WHAT IS CHARITEA?
We choose a new ChariTEA (Charity - see what we did there!) every quarter which is close to our hearts. The ChariTEA is nominated by one of our Teabirds, they then choose a tea blend that reflects them or what they support and we donate the profits of the blend to their wonderful cause!
For 2023's first quarter (January-March) our chosen ChariTEA was 'Life after Cancer' - a London based charity with a vision to support and uplift people who have had Cancer. They were nominated by Matt from our Head Office Team.
He said: "I nominated Life after Cancer because I think the work they do is really important, and they really enrich peoples lives."
The tea Life after Cancer chose as their blend was Vicky's Sponge Cake. So every penny of profit from this blend from January to March will be donated to supporting the running of this incredible organisation!
We are happy to announce that we raised £5064.31 for Life after Cancer during the quarter.
A little about Life after Cancer
Our mission at Life after Cancer is to create a world where people who have had cancer feel less isolated and are given the tools they need to manage their mental wellbeing.
Based on her own experience with Hodgkin lymphoma, Life after Cancer founder Steph Davies, set out to create an organisation that supports individuals who have finished cancer treatment.
There can be few moments in life that are more euphoric than being told that you no longer have cancer. So why do 92% of people who have finished cancer treatment tell us that they find life after cancer harder than cancer treatment?
"After my own experience with cancer, I quickly realised that the impact of cancer didn't suddenly stop once treatment was over. Conversations around cancer decreased, the support structure that I'd got used to just wasn't there and there was an assumption that everything would 'go back to normal' because the treatment had ended. I realised that the world was a very different colour post cancer. Cancer shaped my life so I created this space to support others in shaping theirs."
After months of treatment, some of which may have been in isolation during Covid restrictions, being surrounded by family support and taking extended time off work, cancer survivors who complete treatment are suddenly faced with the prospect of returning to their ‘normal’ life. But life can never go back to normal after such a serious life-threatening illness.
Life after Cancer brings people together who have finished cancer treatment to form free community support groups, with an aim to increase their physical, mental, emotional and social wellbeing. The support individuals receive reduces the risk of serious mental distress and helps them to build a positive life after their cancer experience.
What support do Life after Cancer offer?
Life after Cancer's support opportunities originally started life in Waltham Forest, but lockdown provided an opportunity to diversify and offer online support groups, workshops and coaching programmes to help support people who have finished cancer treatment from all over the UK.
Life after Cancer offer free online and London based individual support through:
Support groups are facilitated by International Coaching Federation (ICF) trained coaches, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioners and Mental Health First Aiders who have experience of cancer themselves.
The 6 week coaching programme runs guided weekly workshops that focus on issues that may have arisen from participants’ cancer diagnosis. People can join this programme at any point after their cancer treatment has finished to help them fulfill their potential, move forward with their lives and address issues that could prove challenging in the future.
“We would like every individual to know that there is a free, safe, non-judgmental space here at Life after Cancer for anyone who has experienced cancer.”
HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING THEM?
- Donating profits from our tea Vicky's Sponge Cake online during the time period.
- Donate A Cuppa at checkout - just add the cost of a cuppa and make a change!
- Donation set up in all our local stores - easy to do and makes a big difference.
- Instagram takeover - World Cancer Day 4th Feb - giving Life after Cancer the spotlight on our socials to highlight what they do and get them some more support.
- 4th Feb - Wellbeing Lock In events in stores - these will be a great opportunity for people to connect over a cuppa and also learn all about our fantastic teas for health and wellbeing.
- 16th March - Virtual tea tasting event - for those not near a store, we will be hosting a virtual tasting event too! Everyone can enjoy the magic of tea!
For up to date announcements on the above events, how to get involved, and anything else we might be brewing up, check out our social media channels.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
The easiest way to support is to buy Vicky's Sponge Cake or donate some of your cuppa at the checkout but there are lots of other things you can do to help them out. You can help spread the word by sharing posts on social media, donate essentials to our local stores or or volunteer yourself. If you want to find out more information about this charity and how you can get involved click here.
