In supporting each other, we support society

Supporting the vulnerable is vital

The thing about life is that it isn’t a smooth ride. No matter what walk of life you are in, there will always be challenges. 

Some may be seen as ‘first world problems’ but others are far more serious. 

Cancer affects many families. For some it arrives after many years of living on this planet, but for others, they are only young but whichever way it falls, it is down to those around them to take care for them. 

And that is how society works, with those better off, be that in terms of health, wealth or situation, taking care of the more vulnerable. 

In our family, we have suffered loss through cancer but even if we had not had that direct experience, we would still have got involved with the Virtual MoonWalk, which is raising money for Walk the Walk, which will go to cancer charities. 

Walk the Walk - a brief history

Walk the Walk was founded by Nina Barough who woke up one morning in 1996 with the ‘fun’ idea of walking the route of the New York City Marathon in decorated bras to raise money for a good cause. 

At that time, Nina had no experience of fundraising or taking part in a marathon nor did she know anyone who had been affected by breast cancer. But she still saw it as her role to care for others through fundraising which is how a caring society works.

In November 1996, 13 women took to the streets of New York in their bras and the team raised more than £25,000 which was then donated to Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research.

Following that success, many others said they were keen to do something similar but with Nina busy with work, she was doubtful that it would happen. As it turned out, she was about to face a new challenge, when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. 

And with Nina about to start treatment, a team of 25 women took on the route of the 1997 London Marathon and raised a further £25,000. 

And the following year, they looked to repeat the feat, but with the walk’s popularity growing and only 25 places available, Nina planned for another team to complete the route in an overnight challenge - and so the MoonWalk was born.

And over the years, Walk the Walk has raised thousands towards the efforts to tackle cancer. 

Money raised for Walk the Walk goes to a range of projects and campaigns, some of which are specifically chosen because they may find it difficult to find funding from elsewhere. 

As for Nina, she still leads Walk the Walk, as its chief executive.

Shared values

All of this ties in with the ethos of Swizzle and friends in that it’s not all about looking after ourselves, it’s about supporting each other as a society, helping the vulnerable and trying to take positive actions that benefit those who can’t help themselves.

That is why, on Saturday, May 15, three of us will be stepping out on a trek of more than 26 miles to raise as much as we can for Walk the Walk. We have support from family and friends in other parts of the country, who will be tackling a similar distance in a display of solidarity.

It is going to be a huge challenge for us but it’s one that is right to do because in supporting each other, all of society benefits. 

Please support Walk the Walk

And we appeal again and say, if you would like to sponsor our team for this challenge, click on the link below. All donations, regardless of the size, will be gratefully received. 

https://walkthewalk.enthuse.com/pf/coley-girls

Further reading

To read more about the history of Walk the Walk, visit https://walkthewalk.org/about-us/our-history 

You’ll also find out much more about the charity on its website, https://walkthewalk.org