Victoria’s Promise, the charity that helps support young women with cancer, has partnered with the Charities Aid Foundation’s #GivingTuesday campaign taking place this year on 1st December 2015. As a counter to the shopping frenzies of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is a call to action for everyone who wants to give something back; encouraging people, charities and businesses to donate time, money or their voice to help a good cause.
Victoria’s Promise aims to raise £2000 in one day, enough to support one woman through her treatment for cancer. This could, for example, provide her with oncology massage, reflexology, counselling, make-up tutorials, funding a tailored and breathable wig together with specialist skin care products.
There are many ways that the £2000 could be raised at work, school, amongst friends or at your local pub. You could for example organise a quiz night, a lunch or supper party, a charity fun run or cycle ride, have a dress down day, hold a tombola or raffle, guess the number of jelly beans in a jar or just give something up for the day. If just 50 people pledge to raise £40 then Victoria’s Promise will be able to make a huge difference to one woman’s life.
To further its support for young women cancer victims Victoria’s Promise has recently partnered with the cancer ward at Basingstoke and North Hants Hospital. The first hospital it has formally partnered with it needs to raise £120,000 a year just to support this one hospital alone, but as funds grow it aims to link up with the cancer units at other hospitals around the UK.
Victoria’s Promise was set up in memory of Victoria van der Westhuizen (nee Eastman). She died of cancer aged just 29, one year after getting married and 12 months after the death of her father to cancer. During her battle with cancer she vowed to get better and help others through their ordeal. It is a promise her family, through the charity, are now able to keep.