Wing walks, PowerPoints, and ultra-marathons: 10 extraordinary fundraisers of 2024

In 2024, you continued to help transform the lives of people with cancer around the world through your inspirational fundraising for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

As we look back over the year, we wanted to spotlight some unique and creative fundraising challenges you’ve taken on.

40 events in one year!
Getting creative with celebrities and artists
To and from The Royal Marsden 10 times!
Fundraising with a shoe raffle
1,000 mile canoe race
Courtney's fund
Four hour PowerPoint-athon
Raising £17,000 from selling jam
Wing walking at 80 years old!
Popular lunch spot raises £10,000

1. Completing 40 fundraising challenge events in just one year!

Wes wanted to give back to The Royal Marsden for his son, Huey’s, treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia – a type of blood cancer that’s most common in children. He gave back, and then some, by completing 40 – yes, 40 – challenges in one year. His 40th year to be exact.

Wes travelled all over the UK and completed:

18 runs – starting and ending with the TCS London Marathon! 
10 cycle rides – in one month alone he took on three iconic races: the Surrey Hills classic, RideLondon, and the Hampshire Hilly Hundred. 
6 swims – Wes had never completed a competitive swim before this challenge. 
5 triathlons – one of the toughest athletic competitions, involving three events. He completed the full distance Ironman UK which was swimming, cycling, and running. 
2 duathlons – Wes took on the Dorney Lake Duathlon and the Gravesend Cyclopark Duathlon.

A man in a wetsuit, swimming cap and goggles on a pebbled beach giving a thumbs-up — Wes taking on a swimming challenge

“I only now realise how ambitious 40 events in a year was and can say with pride that I smashed it! I have some lifelong memories from along the way, but it was the smiles on my children’s faces after each event that I’ll remember the most.”

A huge thank you to Wes who raised over £17,000 for the Charity. Read more about his incredible challenge.

2. Getting creative with celebrities and artists

For 10 days in June, the online art auction, Sophie's Postcard, was back! The bi-annual fundraiser held by St Richards Catholic College in Bexhill-on-Sea saw celebrities, artists, pupils, and the public donate 2,146 pieces of unique artwork that were auctioned on eBay. Some of the famous faces who have donated their hand-drawn artwork include: Sir Quentin Blake, illustrator Axel Scheffler, TV presenters Lorraine Kelly and Victoria Coren Mitchell and Dame Jacqueline Wilson.

The exciting auction, which has ran every two years since 2018, is in memory of art student Sophie Maria Taylor, who was treated at The Royal Marsden. This year the event raised over £100,000 for us!

A huge thank you to everyone who bid (or put their fantastic art skills to the test) at this creative art event.

Flick through some of the artwork that has been featured over the years:

Painting of two women walking on a street, three figures are behind them — Cold by Darren Cairney. Sold at this year's auction for £59

Drawing of upper half of woman's face — Ashleigh by Curtis Holder. Sold at this year's auction for £47.23

A colourful pencil drawing of a blue eye on cardboard-looking material — Some of the artworks available at this year's auction

A painted scene of a sea and sky with blue acrylic paints — Some of the artworks available at this year's auction

An abstract painting of strokes of colours — Some of the artworks available at this year's auction

A colourful line work portrait of a woman's face — Some of the artworks that have been submitted to the auction over the years.

Pip and Posy - an Illustration of a rabbit and a mouse holding blue and yellow balloons — Some of the artworks that have been submitted to the auction over the years.

faces illustration and crocodile illustration — Some of the artworks that have been submitted to the auction over the years.

Watercolour painting of a lake scene with reflections in the water — Some of the artworks that have been submitted to the auction over the years.

3. Running and walking to and from The Royal Marsden…10 times!

November 2024 marked 10 years to the day when supporter, Kevin, was diagnosed with incurable stage 4 prostate cancer: "When I was diagnosed at my local hospital, I was told I had two years left to live, three or four if I’m lucky!"

Kevin standing on a lawn with bushes and trees behind him. He's wearing running shoes, shorts and a Royal Marsden Cancer Charity-branded shirt. — Kevin, prostate cancer patient at The Royal Marsden

To mark this incredible milestone, he completed an epic 80-mile run in 24 hours – that’s over three times the length of a normal marathon! He ran and walked from his home in Epsom to The Royal Marsden in Sutton 10 times, which was an eight-mile trip each way. “Every lap was for a year of my life, a different department of The Royal Marsden who have kept me alive and someone who has helped me along the way.” 

On behalf of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, a massive thank you to Kevin for raising over £20,000 – your dedication to fundraising is so inspiring! Read more of Kevin's story here.

4. Stepping-up the fundraising with a shoe raffle

The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is one of the oldest Livery companies in the City of London. Their roots date back to 1272 in the shoe trade, and now their focus is working with young people who are entering the fashion and shoemaking industries.

There are around 240 members, and each year a Master is selected to choose a charity to support – this year, thanks to Master Judith, that was us! This incredible group took part in many fundraising activities, from The Banham Marsden March, to carol singing and wine tasting. But by far the most unique part of their fundraising efforts was a shoe raffle. The prize draw meant that one lucky winner could get their hands (and feet) on a pair of bespoke, handmade shoes made by a shoe-maker who has worked with King Charles!

Two people standing on front steps of The Royal Marsden in Chelsea. They are wearing summery, flowery dresses and holding a large cheque for £27,140, dedicated to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. — The Cordwainers at their cheque presentation

The Cordwainers raised a total of £27,140 during the year, which went towards the purchase of a new machine in the Endoscopy Suite of the Oak Cancer Centre. We would like to thank each and every person in The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers for their dedication to fundraising for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity throughout the year.

5. Completing a 1,000-mile canoe race from Canada to Alaska

Two friends, Hector and Charlie, took on the Yukon-1000 to raise money for prostate cancer research at The Royal Marsden. This is a gruelling event where 22 teams race in canoes 1,000 miles (1,600km) down the Yukon River in Canada and Alaska.

Hector and Charlie on the Yukon River — Hector and Charlie taking part in the Yukon 1000

It was cold, there were bears, and Hector snapped his paddle on the first day! But despite all this, they finished the race in seven days, six hours, and 25 minutes, and were the third team to finish the race.

Selfie of Hector and Charlie on a boat (Charlie at the front) — Hector and Charlie training for the Yukon 1000 (Charlie at the front)

What an amazing achievement and thank you to Hector and Charlie for raising £50,000 – the highest anyone has ever raised for this challenge.

The money raised will make a huge difference and is going towards Professor Nick van As's research into metastatic prostate cancer. Professor van As treated Hector’s late dad, Hugh, and the funds raised will help other men like him in the future.

6. Courtney’s Team Marsden Fund

In memory of her late daughter Courtney, who sadly died of a brain tumour in 2022, Kim decided to set up Courtney’s Team Marsden Fund to raise money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Courtney outside and smiling, wearing a gorgeous white, sparkly prom dress smiling — Courtney

She has since organised a range of impressive fundraising activities - from a Monopoly walk around London to a race night - and this year's been no exception, including a skydive and football match.

A huge thank you to Courtney's Team Marsden Fund!

Read more about Courtney and Kim's story.

7. A four-hour PowerPoint-a-thon

One of our most unique fundraising efforts this year was from Tom who completed a four hour and 30-minute PowerPoint-athon. His friends and family gave him topics and he went away, conducted research, and gave a presentation on each one via PowerPoint. Now that’s dedication!

Tom in a Royal Marsden Cancer Charity-branded t-shirt, talking to a camera. He is standing in front of a large projector, showing PowerPoint slides of information on 1786 Bath.

Tom in a Royal Marsden Cancer Charity-branded t-shirt, pointing to a large screen with a PowerPoint that says 'Who were the Romans'.

Tom wearing an animal onesie and talking into a mic about a PowerPoint slide named 'Milton Keynes - the ISghts'

Fundraiser Sara who raises money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity selling jam. She is sitting in a kitchen, with purple flowers in the background, and kitchen utensils handing from the wall. She is wearing a fruit-patterned apron, white blouse and has had a bowl of strawberries in front of her and pots of jam. — Sara with her homemade jam

8. Raising £17,000…from selling jam!

Sara has been fundraising for us by selling her own homemade jam that she also grows the fruit for! She has currently raised an amazing £17,470 and continues to fundraise.

Thank you Sara!

9. Wing walking at 80 years old!

Marilyn decided to take on a wing walk to give back to The Royal Marsden: “I just knew it had to be something I was frightened of doing because I wanted people to realise that it was a real effort for me to do it."

A group of five people wearing Royal Marsden Cancer Charity t-shirts and standing in front of a yellow propeller plane — Supporter Marilyn with her friends after her wing-walk

"Before we left, the pilot asked if I wanted the gentle version, or ‘the full monty'.

I had a load of friends there who had all travelled to support me… so I knew I had to give them a good show, and we had the full works.”

Marilyn raised over £2,000 for completing this amazing stunt!

10. A popular lunch spot reached a milestone of £10,000

Tony wearing his Royal Marsden Cancer Charity T-shirt

This year in April, the Lunchbox in Epsom celebrated a huge achievement of raising over £10,000 for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

In 2015, our dedicated volunteer since 1993, Tony, first asked the owner of The Lunchbox, Keith, whether he would support the Charity by displaying a collection tin.

Keith and his customers have been diligently supporting the Charity ever since. Tony brings in the collection tin at least once a month with donations to-date now standing at £12,086.66!

A man in a white chef shirt. He is holding up a Royal Marsden Cancer Charity certificate for raising £10,000. He is standing outside a window hatch of a small lunch outlet. — Keith outside the Lunchbox

Thank you to all our incredible fundraisers in 2024!

Whether you chose to do a wing-walk, a PowerPoint-a-thon, or simply run a bake sale – your support, however big or small, has had the potential to save lives. 

A huge thank you from all of us at The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Your unbelievable dedication and generosity enables us to support people with cancer, so they can receive the very best care, benefit from the latest research and have treatment using the most advanced equipment.

We look forward to seeing you again in 2025, have a Happy New Year! 