Meet Emma: Trekstock's Head of Fundraising

AnInterview with Emma Cullingford, Trekstock's Head of Fundraising

October 2021

5 Min read


Lounge
Lounge October 15, 2021

In a world where many young people are battling cancer, there is one charity there to make sure you’re not alone. That charity is Trekstock.

Trekstock was founded in 2009 and was founded to ensure that young people have the support they need to thrive through and beyond their cancer diagnosis.

We’ve been fortunate enough to partner with Trekstock for three years in a row and this year, they’ve helped us bring to life The Art of Feeling with our six Lounge Legends!

We caught up with Emma, Trekstock’s Head of Fundraising, on all things Trekstock and how our #FeelYourBreast Campaign has helped the charity for the third year running.

Keep on reading to find out more.

Trekstock x Lounge

​​Tell us a little bit about Trekstock, your mission and what you do.

Trekstock is here to provide support, guidance and connection to a community of young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer through unique experiences, specialist advice designed to keep them active during or beyond treatment, informative events and expert information.

Our vision is a future where any young adult who has heard the words "it's cancer" is given tailored support that matches their unique needs. 

"Cancer took away everything. Trekstock gave a bit of me back. During my cancer journey, I felt incredibly isolated. Since discovering Trekstock, I've made some amazing friends as well as getting the chance to add some great life experiences along the way." A young adult Trekstock has supported.

What services and support do you provide for people with and beyond cancer?

Trekstock is the only UK charity that offers tailored support to young adults (aged 25-39) diagnosed with cancer. We responded to the pandemic by quickly adapting our services from in-person to online, to ensure there has been no drop in support to young adults living with and beyond cancer.

We offer a tailored 8-week transformational exercise programme called RENEW, run by Level 4 Cancer Rehabilitation qualified instructors. Its aim is to improve physical and mental well-being by equipping young adults with the tools to get moving safely.

We provide in-person meet-ups where young adults can connect with others who get what they’re going through, whilst participating in unique activities together. As well as providing access to a 24/7 online Community so young adults can ask questions, explore issues and chat with others whenever they need it.

We facilitate informative expert-led workshops addressing our community's unique needs, such as our series of Lifting the Lid events on issues that matter most to our community.

We send out support packs to new members which include downloadable copies of our Support Pack and Nutrition Resource: “Food and Cancer: What’s the Deal?”, and a year’s free subscription to the Headspace meditation app.


Last year was a really tough time for so many. How did the funds raised from last year's #FeelYourBreast Campaign impact you?

Young adults living with and beyond cancer were among the hardest hit by the pandemic and Trekstock's services have been needed more than ever.  Thanks to the help of Lounge and their incredible community last year, we have been able to continue providing our vital services throughout this challenging time. Throughout the last 18 months, supporting young adults living with and beyond cancer has remained our top priority.

Donations raised from the 2020 campaign have been instrumental in allowing us to continue providing our community with support to reduce loneliness and ensure more young adults with cancer feel connected through our services and receive the physical and mental health support they need.

 

This year, we plan to go bigger and better! What are you most looking forward to with this year's campaign?

We can't wait to see the significant impact this year's #FeelYourBreast campaign will have in not only raising awareness of breast cancer among young people and giving them the confidence to know their normal, but further the impact vital funds raised will have on the lives of the Trekstock community.

We are so excited to celebrate the phenomenal work the Legends are doing, and have been doing from the beginning, to educate others and support both Trekstock and CoppaFeel. They are all unique, passionate and inspiring individuals who make this campaign what it is.
 

What's something many people might know about Trekstock?

How we got the name Trekstock! Our Founder and CEO, Sophie, founded Trekstock after a close family friend was diagnosed with cancer. Sophie wanted to do something to help raise funds and awareness after recognising that there was a real lack of age-appropriate support for young adults. The fundraising began with a trek to Everest basecamp.

To fundraise for her trek, she decided to host a gig and, playing on the name of iconic music festival Woodstock, call it Trekstock. She made some 'I ❤ Trekstock' badges and took them to Glastonbury when fate stepped in and allowed her to meet some celebs (and not just any celebs - think Mark Ronson, Beth Ditto of The Gossip, Florence Welch and many, many more), who posed with the badges to support the cause.

The name spread, and Trekstock quickly became a 'thing'. Before long, trekking and hosting secret gigs to raise money for young adults thrown the curveball of a cancer diagnosis when they should have been living their lives became a regular part of Sophie's year. With more support, Sophie formed a Board of Trustees and registered the charity in 2009, and the name stuck.

 

What's the best part about doing what you do?

It's such a privilege getting to know the incredible young adults living with and beyond cancer that Trekstock supports. I've met some amazing people within this role who have taught me so much about life. Every time we run a Trekstock Challenge, like our Urban Trek in London and Manchester or our 34 Day Challenge, I am inspired to hear people's reasons for raising funds and awareness for Trekstock's work. We're like one big family; we support, encourage and uplift one another.

Want to help Trekstock continue their life saving work? Well, good news, Loungers. You can still donate all month long! Place your donations here.

Remember: 100% of donations received will go directly to our amazing charities, CoppaFeel! & Trekstock, and will help them continue making a difference.

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