Smokers hoping to give up in time for England going smokefree in July now have an added motivation to quit for good. Cancer Research UK has launched a new online initiative encouraging people to raise sponsorship for the charity in support of their attempt to quit.
www.sponsormetoquit.org allows would-be-quitters’ family and friends to support their efforts, with all money raised going towards Cancer Research UK’s vital work to beat cancer.
Smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world, but stopping smoking greatly reduces the risk of cancer and other diseases. While improved health is the main motivation for most would-be-quitters, everyone has their own reason for wanting to give up. Whatever it is, making a quit attempt is the first step towards stopping smoking for good.
Research shows that quitting with support doubles smokers’ chances of giving up for good. But asking those close to them to sponsor their attempt to stop smoking may provide people trying to quit with an extra incentive to resist the urge to smoke and strengthen the resolve that made them want to give up in the first place.
Once smokers have made the decision to try to stop smoking and to ask those around them to sponsor their attempt, they can build their own personalised webpage by visiting www.sponsormetoquit.org.
Poppy Ahern, online income manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Currently, there are over eleven million smokers in the UK, which is about a quarter of the adult population.
“We know from other countries which have gone smokefree that thousands of smokers will try to quit in the run-up to 1st July. We hope that friends and family will also seize the opportunity to support their loved one’s endeavours and raise money to help Cancer Research UK beat cancer.”
For information on how to make a sponsored quit attempt in aid of Cancer Research UK, visit www.sponsormetoquit.org.
Further details on the benefits of stopping smoking can be found at www.reducetherisk.org.uk.
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For media enquiries, please contact the Cancer Research UK press office on 020 7061 8315 or, out-of-hours, the duty press officer on 07050 264 059.
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About ‘Sponsor me to quit’
- ‘Sponsor me to quit’ is quick and easy to use, and would-be-quitters can include a message to potential sponsors and a photograph if they choose.
- Once the page is set up, users are given a unique URL, which can be sent to friends and family, and then they are ready to start collecting sponsorship donations online.
- The site also includes additional sources of help and advice for those trying to give up.
About Cancer Research UK
- Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK’s vision is to beat cancer.
- Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer.
- Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients.
- Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make.
- Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer.
About Reduce the Risk
- Reduce the Risk is a health campaign from Cancer Research UK which aims to raise awareness about the avoidable risks of cancer and the importance of early detection.
- Half of all cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle.
- People can help reduce their cancer risk by following five key pieces of advice:
- Stop smoking – It’s the best present you’ll ever give yourself
- Stay in shape – Be active and keep a healthy body weight
- Eat and drink healthily – Limit alcohol and choose a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables
- Be SunSmart – Protect yourself in the sun and take care not to burn
- Look after number one – Know your body and see your doctor about anything unusual. Go for screening when invited
- Visit www.reducetherisk.org.uk to find out more.
Just Giving
- Created by Just Giving, the UK’s leading charity fundraising website, www.sponsormetoquit.org builds on the company’s expertise in online fundraising which enables ordinary people to raise extraordinary amounts of money.
