Hello, We are (Sophie and Sarah), we have signed up to the kilt walk On 26th April 2025, to take on the big stroll which is a 14 mile walk starting in Glasgow ending in Balloch.

We have picked a charity called Braca+Chat. A little back story to picking this charity is that My close Family member was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of 2023, When she went through her treatment she was made aware that the cancer was genetic. She was asked to pass the information on to her immediate family. I (Sophie) decided after finding out the information that it was the right decision knowing i was still young (29) to go through testing in the beginning of 2024 to see if i carried the genetic gene and to my surprise i found out i was positive to the Braca 2 gene in 2024. When i found out i had the Braca 2 gene mutation, I looked for online groups or people on socials with similar diagnosis to try find out more information. This is when i came across Braca+Chat. BRCA+ Chat are a tiny but amazing charity who aim to help everyone navigating a BRCA gene mutation. A BRCA gene mutation is inherited and increases a person's chances of developing breast cancer from 12% up to 85-90%, and ovarian cancer from 2% up to 45%.

Training for this will probably be a challenge, to say the least! Trying to navigate through the appointments going forward with knowing i have the Braca 2 gene. We decided fundraising would be exactly what would help us to take the jump in taking part in the kilt walk, no matter how hard it gets. What a better charity to fundraise and raise awareness for than one related to something extremely close to us. Making our efforts have a purpose beyond the finish line!

As a charity, BRCA+ Chat recognise that there is a need for more support services as often those diagnosed can feel overwhelmed and alone. BRCA+ Chat are there to provide emotional support and put people in touch with services to help understand and navigate their journey of living with a BRCA gene mutation.

Given they are such a small charity mostly run by volunteers, every penny really does make a difference. And we’ll be thinking of these donations when the going gets tough!