Breast cancer charity wins £5,000 to help patients across UK

A charity which supports breast cancer patients and saw demand for its mood-lifting gift boxes surge during Covid-19, has won thousands of pounds in a national competition run by specialist charity insurer Ansvar.

littlelifts, which provides gift boxes to people undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for primary and secondary breast cancer, was chosen as a winner in Ansvar’s Community Campaign, having been up against hundreds of charities across the UK.

The Norwich-based charity was awarded £5,000 from a total prize pot of £25,000 to help support its little Kindness Fund, to broaden the charity’s reach outside of East Anglia.

Since the pandemic hit last year, littlelifts received a surge in requests from patients across the country enquiring if they could receive a box. The charity’s tailored gift boxes contain carefully chosen items to help alleviate side effects from chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment, as well as mood-boosting goodies to promote emotional wellbeing.

Kay Phoenix, Operations and Support Manager at littlelifts, said: “As a lot of the support networks for people with cancer were reduced during the pandemic, we found we were getting more and more requests from people outside East Anglia who would benefit from a littlelifts box.

“The amazing prize money we’ve won from Ansvar will go towards The little Kindness Fund, which we launched on World Cancer Day on 4^th February this year. So far, we have supported over 230 people across the UK through this fund, and Ansvar’s support will help us provide a littlelifts box to an additional 75 people. It’s going to make a big difference.

“Right now, kindness really does matter. Apart from helping to ease side effects of invasive cancer treatments, another aspect is the sense of solidarity people feel when they open a box – that someone else has been through this experience and these items have helped.”

The idea for littlelifts came after its founder, Oa Hackett, experienced breast cancer herself at the age of just 28. The boxes contain items such as heat packs to help with joint and muscle pain, a soft toothbrush to be kind to more sensitive gums, and chilli oil and herbs to bring flavour to foods that may taste a little different.

One breast cancer patient who received a littlelifts box said: “It was so overwhelming to feel that women who have never met me could do something so kind and thoughtful. It really did just feel like one huge hug in a box.

“The items in the box have been so useful already and there are things included I hadn’t even thought of but am now using daily.

“It meant so much to receive this box and made me feel that I really am not alone.”

littlelifts is among three successful UK charities to win funding in Ansvar’s Community Campaign competition. The two other winners are mental health charity Oakleaf Enterprise in Guildford and Yes Futures, which supports disadvantaged young people in London and the South East.

Sarah Cox, Managing Director of Ansvar, said: “The judges loved the ‘kindness’ aspect of littlelifts’ gift boxes, which aim to put a smile on the face of those who are seriously ill, at a time when a small gesture can really make a big impact.”

For more information regarding Ansvar Insurance, please visit www.ansvar.co.uk.

To find out more about littlelifts, visit www.littlelifts.org.uk.