FINALIST
Jayne Bressington
Raised +£54,000 on JustGiving for GIST Cancer UK
Jayne has made it her life’s work to find a cure for GIST, a rare form of cancer, in memory of her daughter, Eve.
Jayne’s story
In 2010, Jayne’s world changed forever.
Her 15-year-old daughter, Eve, was rushed to the hospital to remove a mysterious abdominal mass. The diagnosis revealed a rare form of cancer: Wild Type GIST. Remarkably, this cancer is even rarer in young people, and at the time, no specialists in the UK focused on Paediatric Wild Type GIST.
Since her daughter’s diagnosis, Jayne has made it her life’s mission to improve treatments for GIST cancer patients.
PAWS-GIST was started in 2010 further to Eve my 15-year-old daughter being advised that there was "no treatment, no cure and no research" into her type of GIST cancer. Our family was totally devastated.
- Jayne Bressington
Having met with a dedicated medical team in America, she sought hope and solutions. Eve, described as beautiful, brave, clever, and kind, fought valiantly. But tragically, she passed away in March 2018.
Since 2010, Jayne has gone on to establish a specialist PAWS-GIST clinic in the UK working with Dr Ramesh Bulusu and attracted donations of over £500,000 for PAWS GIST research to find a cure, better treatments and to support patients.
More about Jayne
FIGHTING FOR A CURE
Jayne’s raising money to fund research and to develop the best treatment so children stand the best chance of beating this cancer.
GROUND-BREAKING
Currently, there are over 100 known PAWS-GIST cases in the UK. Many patients have questions and fears that are not easily answered. Jayne’s team of doctors are working to find answers and evolve treatments.
SUPPORTIVE NETWORK
Jayne has created a support network for GIST patients and their carers – helping them come to terms with living with GIST and provide important information.
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FINALIST
Freya Morgan
Raised +£21,000 on JustGiving for Bail for Immigration Detainees
Human rights lawyer Freya has raised thousands to support migrants, all whilst dressed as a disco ball.
Freya’s story
Freya is committed to fighting for the rights of migrants in the UK.
In 2023, she ran a whopping 2,500km… dressed as a Human Disco Ball! Her sparkly costume wasn’t the only thing driving donations – she also played disco music to get people involved (and dancing), garnering lots of media attention, and most importantly… more eyes on her cause.
People love it. It's quite a nice way to start talking to someone and explain why you're doing it as well.
- Freya Morgan
She’s become a recognisable public figure, leading warmups, hosting fun runs, and making people smile, raising over £21,000 for Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID).
On top of all that, Freya is studying to become a human rights lawyer – and has gone above and beyond to provide support and legal aid for migrants in her community.
More about Freya
SPREADING THE WORD
Freya thinks the most valuable thing to come out of 2023 was the positive conversations she’s had around immigration in the UK – 350,000+ impressions on social media, 22 press interviews, and anonymous three-figure donations.
A POWERFUL MESSAGE
The Human Disco Ball was born out of Freya’s personal mental health experiences in the past, bringing a bright, hopeful message around the future of asylum seekers and refugees.
RUNNING WITH HEART
Freya wanted to change the story about refugees and asylum seekers. “The people I work with are just looking for the chance to have a better life. All I am looking to do is to show people that humans are humans.”
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FINALIST
Sam Perkins
Raised +£39,000 on JustGiving for Stand Against MND
Sam Perkins lost all movement due to the ravaging effects of motor neurone disease, but this didn’t stop him from completing the TCS London Marathon.
Sam’s story
Sam was a keen Ironman triathlete, before being diagnosed with MND in 2019. His condition quickly left him relying on a ventilator to breathe. Tragically, he lost all movement in the months that followed.
Despite this, Sam ‘still has his zest for life and his wonderful, self deprecating sense of humour.’ With a strong family and support network behind him, he launched his very own charity Stand Against MND to raise funds to find a cure.
On top of that, Sam has completed the London Marathon as an assisted wheelchair participant. He even recruited Britain’s four-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington OBE to lead a support team to push Sam over 26.2 miles, raising funds and awareness for his charity.
His charity’s now launched many initiatives, including a series of children’s books and a campaign called Artists Against MND, that showcases and sells works of local creatives. To date, the charity’s raised more than £260,000 to find a cure for MND.
More about Sam
TEAM EFFORT
Sam’s London Marathon was made possible by his committed team of four – Chrissie Wellington OBE, Steph Cobb, Tom Rawling, Frank McGowan.
LOGISTICS LEGENDS
In addition to an adapted chair that supported Sam’s neck and head, the team also used a separate running buggy carrying a spare battery for Sam’s ventilator.
COMMUNITY HERO
Sam’s been widely recognised for his work spreading awareness and raising funds for MND. He’s been supported by local triathlon groups, and even won awards for his fundraising efforts.
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