Get staff active every day in April

We're calling on companies across the UK to bring staff together virtually or in person to Step up for 30 this April during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.

It's really simple, just get active in teams or individually each day throughout the month and ask your colleagues, customers and contacts to sponsor you.

Whether you're working from home or in the office, there are lots of creative and easy ways to bring colleagues together, spur each other on and get active. Why not compete to count your daily steps, join a daily online exercise class or mix it up and do something different every day for the 30 days.

Whilst you're getting fitter and feeling healthier, you'll also be raising money for us, the UK's leading bowel cancer charity.

Emma Kershaw, Sales Business Manager at Ethicon, comments: "As a corporate partner, the initiative allows us to support the charity in one of its main events, as well as encouraging our workforce to reap the benefits of encouraged exercise. Last year over 50 colleagues took part in a number of activities to raise £1,500. We were creative in our activity from 30 minute exercise classes, to running 5k every day or walking 30k over the month. For those people who couldn't partake they could donate £30 to the cause or bake for a bake sale.

"Ethicon are proud to be supporting Bowel Cancer UK again for 2022 and will be kicking this off with our workforce participation in the Step up for 30 campaign in April. This support will help both raise awareness and funds in Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Good luck everyone with your challenges!"

Hannah Hatherell, Director at Chippenham Pit Stop, said: "One of our staff members, famous for her jolly smiles and singing in the kitchen had bowel cancer and has now fully recovered so we thought it was so important to help raise awareness. Another one of our reasons to take on a challenge was to unite a team separated by the pandemic with some working onsite/at home or on furlough, exercise gave us a common goal and started conversations on a daily basis. Step up for 30 felt a really positive way to encourage everyone to be active, to keep fit and well. Ten team members took part, walking, running including couch to 5k and bike riding. We didn't have a specific goal we just wanted to raise as much as possible.

"We documented our progress on our staff WhatsApp group and many people posted lovely photographs taken whilst exercising. Everyone worked so well as a team and encouraged each other throughout the challenge."

Hannah Westoby, Senior Marine Monitoring Office at the Environment Agency, said: "In June 2020, we lost our colleague Laura Corrigan to bowel cancer. Laura was only 38. She was a kind, colourful person, and passionate about the environment. I know Laura would have wanted to help others, so raising awareness seemed the least we could do.

"Working with our internal cancer network, we pulled together a package of events to raise awareness during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. We produced videos, audio recordings, and organised a talk with Bowel Cancer UK. In addition, we also organised a local Step up for 30 bingo challenge, where participants were required to do a different activity for each of the 30 days. The activities were in memory of Laura, and spanned from wearing some rainbow coloured clothing, to having a dip in the North Sea, both of which Laura loved doing. The month was a great success and we had some lovely feedback from colleagues. We even managed to raise £530 for Bowel Cancer UK in Laura's memory."

Would your organisation like to sign up to Step up for 30? Find out more today.

Pictured above: Ethicon staff taking part in Step up for 30.