Celebrating Volunteers' Week - thank you to all our volunteers

To mark Volunteers’ Week (1 – 7 June) we’re saying a huge thank you to our fantastic volunteers and celebrating the difference they make by getting involved in our fundraising events, supporting campaigns and educating the public about bowel cancer and the work we do.

Our health promotion volunteers, often with personal experience of bowel cancer, are dedicated to raising awareness of the disease through talks across the UK. They spread the word about symptoms, screening and risk factors to a range of audiences.

Our campaign supporters are making real change happen for people with bowel cancer by taking action and putting bowel cancer on the political agenda, while our fundraising volunteers show their support and passion for the cause at our fundraising events and challenges, or placing collection tins in the community.

Since the previous Volunteers’ Week:

• Our health promotion volunteers have spent roughly 900 hours visiting community groups and workplaces to spread our life-saving messages, reached over 10,500 people and delivered nearly 400 talks across the UK.
• With the support of thousands of our campaign supporters, this year alone we’ve been able to reach over 350 MPs, calling for all bowel cancer patients to be tested for the genetic condition Lynch syndrome. They’ve helped to secure over 50 bowel cancer champions in Parliament and delivered a petition signed by nearly half a million people to the Minister for Cancer, calling for the bowel cancer screening age to be lowered to 50.

Iain Kerr, who started volunteering with us in 2016, says: “I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in January 2014. At first it was a bombshell – I was all over the place. However, within a few days I made the personal decision to fight this disease, face the future positively, and use whatever time I had for others. I so enjoy going out to workplaces and community groups to meet people, share the knowledge I have gained, and hopefully influence people to care for themselves and others. I often say in my talks that if by doing this I save one life then it is worth every effort. Being a volunteer with Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer is such a positive experience. You are made to feel part of a team striving to make a difference and ultimately save lives.”

How to get involved:

There are plenty of ways you can get involved in Volunteers’ Week this year:

• Book a bowel cancer awareness talk in your workplace or community group. Our free 30 minute awareness talk covers signs and symptoms, risk factors and the bowel cancer screening programme.
• If you’ve been affected by bowel cancer and want to raise awareness of the disease, sign up as an awareness volunteer and give talks about bowel cancer to community groups and workplaces. We are currently looking for more awareness volunteers in the London area with day time availability to deliver awareness talks.
• Share your experience of bowel cancer with us. Whether you have personal experience of bowel cancer or through a family member or friend, we use personal stories in the media, on our website, on social media and in our publications.
• Being a fundraising volunteer is fun and rewarding. From cheering on fundraisers at running events to taking part in a street collection, you can help us make a difference.
• Join us as a campaign supporter and help improve early diagnosis and access to best treatment and care for everyone affected by bowel cancer across the UK. You can be part of the change. Join thousands of people who are helping to stop bowel cancer