Lets Hear It For The Boys - Movember

Happy November one and all!!

November = Movember and its time to raise awareness of male centric cancers.

So boys make sure you read all about the cancers that target your male parts. Be clued up and use it as a legitimate reason to be checking yourselves over.

Testicular cancer - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/cancer-types-testicular.html?m=1

Prostate cancer - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cancer-types-prostate.html?m=1

You can also read about my friend, and testicular cancer survivor, Stuart Pilcher - http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/stuart-pilcher-survivor-story.html

Knowledge is power guys xxx

The George Pantziarka Especially For You Fund

Before I start this post, I just want to mention my lovely friend Hayley Q as she is having a tough day today. I can only say that she is one of the loveliest and most supportive friends in the world and her dad will be very very proud of the amazing woman she is. Lots of love missy.

Today marks 18 months since Georgie passed away. A year and a half. Scary how time flies really.

As anybody who reads this blog regularly will know – I do some fundraising for CLIC Sargent as they helped my cousin when he was ill. I’m not the best fundraiser in the world but I do like to give something back to this amazing charity when I can.

The charity recently contacted me about setting up a special fund so that my fundraising will be done in Georgie’s name, and with my uncle’s permission, this fund has been set up.

So I can proudly announce that we now have set up “The George Pantziarka Especially For You Fund” to raise money for children with cancer in his memory.

Any fundraising I do for CLIC Sargent will now be done using this fund – including my Big Bucket Collection on December 8^th.

Please do take a moment to look at our fund’s JustGiving page and please do feel free to contact me if you wish to join the team and do some fundraising!

CLIC Sargent is a brilliant charity, and one that has definitely helped my family at a time when help was needed the most. It is a great feeling to know that Georgie’s memory can live on, not just with The George Pantziarka TP53 Trust but also by helping children in a similar situation to the one he was in not so long ago.

Thank you for all your support.

 https://www.justgiving.com/teams/georgepantziarkafund

xxx

A Must Read Post for Girls

Good morning everyone!

This week the media has been full of stories about women having their cervical cancer misdiagnosed leading to their premature death. I cannot stress the importance of getting regular smears enough girls. Seriously get your smears done. Get any abnormal results sorted ASAP and seek a second opinion if you do think you are being fobbed off by your doctor.

Cervical cancer is one of the only PREVENTABLE cancer types. There is no need for so many ladies to be suffering from this. Please read my cervical cancer blogs and ask any questions if you have them!

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/cancer-types-cervical.html

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/a-new-project-cervical-cancer-screening.html

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/cervical-cancer-project-treatment-for.html

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/jos-cervical-cancer-trust.html

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/cervical-cancer-vaccines.html

xxx

Stand Up To Cancer - Next Week!!!

Hi all,

Sorry for the lack of updates, I am still very committed to my charity work but I’m trying to find a balance between that, my actual day job/career and my life at home with Leo at the moment so please do bear with me!

I just wanted to remind everyone that Stand Up To Cancer, the collaboration between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 is taking place next week!

From Monday to Thursday at 7pm there will be a show on channel 4 focuses on the story of some hugely brave and inspirational people so please make sure you tune in to those!

Then the main event takes place next Friday, 19^th October 2012 from 7.30pm. I haven’t been asked to take part so I’m not 100% sure of the details BUT I do know some of my most inspirational friends and CRUK colleagues are featuring so make sure you are keeping an eye out for Justine Sheils, Ruth Hillman and her gorgeous daughter Georgia, the stunning Ranasinghe girls (and their dad Neil!!!) and of course my beautiful best bud Rochelle Bugg and her sisters Hannah and Olivia!!! So many incredible people are featuring so please do show your support and tune in!

Alan Carr’s Chatty Man, Embarrassing Bodies and The Million Pound Drop are just some of the shows featuring on this very very special night!

I’ll definitely be tuning in and I hope you all will do!

There’s still time to find out how you can fundraise and get involved so please do follow @StandUp2C to find out more!

I’m Standing Up to Cancer – are you??

xxx

Success :)

Hi all,

Just a quick update this morning!

Last year I worked alongside the other Cancer Research UK Campaigns Ambassadors on "The Year of Radiotherapy"

http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/being-cruk-ambassador.html

We called on the government to introduce an action plan to improve Radiotherapy services in England. We collected over 36,000 signatures for a petition that was handed in to Downing Street and we did various other things to publicise the campaign.

WELL! All the hard work was so worth it!

Yesterday David Cameron announced £15 million will be spent on an adncanced radiotherapy technique that will be rolled out across the country. This type of radiotherapy will have fewer side effects and will benefit around eight thousand cancer patients every year!

http://mediacentre.dh.gov.uk/2012/10/08/eight-thousand-patients-to-benefit-from-advanced-cancer-treatment/

Congratulation to Cancer Research UK for making this happen! It's absolutely brilliant! And a massive well done to all my fellow Cancer campaigns ambassadors; everyone worked so hard on this and it's so exciting to see all the hard work pay off in such a brilliant way!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to sign the petition and show your support, it means a great deal and has played a huge part in making this happen!

Here's hoping we repeat our phenomenal success with the Answer is Plain!!!

xxx

Teenage Cancer Awareness Week 2012

Hi guys!

Hope you're all well.

Today is the start of October which means it is the start of Teenage Cancer Awareness Week.

As you will all know by now, Georgie died at aged 17 and my friend Stuart also fought cancer as a teenager so this month if very dear to my heart.

Please read about The Teenage Cancer Trust and the amazing work they do for teenage cancer sufferers. Please also visit their website and find out how you can get involved and raise awareness this week.

My Teenage Cancer Trust Blog : http://pennysophia.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/georgie-week-2012-teenage-cancer-trust.html

THANK YOU!!!

xxx

Shine 2012

Hi guys,

I think I found the challenge that broke me!

Shine 2012 took place in London last night. We started at Battersea Power Station at around 9pm and the aim was to walk 26.2 miles across London before finishing back at the Power Station.

I've never taken part in a fundraising event before - I stick to the campaigning mostly. I didnt know what to expect so i set myself a modest target of £500. I managed to raise around £800 before the event. I'm so grateful - and blown away - by the generosity and support I received by my friends and family, it's just incredible!

My friend Nancy invited me to walk with her and her friends, a lovely and very welcoming group of brilliant fundraisers. Nancy and I got separated from the group at around 4 miles but we managed to find Jo at the 10 mile mark.

Nancy and Jo spurred me on, I really wanted to give up after about 13 miles but these two ladies are incredible! They have so much energy and enthusiasm, they are just and amazing!

Somewhere along 15 miles I twisted my ankle quite badly but managed to carry on to the next pitstop, which was around the 19/20 miles mark. There I went to see the paramedic and he told me to stop as I had done a bit of damage to my tendon. I have a problem with my knees and I think that put a lot of pressure of my ankles. So I had to admit defeat and stop there. 

My legs are really painful today but I'm trying to push through the pain! I'm so so disappointed that I didn't get to finish and I think I've let my generous sponsors down which makes me feel terrible. 

Thank you for all your brilliant support. Thanks to Nancy and Jo for keeping me going and for allowing me to walk with then. It was definitely a brilliant, but painful, experience and I'm in awe of the incredible people that do such fundraising events often.

The money raised will go towards Cancer Research UK's incredible research in memory of my six lost relatives - something I'm very proud of

Thanks guys :) xxx