CANCER patients and their families will benefit from a £150,000 grant made by health charity, Walk the Walk, to Bristol organisation, Penny Brohn UK.
Walk the Walk was founded by Wokingham resident Nina Barough CBE.
In 1996 she set out to power walk the New York City Marathon, in aid of breast cancer research, and wearing a decorated bra,
Months later she discovered that she, herself, had the disease.
Following surgery and radiotherapy, she survived and thrived, and went on to found major cancer charity, Walk the Walk.
The organisation funds cancer research and services, holds fundraising walking events, and raises awareness of healthy lifestyle choices.
Its Moonwalk events take place annually in Scotland in September, and in London in May.
Cancer charity, Penny Brohn UK, will benefit from the £150,000 granted by Walk the Walk.
It will be able to relaunch in-person retreats, wellbeing days and complimentary therapy sessions for people with cancer, at its headquarters at Ham Green, Bristol.
These services were suspended during the pandemic, with the charity moving its entire programme of support services online.
Andrew Hufford, CEO of Penny Brohn UK, says: “After successfully switching to online-only services during the pandemic, we’ve been trying hard to restart in-person services at our centre in Bristol, so we can offer a hybrid service for people with cancer at Penny Brohn UK.
“Like many small charities, our capacity and finances have made this challenging, so it is incredible to be supported by Walk the Walk with a grant that will allow our in-person services to relaunch later this year.
“Nina and everyone at Walk the Walk have supported Penny Brohn UK for many years and we are so grateful.”
Sessions funded by the grant will include resilience retreats offering short residential courses, group sessions and personalised on-to-one support for people living with cancer.
Penny Brohn UK will also be able to relaunch its well-being days, with advice to cancer patients on exercise, diet, and ways to relieve stress and anxiety.
And therapies, including ways to alleviate the physical and emotional impact of scar damage following surgery, acupuncture, and counselling will also be available.
Diane from Birmingham took part in a pilot retreat.
She says: “I was very fortunate to be invited to a fabulous wellbeing retreat at Penny Brohn UK.
“The retreat provided myself and my husband an opportunity to get away, relax, think, and breathe.
“We were both able to connect and talk to likeminded people in similar situations without judgement or explanations, who just understood what we had been through and continue to live with.
“The whole weekend was so relaxed, providing a balance of information, time to think and process, and plenty of laughs.
“We both came away feeling much lighter and more equipped to move forward living with cancer, knowing we have the support of Penny Brohn UK.
“Words really can’t describe how much the retreat benefitted both myself and my husband.”
Nina Barough CBE, founder and chief executive of breast cancer charity Walk the Walk said: “The past three years have been incredibly tough for everyone.
“Like many charities offering emotional and physical care, Penny Brohn UK has had to become skilled at offering their services through online and digital means.
“Indeed, Walk the Walk has previously provided funds to help them achieve this.
“Whilst digital services now have their place and have enabled Penny Brohn to reach so many more cancer patients across the UK, nothing can quite replace the value of face-to-face support.
“We are just so thrilled to be able to help the charity bring this personal care back into operational service, as it is needed now more than ever.”
Entries are now open for Walk the Walk’s MoonWalk London 2024 event.
Thousands of women and men wearing decorated bras will set off from Clapham Common in London to walk an overnight half or full marathon through the streets of the capital, on Saturday, May 18.
For information and to sign up to walk, visit: www.walkthewalk.org
For information about the recipient charity, visit: www.pennybrohn.org.uk
