England rugby player Vicky Fleetwood announced as our new patron

Professional rugby player Vicky Fleetwood has been appointed patron of Bowel Cancer UK during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month this April.

Vicky lost her mum, Pam, six years ago this month to bowel cancer at the age of 62. Pam showed incredible resilience during the last week of her life, when she was granted her final wish of returning home to die. She told her husband she wanted to be there for their 40^th wedding anniversary on the Sunday and despite the nurses responding this might not happen she fought on and passed away peacefully on the morning of her Ruby Wedding anniversary, surrounded by loved ones.

Vicky Fleetwood is a former junior hurdler, a personal trainer and a Rugby World Cup winner. She was also part of England's bronze medal winning sevens squad in the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast.

Vicky, said: "Becoming a patron for Bowel Cancer UK is so important to me. Lots of people know very little about bowel cancer or its symptoms and I really want to raise awareness so people stop dying of this disease."

Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Vicky to Bowel Cancer UK as a patron. Together, we'll increase awareness of the potential bowel cancer symptoms to look out for, raise essential funds to support people affected by the disease and fund lifesaving research. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer, and the second biggest cancer killer, but it doesn't have to be this way. The good news is that bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early."