As you may know, I’m a passionate supporter of Future Dreams Breast Cancer Charity, an amazing organisation that believes nobody should face breast cancer alone or without hope. The work they do and what they bring to the lives of people living with breast cancer is truly special.

As I learnt when my sister, Jacqueline, was going through breast cancer, and from the experiences of friends and loved ones, a breast cancer diagnosis changes your life. It can make you feel alienated and as though your identity has been stripped from you. It can make you see yourself as ‘a breast cancer patient’, rather than the person you truly are. It can stop you just feeling ‘normal’.

I am a carrier of the BRACA gene, as was my sister, and those of us that carry the gene have an 85% chance of getting breast cancer or ovarian cancer or prostrate cancer in men. If you are of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage 1 in 40 of us will have the gene compared to 1 in 300-400 of the general population. Future Dreams have a fantastic support network to help individuals and families understand the gene and give it greater publicity.

Future Dreams aims to give people back their sense of self, to give them tailor made support which will help them to overcome some of the emotional barriers which can make a breast cancer journey even harder to navigate. It provides a haven, connections, a support network and a safe space. It stops people from getting lost in the system, empowering them and giving them help and hope.

With 55,000 women (a figure that has doubled in the past 50 years) and 370 men being diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year, it’s imperative that Future Dreams continue to get the backing they need to support as many people as possible. Their mission is to support 5000 individuals annually by 2027 through Future Dreams House, the UK’s only dedicated breast cancer centre, offering both in-person and online support. You can help them get there.

Over the next 36 hours, Future Dreams is hosting a fundraising campaign to ensure they can continue providing their vital support services, funding for secondary breast cancer research and raising awareness of the importance of early detection and diagnosis. They have an ambitious target of £1million in just 36 hours, with generous match funding doubling every donation.

I would love to ask you to join me and donate what you can. Your contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant impact on the lives of those affected by breast cancer. Thank you, so much.

For more information on the charity and the support they offer all those with a breast cancer diagnosis www.futuredreams.org.uk

Breast cancer charity, Future Dreams, believes nobody should face breast cancer alone or without hope. The charity runs Future Dreams House, the only dedicated breast cancer support centre in the UK providing practical, emotional, and psychological support in-person and online for those touched by breast cancer. It also funds vital breast cancer research and promotes breast health awareness. The charity was established in 2008 by the late Sylvie Henry and late Danielle Leslie. The mother and daughter were both diagnosed with breast cancer.

Futuredreams.org.uk Registered Charity No.1123526