Help raise money for Victoria’s Promise on #GivingTuesday
25 November 2015 – Victoria's Promise, the charity that helps support young women with cancer, has partnered with the Charities Aid Foundation's #GivingTuesday campaign taking place this year on 1st December 2015. As a counter to the shopping frenzies of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is a call to action for everyone who wants to give something back; encouraging people, charities and businesses to donate time, money or their voice to help a good cause.
Victoria's Promise aims to raise £2000 in one day, enough to support one woman through her treatment for cancer. This could, for example, provide her with oncology massage, reflexology, counselling, make-up tutorials, funding a tailored and breathable wig together with specialist skin care products.
There are many ways that the £2000 could be raised at work, school, amongst friends or at your local pub. You could for example organise a quiz night, a lunch or supper party, a charity fun run or cycle ride, have a dress down day, hold a tombola or raffle, guess the number of jelly beans in a jar or just give something up for the day. If just 50 people pledge to raise £40 then Victoria’s Promise will be able to make a huge difference to one woman's life.
To further its support for young women cancer victims Victoria’s Promise has recently partnered with the cancer ward at Basingstoke and North Hants Hospital. The first hospital it has formally partnered with it needs to raise £120,000 a year just to support this one hospital alone, but as funds grow it aims to link up with the cancer units at other hospitals around the UK.
Victoria’s Promise was set up in memory of Victoria van der Westhuizen (nee Eastman). She died of cancer aged just 29, one year after getting married and 12 months after the death of her father to cancer. During her battle with cancer she vowed to get better and help others through their ordeal. It is a promise her family, through the charity, are now able to keep.
To donate Victoria's Promise by texting GTVP50 £amount to 70070 or visit http://bit.ly/1Nt985Z.
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Media enquiries to: Fiona Eastman
Victoria’s mother, brother and husband are all available for interviews
T: 07702 967576 E: fiona@fionaeastman.com
Notes to editors
Charities Aid Foundation's #GivingTuesday campaign saw a 270% increase in donations in 2014 compared to the same day in 2013. With 1000 partner organisations, at least 1 in 3 British people will donate on #GivingTuesday.
Victoria Van Der Westhuizen, a make-up artist and part time model, was first affected by cancer as a nine year old child when her paternal grandmother was taken from her by the disease. Three months later Victoria’s mother was struck with bowel cancer; fortunately her mother fought and won her battle. Victoria’s father was then diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and died in January 2013, one month after Victoria’s wedding. Victoria died in January 2014, a year after her father.
The Victoria’s Promise charity’s main focus is to fill the needs of young women facing cancer; needs that are not being met. It is creating a number of initiatives; from specialist chemotherapy beauticians, complementary therapies, counselling, dieticians and overall wellbeing. Its aim is to help women that are losing their confidence due to the effects of their treatment, as well as the fear of their situation, to no longer see a sick person in the mirror but themselves, and giving them the strength they need to face a struggle unimaginable to most.
The family of Victoria saw first-hand how just a simple 30 minute reflexology gave Victoria a chance to escape from her pains and fears, if only for a brief moment; these moments become invaluable, a commodity it is hard to put a price on.
It is with these types of initiatives, working hand in hand with the oncology specialists who are looking after the patient’s medical treatment, that Victoria’s Promise will be making a real difference, in the trenches of the war on cancer.
This release was issued at no cost to the charity.
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