Macmillan CR

Whilst this is first and foremost a competitive event, it is also a great way to raise funds for good causes. In the past, individual teams have raised as much as £10,000 each for charities ranging from the hospice movement to those working for children and the disabled

But helping a charity can also help you, in ways ranging from raising your potential media profile (e.g. if you are seeking your employer's support to enter) to persuading your spouse or partner that swanning off to the Western Isles for a week is really all in a terribly good cause ...

If you do not have a specific charity in mind, you might like to consider our chosen charity for 1999 ...

In the UK one in three people will get cancer. Macmillan Cancer Relief is working towards the day when everyone will have equal and ready access to the best information, treatment and care for cancer.

The charity provides expert treatment and care through specialist Macmillan nurses and doctors, buildings for cancer treatment and care, and grants for patients in financial difficulties - services which help make the lives of cancer patients and their families easier, and reduce unnecessary levels of fear.

There are now over 1,600 Macmillan nurses - specialists in cancer care offering expert information and advice, skills in pain and symptom management and psychological and emotional support for people with cancer.

Macmillan doctors work with their colleagues to raise the standards of cancer care, using their skills to diagnose and treat cancer, and to teach others about good cancer care.

People with cancer often find that they have to pay for extra things because of their illness. Macmillan helps with patient grants.

Macmillan is also involved in improving public and patient information on cancer care. We produce a range of leaflets and support several cancer information centres, which are open to the public.

Every year, Macmillan helps educate nurses and doctors through Macmillan educators, lecturers, GP faciltators, seminars, courses and the Macmillan Education Resource Unit.

Macmillan works with the NHS, with health professionals and with other cancer charities, but above all with the public who support Macmillan.

How You Can Help

Jo Deverson, Events Officer at Macmillan, writes:

Raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief will give you that extra motivation for completing the Western Isles Challenge!

Macmillan Cancer relief will give you full support in your fundraising. We provide you with fundraising ideas, including advice on corporate sponsorship, help with publicity and information on our promotional materials to support your sponsorship collection.

"As a Macmillan Nurse, I have time to sit with them and talk to them about their anxieties. I try to bridge the gap between being a palliative care specialist who can answer the technical questions they have and being a fellow human being who genuinely cares about them and wants to understand what they are going through. This human contact is such an important part of my job; it's a powerful antidote to anxiety and fear"

We will send you a complimentary Macmillan Cancer Relief View from T-shirt or Running Vest. Our other items of kit - running jackets, fleeces, shorts and hats - are also available to purchase at excellent prices.

Information can be provided on Macmillan's work within your community and we can put you in touch with your local Macmillan Appeal.

For further information on supporting Macmillan Cancer Relief in the Western Isles Challenge, please contact Jo Deverson on 0171 887 8412, or by fax on 0171 887 8290 or by mail at:

Macmillan Cancer Relief

National Office

Anchor House

15-19 Britten Street

London SW3 3TZ

Good Luck!

Macmillan Cancer Relief, Registered Charity No 261017. A company limited by guarantee, registered in England No 2400969. Registered office: Anchor House, 15-19 Britten Street, London SW3 3TZ

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