PRESS RELEASE - Walk the Walk to provide emergency grants for frontline cancer services

Walk the Walk’s supporters have continued to fundraise through the 2.6 challenge and its own virtual MoonWalk Celebration Road Trip

Grant-making charity Walk the Walk is stepping in with emergency grants, to support frontline cancer charities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The charity’s Founder and Chief Executive Nina Barough is so concerned about the effect on the lives of cancer patients during the past three months, she felt Walk the Walk really had to do something to try and help.

Walk the Walk’s own fundraising has been massively affected by the pandemic, with the postponement of its events, including The MoonWalk Scotland and The MoonWalk London, where millions of pounds would normally be raised in one night. However Walk the Walk’s supporters have continued to fundraise through the 2.6 challenge and its own virtual “MoonWalk Celebration Road Trip”, raising almost £100,000.  

Nina and the charity are very excited to announce they will be making “Emergency Grants” to the value of £20,000 each month to frontline cancer charities, until the end of the year. The grants will only be made to organisations which are involved in delivering services and support directly to cancer patients. Even a few thousand pounds could make a huge difference in keeping services running at this time. 

The effects of the pandemic have been enormous for those diagnosed with cancer. Cancer surgery has fallen to around 60 % of expected levels and 6,000 fewer cancer patients than expected are receiving chemotherapy*. Many people are also being forced to go through treatment on their own. Loneliness is one of the key issues for which frontline cancer charities provide support. 

Local cancer services and helplines are being overwhelmed and many having little or no funding coming in, due to their normal sources of fundraising having stopped.

Nina Barough CBE, Walk the Walk’s Founder and Chief Executive said; “After working passionately for the last 23 years to raise money to improve the lives of those living with cancer and for research into breast cancer, it is distressing to see the situation that many cancer patients have found themselves in. I really felt that we should do something no matter what and came up with the idea of providing emergency grants. The main aim of these grants is to give charities funding to get them through the next few months, and hopefully allow them some breathing space, so that they can support those who really need it”.

*Cancer Research UK, June 2020

For more information, contact:

• Sally Orr at Walk the Walk: 07796 080675 [email protected] ​​​​​​​
• Jen Broh at Walk the Walk: 07974 107999 [email protected] 
• For more details about applying for a grant, email [email protected]​​​​​​​

Walk the Walk’s Emergency Grants

• The funds may be granted to one charity, or to several each month, depending on what is required
• The grant has to be used within 3 months of being made
• Many charities, particularly those providing services, work with as little as 3 – 6 months of reserves.
• Being unable to run face to face sessions, they have had to quickly switch to providing virtual help

Breast cancer charity Walk the Walk

• Walk the Walk specialises in fitness and Power Walking challenges
• ‘The MoonWalk’ is the flagship event of the charity currently held in London, Scotland and Iceland, with women and men taking on their overnight walking challenges wearing brightly decorated bras.
• Walk the Walk has raised more than £133 million since 1996
• As a grant-making charity, all funds are raised for Walk the Walk
• This money is then granted where the charity feels it will do the most good
• Funds are granted to research projects which are important to all our future health.
• Money is also given to a variety of projects supporting people across the UK living with cancer now
• HRH The Prince of Wales is the official Patron of Walk the Walk
• Due to the coronavirus, Walk the Walk have sadly postponed some of their events including The MoonWalk London, The MoonWalk Scotland and The MoonWalk Iceland. Visit www.walkthewalk.org for updates and to find out more about the charity.