Nancy Scott is a Twitter friend and she stood out initially for all her fundraising activities for Cancer Research UK and for her generally lovely personality. I invited Nancy to share her reasons for her avid fundraising and to share the fun she gets from raising both cash and awareness!
Over to you Nancy…
In the summer of 2006, my best friend Sarah and I were talked into taking part in the Race For Life…. We both did it for a bit of fun really, and no one could ever have imagined that in the summer of 2008, I’d be running in Sarah’s memory, after she lost an 18 month battle with ovarian cancer. Sarah was just 36 and left behind 3 daughters, then 6 and twins of 9. That experience taught me how short life really is, and that we shouldn’t waste a moment of it…..
Later that year, a friend and I decided to hold a fundraising Christmas party in Sarah’s memory, in aid of Cancer Research UK. After raising over £2000 and being the talk of the town the following day, the fundraising bug took hold! So when a friend said to me outside our kids’ classroom one day ‘what a shame they don’t do a Race for Life just for children’, the solution was simple – we created our own event, Little Legs for Life! Not only have we held 3 successful local events (450 children took part and £23k raised in 2010), but other groups of parents around the country have taken up the idea and held their own events.
We now hold these 2 events annually, a party for the grown ups, and Little Legs for Life, to give the kids the chance to do their bit too! We wish we could hold more events, but we all have young children and work and have other commitments, but I think we’ve shown that a group of ordinary people can make a difference given the right motivation mixed with a bit of enthusiasm 
We recently won an award for Innovation, for our Little legs for Life event at CRUK’s Flame of Hope awards, a wonderful moment for us all.
Not everyone can give up vast amounts of time, but everyone can do their bit in the fight to beat cancer…. there are lots of ideas on the Cancer Research UK website, from fundraising in an hour to forming your own fundraising group like my friends and I have done.
No matter how small your contribution, we can all make a difference….. together, we will beat cancer!
Thanks Nancy, I know I get so much from my voluntary role at Cynthia Spencer Hospice. We can all find a little bit of time or a few pennies to help a good cause and I hope your enthusiasm will encourage others reading my blog to do something, however small!
What do you want to do to give back, we’d love to hear from you!
Jayne x
What an amazing person you are Nancy, so sorry for your loss, I’m sure your friend would be so proud of you. I presently try to help cancer sufferers and survivors through the medium of Facebook and Twitter, as I know from personal experience how hard the journey is, I also want to let them know that cancer is not always a death sentence. I find helping others helps me, so it’s a win win situation. I also volunteer as a PC tutor for Age UK, some of the students are cancer survivors and it’s great to point them in the right direction towards helpful health websites. Jayne it’s so fab that you are volunteering at the Hospice, I’m sure you light up the room with your vibrant personality and sunny disposition! Thanks for these amazing blogs, they make my day. Gina x
I always do a fundraiser for cancer research every year. I have yet to decide my event but it also will include running of some sort. I love the idea of little legs. It’s a great way for kids to understand about helping others and how to raise money. Well done Nancy.