Slimming World’s sponsorship of Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life smashes fundraising goals
Slimming World members, Consultants and staff have raised an amazing £949,567 for Cancer Research UK (CRUK) through Race for Life 2023.
Slimming World sponsored Race for Life for the first time this year, and encouraged its Consultants, and members, from its thousands of community weight loss groups across the UK, and head office staff to get involved with local events to raise money for CRUK while increasing their own activity levels.
Elise Wells, Director of Marketing & Brand Strategy at Slimming World says: “Race for Life is such an exciting series of events and the positive reaction from our members, Consultants and colleagues has been amazing to see. Cancer Research UK is a charity close to so many people’s hearts so there’s always an eagerness to get involved and raise money for such an important cause.
We saw people flying the Slimming World flag at every single Race for Life event this summer and we couldn’t be prouder of that passion and enthusiasm – and the way it’s translated into such an amazing fundraising total is nothing short of incredible.
Each year, Cancer Research UK holds Race for Life, a series of events all over the country which encourage participants to walk, jog or run the course and raise funds for the charity. The events include 3km, 5km race and 10km distances, Pretty Muddy, and Pretty Muddy Kids. This year’s Race for Life events took place from 30 April to 30 July and were held in local parks and other public spaces across the UK.
Elise continues: “Our physical activity support programme, Body Magic, encourages members to gradually increase their activity and fitness levels at a pace that suits them. Every year we run a fundraiser that gives our community the chance to get sponsored for achieving their activity goals. Race for Life has been a great motivator and has given members, Consultants and staff a powerful objective to work towards, whether they’ve chosen to walk 3k or run 10k – all while raising vital funds. In fact, this year we’ve raised more than ever before. We are proud to have been supporting Cancer Research UK for the last decade and look forward to future fundraisers and awareness campaigns.”
Since 2013, Slimming World has been supporting Cancer Research UK and in this time, they have worked together on a variety of events, such as the annual Big Slimming World Clothes Throw, where Slimming World members donate their clothes that they’ve slimmed out of for CRUK to sell in their local high street shops. This decade-long support has raised over £19m for CRUK and has also raised awareness that maintaining a healthy weight improves health and can reduce the risk of developing some types of cancer.
Gareth Mulcahy, head of events and sport at Cancer Research UK said: “We are grateful to all the Slimming World supporters who took part in Race for Life this year. Race for Life is often about a personal challenge, but it can also be a way of connecting to others and coming together to show support for a cause which touches so many lives. The generosity and commitment of everyone at Slimming World raised an incredible sum. This will help to fund life-saving research that brings us closer to a future free from the fear of cancer.
We’ve seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years. This is thanks to the continued efforts of supporters and fundraisers across the country. Everyone has a reason to Race for Life. Whether you race for family, friends, colleagues, future generations, or yourself, absolutely everyone is welcome, and we hope to see you at next year’s event series!
Slimming World was founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE in Derbyshire in 1969 and has become the UK and Ireland’s leading weight loss organisation with more people choosing to attend a Slimming World group each week than any other weight loss programme. We support hundreds of thousands of people, both in our groups and online, to lose weight and to adopt new habits to stay slim for life.
Over the years our founding principles haven’t changed:
· Our unique programme is based on a powerfully motivating support system called IMAGE (Individual Motivation and Group Experience) Therapy. Underpinned by a deep understanding of the psychology of overweight people, and incorporating the most effective sustainable behaviour change techniques, IMAGE Therapy is designed to inspire and motivate slimmers to make positive changes and to develop new, healthier habits around food and activity.
· Food Optimising is our healthy eating plan, based on the liberating concept of Free Food. We encourage our members to fill up on those foods that are naturally lower in energy density (calories per gram) and also highly satisfying while limiting foods that are highest in fat and sugar and are less satisfying, so they lose weight without ever feeling hungry or deprived and without having to weigh, measure or count everything they eat.
· Our activity support programme, Body Magic helps members to overcome any barriers around activity. Members choose when to start and they set the pace, finding activities they genuinely enjoy, until regular physical activity becomes an intrinsic part of their daily routine.
At the heart of everything we do lies our passion for treating every member with genuine care, empathy and respect.
We’re proud to work with the NHS, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), The Royal College of Midwives and others to help shape the future of weight management in the UK and Ireland.
For more information about Slimming World’s approach visit slimmingworld.co.uk or slimmingworld.ie
Follow Slimming World on Twitter at twitter.com/slimmingworld or become a Slimming World fan on Facebook at facebook.com/slimmingworld
For the Press Office visit our newsroom or email public.relations@slimmingworld.co.uk
About Race for Life
· Race for Life, in partnership with Standard Life can be entered at raceforlife.org via the hotline on 0300 123 0770
· Race for Life raises money for Cancer Research UK that goes towards beating all 200 types of cancer affecting men, women and children
About Cancer Research UK
· Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research, influence and information.
· Cancer Research UK’s pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.
· Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years.
· Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK wants to accelerate progress and see 3 in 4 people surviving their cancer by 2034.
· Cancer Research UK supports research into the prevention and treatment of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.
· Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK is working towards a world where people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.
For more information, and case studies relevant to Race for Life, please contact Joshua Gill in the Cancer Research UK press office on joshua.gill@cancer.org.uk / 0203 469 6199
For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1022 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.