A SOCIAL media craze has made millions of pounds for Cancer Research UK in less than a week.
The #nomakeupselfie trend, which saw hundreds of women in the city post pictures on Facebook and Twitter without make up, has raised more than £8million for the charity in just six days.
The fund-raiser, which was not started by Cancer Research UK, began last Tuesday (March 18), after people began tweeting their #nomakeupselfie pictures and asking how they could use them to make a difference to the charity’s work.
Cancer Research UK then posted a message on its Facebook and Twitter pages with information about how to support its work to beat cancer sooner.
Since then charity bosses say they have received an unprecedented increase in the volume of donations and visits to the website.
The money raised will enable Cancer Research UK to carry out more research sooner, including ten clinical trials1, which just last Tuesday it did not have money to fully fund. Cancer Research UK supports over 200 clinical trials looking for better and kinder treatments for all types of cancer.
Paula Young, spokeswoman for Cancer Research UK in Worcestershire, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support people have been showing us through the #nomakeupselfie trend.
“We don’t receive any government funding for our research and so it’s phenomenal to think that the generosity of the public is enabling us to fund critical research that we didn’t have the money for six days ago. Being able to fund more trials will bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
“It’s been an exciting week, and we’d just like to thank everyone again for their support.
“People across the region can continue to show their enthusiastic support for Cancer Research UK’s lifesaving work by entering or volunteering at one of the charity’s Race for Life events taking place throughout the region this summer.”
To donate £3 text BEAT to 70099. Visit www.raceforlife.org for more information on Race for Life.
