothes, and embark on a magical dancing quest to find the missing colours in their regular babyballet® class. Every little one who gets involved is rewarded with certificates and prizes. At the most recent Danceathon which started in October 2022, babyballet® stars aged 6 months to 6 years raised a total of £319,319. The theme for this year’s event was ‘dancing for a brighter future to help save babies’ lives. 1,500 classes took place across this year’s Danceathon week.
London LGBTQ+ Community Centre raises over £12,500 at first annual fundraiser
On Friday 10 March the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre hosted its first annual fundraising event, and raised over £12,500. The Centre also revealed its opening line-up of new patrons at the event, after receiving official charity status earlier this year. The evening was hosted by Chloë Davies – Head of Social Impact for creative agency Lucky Generals and the Centre’s Trustee for Community Engagement, with over 70 people in attendance. The charity’s Patrons were announced as Shiva Raichandani, Charlie Craggs, and DOM&INK. The event included a live auction with star prizes donated by Patrons as well as bonus prizes from The BFI, The Tate Modern & The National Portrait Gallery. The funds raised will be put towards ongoing LGBTQ+ community outreach initiatives, mental health support, online activities and a portion of the funds raised will be used to further improve the centre’s heating facilities.
Action Against Hunger Chefs Up event raises over £140k for earthquake relief
Action Against Hunger’s Chefs Up event has raised £140,090 for those impacted by the Turkey and Syria earthquake. Chefs Up was hosted by Andi Oliver, brought together some of the biggest chefs in London’s food scene. Angela Hartnett, Neil Borthwick, Robin Gill, Sabor’s Nieves Barragán as well as Francesco Mazzei. They took over the restaurant Darby’s in Wandsworth to cook up some food, and fundraising, for the charity. Action Against Hunger’s response to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria has so far been concentrated on providing food, water, shelter, medical supplies as well as mental health support. There is also a community kitchen in Türkiye which can support up to 3,000 families up to three times a day.
Cancer charities unite for first Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month
Cancer charities from across the UK are coming together for the first-ever Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month. The charities coming together are Bone Cancer Research Trust, Brain Tumour Research, Cancer Research UK, Children with Cancer UK, Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), Dragonfly Cancer Trust, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, Little Princess Trust, Sarcoma UK, Solving Kids Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer (TYAC), Teens Unite Fighting Cancer, The Tom Bowdidge Foundation, Trekstock, and Young Lives vs Cancer. Throughout April, the partner charities will be sharing the experiences of young people with cancer, to raise awareness of the unique needs of this age group, to show how they support young people and work to improve their experience through specialised services and research, and to highlight where change is urgently needed.
Karen Henderson Legacy Fund to raise funds through Edinburgh Kiltwalk
The Karen Henderson Legacy Fund have announced that its main fundraising activity this year will be the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Sunday 17 September. Karen passed away in 2021 at 48, and The Karen Henderson Legacy Fund was set up that year to carry on the work she had started in helping raise awareness of secondary breast cancer through campaigning and fundraising. All funds raised this year through the Edinburgh Kiltwalk will go to help those affected by secondary breast cancer. Karen’s Legacy Fund are looking to get as many people as possible signed up to be part of “Karen’s Team” for the kiltwalk in September, with the aim of raising as much as they can to help continue with their good work and to have some fun along the way. There are 3 different distances to choose from: The Wee Wander (5 miles), The Big Stroll (15 miles) or The Mighty Stride (21 miles).
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.