Volunteer group scoops national charity award

6/18/2010 8:33 AM EST

Press release

For immediate release: 18 June 2010
Press contact: Faye Golding, 020 7749 4122  

Volunteer group scoops national charity award

A nationwide group of volunteers has taken the title of Breast Cancer Campaign’s ‘RAG Fundraiser of the Year’ after raising more than £28,000 to help the charity continue funding vital breast cancer research.

The Ragabonds scooped the award after impressing the judging panel with their mammoth fundraising efforts and commitment to supporting the charity.

The Ragabonds, an official collective of volunteers made up of former students who were part of RAG (Raising and Giving) societies at university, have helped fundraise through charity collections at a number of events, including Campaign’s megaraids, where RAG teams compete to see who can raise the most money for the charity in one day.

Despite many of the members working full-time, they give up an amazing amount of time to support charities across the UK. Since 2005, the Ragabonds have raised over £50,000 for Breast Cancer Campaign.

The Ragabonds were presented with the award at the charity’s annual House of Lords awards ceremony last night. Ragabonds community founder, Simon Painter, from Reading, said, “We’re honoured to have won this award in recognition of our efforts. Knowing that we’re helping to fund vital research which could eventually lead to a cure really makes all the time and effort worthwhile.”

Pamela Goldberg, Breast Cancer Campaign’s Chief Executive said, “Congratulations to the Ragabonds for winning this prestigious award. It is thanks to the continued support and commitment from people like them that we are able to fund innovative world-class research to help us improve the lives of breast cancer patients and beat the disease.”

If you want to be in the running for next year’s award, then contact the charity to find out how you can help. Call 020 7749 3700 or email  

ENDS

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Notes to editors
• Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure
• Currently it supports 117 research projects, worth £17 million, in 44 centres of excellence across the UK and Ireland
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in women
• In the UK, nearly 46,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 125 a day
• Visit www.breastcancercampaign.org
• Read Chief Executive Pamela Goldberg’s blog http://pamelagoldbergblog.blogspot.com/
• Ragabonds, an online community based throughout the UK, are a collective of volunteers who fundraise for a variety of charities including Breast Cancer Campaign. Since the group was founded in 2005 they have raised over £375,000 for a wide range of local and national charities. Up to date information can be found at http://ragabonds.org.uk/totals.php?rag=Ragabonds