Cancer remains the number one cause of death by disease for children. Every year in the UK, we see nearly 2,000 new cases of children’s cancer and more than 250 children die from the disease. These statistics are incredibly sobering—but together we can do our part to help improve these numbers and chart a better future for children. September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM); it’s an ideal time to get involved and show your support. Here’s a few ideas to get you started this month and every day.
Wear It Gold
Around the world, the iconic gold ribbon symbolises childhood cancer awareness. It represents all forms of cancer that affect children and adolescents. Ribbons are easy to wear, but they hold monumental importance to help collectively raise the visibility of this critical cause. During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we encourage our partners and friends to join the movement and don your best gold ribbon in honour of beating childhood cancer.
Today, ribbons have moved beyond simple, traditional fabric to more durable and designed pin badges. If the point of donning a cause ribbon is to be seen, why not bring the bling? You can find a range of high-quality gold ribbon pin badges from Children with Cancer UK (£2.40), Young Lives Vs. Cancer (£1), and the Children’s Cancer and Leukemia Group (£2). In all cases, the small price you pay for these badges will collectively go a long way toward supporting awareness and research for childhood cancer.
Become a Gold Ribbon Champion
Now that you’ve got your gold ribbon in hand, what about your friends and family? Another way to show support is to encourage others to get involved—changing the future of childhood cancer requires all of us to act. This month, you can become a gold ribbon champion. The Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group offers a special gold ribbon display box that you can place at your school, workplace, local shop, around your community, or wherever you expect a lot of foot traffic. Each eye-catching box contains a selection of gold ribbons; all you have to do is request a box, display it and sell the ribbons, and then return the money raised along with any unsold ribbons. To maximise your efforts, you can also order a CCAM poster pack.
Take on a Challenge
Do you prefer a more active approach to fighting childhood cancer? This month, challenge yourself to walk, run, and move to raise funds that will help alleviate the financial pressures that children and their families face. There’s no shortage of challenges to participate in. For example, you can join the Challenge 60 from Young Lives Vs. Cancer. It’s simple: Just move 60 miles in September to support Team Young Lives. It’s up to you how you achieve the miles; you could walk, run, cycle, swim, anything. If you enjoy jogging, you can also join a challenge from Children with Cancer UK to jog 50 KM in September. When you sign up, you’ll get a free challenge shirt and an entire community of support. You choose the time, location, and distance; just track your progress as you go.
With challenges like these, not only will you be raising funds to change the future of childhood cancer, but you’ll also have a compelling reason to exercise and improve your own physical and mental health. (And be sure to don your gold ribbons and branded charity gear as you walk, run, or cycle!)
Get Social
Another way to raise awareness and funds this month is to get social. It’s an easy way for everyone to contribute to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month; simply join an existing campaign to make your voice heard. Consider the powerful When I Grow Up campaign from Children with Cancer UK. It asks children and young people with cancer to share what they want to be when they grow up; too often, cancer diagnoses interrupt and shatter these dreams. You can read these stories and spread awareness by sharing them on your own social media accounts with the hashtag #WhenIGrowUpCCAM.
Or perhaps you prefer to get social, in-person? Consider attending a gala dinner. These events tend to raise significant funds for families affected by childhood cancer, and to help fund research into better treatments. The Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group is hosting a Gold Ribbon Gala Dinner this month. It’s a fun opportunity to get a little dressed up and join fellow supporters over dinner. You can either purchase individual tickets or register to be a sponsor at varying partnership levels.
We hope this post inspires you to get involved to help change the future of childhood cancer. In what other ways are you supporting the cause? We’d love to hear about your favourite gold ribbon badges, how your physical challenge is going, and what other activities you’re involved with—this month and every day. Please get in touch with us today!