Charity Walk the Walk makes £100,000 grant to Penny Brohn UK for vital online cancer support
More than 6,000 cancer patients across the UK are set to benefit from a £100,000 grant made by health charity Walk the Walk, to cancer support charity Penny Brohn UK.
Walk the Walk’s grant will allow Penny Brohn UK to continue providing nationwide online support services, which run alongside the “in-person” programme at its Bristol headquarters.
From wherever they are in the country, cancer patients can access Penny Brohn’s huge variety of online sessions and services, which have been developed during the pandemic. These include:-
One-to-one online doctor support, counselling and nutritional therapy
Phone counselling and consultations
Online community group sessions, including: “Resilience Room”, “Relaxation Room”, “Your Self-Care Toolbox”, Nutrition Know How”, physical activity sessions, yoga and more
Penny Brohn CEO Julie Worrall
Julie Worrall, CEO of Penny Brohn UK, said: “We can’t thank Walk the Walk and those who put in the miles to raise funds for them enough. This grant is vitally needed as we drive through the changes we have introduced as a result of the impact of Covid-19.
“Walk the Walk has been Penny Brohn’s most significant and cherished funding partner for the last two decades. We have received a transformational £21 million of funding over the years, which has enabled us to help many tens of thousands of people across the UK live well with cancer.
“This latest grant will enable us to drive through plans we made in December last year to support the cancer community, who will be living with the impact of Covid-19 for years to come. We moved support services online and this now gives us the opportunity to provide accessible support for many more people living with cancer.
“Everything is now online as well as face to face. The funding will support both one-to-one digital support, counselling and therapy and online group sessions for our community. Some 45,000 fewer cancer patients started their treatment last year compared to the same period pre-pandemic. This means that there is going to be continuing demand for support that people can access from their own homes over the internet.”
A client of Penny Brohn, who is living with breast cancer, said:
“Cancer is so much more than a medical diagnosis. So, I was determined to do everything I could to help myself. When I discovered the Penny Brohn UK website, I felt overwhelmed by what they offer, for free. A wide range of Zoom sessions and courses for cancer patients, every week. Subjects range from nutrition, treatment support and movement classes to relaxation sessions plus individual counselling and emotional support. They’re making my journey so much easier, giving me focus and enabling me to make informed decisions about so many parts of my treatment.”
Health charity Walk the Walk is best known for its flagship fundraising event, The MoonWalk London, when thousands of women and men wearing decorated bras walk marathons through the streets of London. This year’s MoonWalk London is taking place on Saturday 14th May - walkers can sign up for a virtual walking challenge during the day, or for the LIVE MoonWalk event, which takes place overnight. Entries are open at www.walkthewalk.org
Walk the Walk Founder and Chief Executive Nina Barough
Nina Barough CBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Walk the Walk said: “I’m thrilled that Walk the Walk is able to support Penny Brohn UK with this grant and that so many thousands of cancer patients across the UK will benefit as a result. For people diagnosed with breast cancer during the pandemic – and for those who continue to be diagnosed late as a result of it – services provided by charities like Penny Brohn UK are needed more than ever. The past two years have been extremely tough for everyone, but Walk the Walk’s wonderful supporters have continued raising vital funds during all the lockdowns, for which I really cannot thank them enough.
“You still have time to join us at The MoonWalk London 2022 on Saturday 14th May – sign up now, either for the LIVE or virtual challenge and help us continue making a difference, where it’s needed most.”
