Helen of Storm Internet raises money for Breast Cancer Now | Storm Internet

Helen of Storm Internet recently joined the Breast Cancer Now £1000 fundraiser, one of their longest running campaigns. She certainly rose to the challenge. She hosted a ‘Pop up’ Spa and Shopping evening where Reiki, Reflexology and Indian head massage therapies were offered alongside manicures, pedicures and eyebrow threading.  There were stalls selling gifts of toiletries, jewellery and much more.  It was a huge success and as a result Helen’s name was added to the 7th Challenger Wall at the Toby Robins Research Centre at the Institute of Cancer Research in London.

We asked Helen a few questions about her fundraising challenge:

What was the challenge about Helen?

I signed up for the Breast Cancer Now £1000 fundraiser which aims to raise £1000 doing anything of your choice but in no set time.  Which is great when you’re a busy working mum.

What did you do for your challenge?

I decided to organise a pop-up spa and shopping event in my local area. I managed to organise a local hall, who gave me a discount on the hire when they heard about the fundraising element. This was at the Kidlington Football Club Function Hall. I then went about organising stalls such as The Body Shop, Tropic and a few other gift stalls. I organised treatments through local businesses as well as raffle prizes and a tombola. Local businesses were fantastic at offering gifts and prizes.

How much did you raise on the night?

I managed to raise the full £1000. With the full support of Storm and their additional finanical input the night was a real success.

Why did you choose a breast cancer charity?

I lost my aunt to breast cancer in 2016. Then, in 2017 my mum was diagnosed too. With it being so close to home, seeing the effects, statistics and also having my own girls I felt I needed to give back and help those researching continue their good work.

What did you do at the research centre?

We saw the new 7th Challengers wall, which is a wall where the names of all the fundraisers are written. We then had a tour of the research centre and a view of one of their labs. A research scientist spoke to us about what they do and where they are hoping to be in the next few years, with the help of financial input from research grants and fundraising efforts. Lastly, we went to a hands on area where we taught how to use the syringes, remove DNA from a strawberry and learnt more facts and statistics about the disease and research.  We then got to eat pink cupcakes!

What did you learn at the research centre?

How many people have been affected by the disease and how hard the centre is working to research a cure. Their work is so important and I felt proud to have been given the opportunity to visit.

Tell us about the wall you have your name on.

It is the 7th wall. There are lots of names included be it the name of a fundriaser, someone fighting the battle or someone who has sadly lost their battle with breast cancer.

Do you have any fundraising plans or ideas for the future?

I would love to continue fundraising for breast cancer. Currently, at home we  use a collection tin for loose change and old toys my girls sell on, but will plan a bigger event in the New Year. Maybe not as big but every £1 goes to a great cause.

Storm are really proud of the work Helen did for Breast Cancer. With her time and effort she was able to raise not only money, but awareness for an increcibly important campaign. At Storm Internet we always support and encourage our employees to take part in any charitable events or fundraising campaigns close to their hearts. Thank you again Helen for this fantastic story.