Clare Broomhead, Christie supporter

Clare became a supporter of fundraising for cancer charities 6 years ago, after her mum and dad were both diagnosed with cancer. Sadly, both of Clare’s parents died and Clare was determined to honour their memories and support other people affected by cancer.

To help raise money for cancer charities, Clare organised a ‘yogathon’ – a 12-hour long yoga session for the yogis of Cheshire. Participants could just drop in for an hour or – if they felt up to the challenge – attempt 12 hours of back-to-back yoga. They could take part in almost every type of yoga – from relaxing styles to more strength-based ones.

The yogathon event was so successful that Clare has run the event every year since.

In 2020 and 2021, the yogathon had to go online due to COVID-19 restrictions. It still ran in exactly the same way – participants could join for up to 24 hours of yoga – but people joined via Zoom instead of in person. Participants could dip in and out of classes and the online session also gave the opportunity for more people to attend.

For the 2021 event, Clare decided to raise money in support of The Christie charity. Her studio Yoga on the Edge joined forces with Narali studio in Altrincham and Running Bear Run Club, with all teachers giving their time for free on the day.

“I have now organised this yoga event for 6 years now in memory of my mother and father. My mum was a doctor and as a result able to get an early diagnosis, however, her 13 year battle with cancer. Latterly, as the cancer spread it was so difficult to watch how this disease affects not only the person who is diagnosed but all the people around them. My dad was never the same after she died and then was sadly diagnosed himself.
“I was determined to make a difference and help raise money to contribute towards all the work that The Christie do.”

The dedication and support of Clare and all of the other yoga teachers means that the yogathon event has raised close to an amazing £5,900 for The Christie charity.

Do you want to support The Christie to help us recover from the COVID-19 pandemic? Our ideas generator has lots of inventive and interesting ways you can raise money for The Christie.

Any support you can give will help us keep touching patients' lives today, tomorrow and beyond.