Bollington family affected by breast cancer fundraises £10,000 for charity - and aren't done yet
Meet the inspirational Bollington pair that are raising money for charity throughout 2024.
Catherine Ray and Ian Ray are pushing their bodies to the limit for charity this year.
Catherine, who has just received treatment for breast cancer at The Christie Macclesfield, has co-organised a mega fundraiser with her husband Ian, generating vital funds for the charity Prevent Breast Cancer.
The pair want to raise £20,024 in £20,024.
And how will they achieve this? By running 2024 miles in 2024.
Instead of receiving gifts following her cancer diagnosis and treatment, Catherine - who also goes by Cath - told family and friends that she wanted to raise money for charity instead of receiving presents.
And with the help of those, and the wider Bollington community, the Ray's have already raised well over £2024 for Prevent Breast Cancer.
In fact, despite not being half of the way through the year, the Ray's current fundraising total is already over halfway to the £20,024 goal, with a whopping £10,109 being fundraised as of publication.
And if you count GiftAid, a further £2,228.21 has been fundraised too.
Macclesfield Nub News met with the Ray's for a cuppa at their Bollington home, in the midst of their herculean fundraiser.
"I had a mastectomy just after Christmas", said Cath.
"I found a breast lump in the first week of December.
"I phoned Wythenshawe Hospital, who saw to me quickly and did my biopsy.
"Two-and-a-half weeks later, I had had a maesectomy."
And it is at Wythenshawe Hospital where the charity Cath wants to raise money for, called Prevent Breast Cancer resides, located in The Nightingale Centre where Cath got treatment.
"Instead of getting presents or flowers, I said to friends 'I would rather you spend your money on something worthwhile than something I don't need.' And that's when the idea to run came, and do something good with it.
"We have both always ran. So it was a no brainer. It was important for us to do something proactive. We told friends to donate what they would have spent on us."
Fast-forward to May, they are halfway through to their £20,024 fundraising goal and 2024 distance goal. And Ian shows no signs of fatigue yet!
"Because the service was so good at The Nightingale Centre, we asked the consultant there who treated Cath what was the charity they believed in and would benefit other people, and that's when they recommended Prevent Breast Cancer," recalled Ian.
"The aim of the running thing, from a selfless perspective, being the partner of someone going through breast cancer, apart from supporting Cath and our kids, I thought it was a way I could do something good.
"And not just for Cath and the charity, but for my mental health as well."
"And our boys can be involved [in the runs] too," added Cath.
To meet the goal of 2024 km, Ian will run 104.39 miles (168km) a month, which is 40k a week, or eight 5k runs every seven days.
Macclesfield Canal, the Middlewood Way, and the hills around Bolly are Ian's favoured places to run. Even going on holiday hasn't stopped Ian from keeping up the challenge.
Ian is doing 2024 km himself, and Cath is joining on the occasional run, but a determined Ian has adamantly declared that Cath's coming along for supportive jogs won't count towards the grand total.
"I'm very proud of him for doing this," said Cath.
"It feels overwhelming to raise £10,000 so far, but it is not just the money it is the messages that are really lovely that's why I have found has been really touching. People's generosity and sentiments have been really good. Over 249 people have donated to date, thank you."
Cath, who works as an anaesthetist, is a beacon of positivity, which has helped her throughout her journey, and indeed will spur Ian on when the going gets tough.
The couple have also started a motivational Instagram under the handle @rayruns2024, where you can see them running in t-shirts named after their Instagram account. You can buy a shirt by emailing [email protected].
Cath and Ian have lived in Bollington since 2010, and have made many friends along the way. But made deeper ties within the community in these past few months.
The community of Bollington has come together in mass support so far. From the butchers to the bakers, and indeed the candle stick makers.
Bollington businesses are also taking part in runs or hosting events in aid of the crowdfunder such as Rootstock, Bollington Yoga, and The Lime Tree.
Bollington United FC will host a fundraiser in aid of the campaign September, where their young players will go on a run in aid of the campaign. Staff of The Green on High Street will wear Prevent Breast Cancer shirts every month to spread awareness. Both of the Ray's sons play for Bolly United, and one even met Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana recently.
"Bollington has a really great community, which we already knew but since we started the schools have been great, mates have been brilliant, we've had people donate from Ian's biking group, runners all come together," told Cath.
And if they don't reach the target by the end of the year: "We will keep on going," proclaimed Cath.
"We totally bowled over by people's generosity and kindness. All I initially wanted to do was raised awareness, but now it is getting so big and we keep on going. Being a doctor, I never checked as much as I should have. So to promote people to check is big for me really."
As an online newspaper, Macclesfield Nub News is meant to be neutral, but even we felt compelled to chuck a few quid towards the super-fundraiser.
Breast cancer is the biggest cancer within women. One in two people will get cancer. And one in seven women will get breast cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.
Cath has realised this first-hand, over the past six months since she was diagnosed.
"I have realised how common breast cancer is. I have met others in Bollington with it whilst having treatment at The Christie in Macclesfield who have been absolutely amazing," revealed Cath.
"The staff at The Christie in Macc have been amazing too. I have had all chemotherapy appointments and radiotherapy there too, they have been so efficient and professional. I am still receiving treatment there and will be for a while yet."
Rebecca Randles, Fundraising Assistant, of Prevent Breast Cancer, had encouraging words for the Ray's. And has been their main point of contact with the charity.
"Cath got in touch with us in January and she shared her breast cancer story with us", said Rebecca.
"She told us about her experience with us at The Nightingale Centre, and told us about this experience of the amazing challenge they were to undertake.
"Every time I check their JustGiving page, it has gone up by an incredible amount.
"I check in with Cath and Ian every now and then to see if we can support them, as much as they are supporting us. We can't say thank you enough!
"We're always really blown away by the support we get and the challenges people put themselves up to. It is a huge commitment physically, and within their fundraising goal as well. But I have no doubts that they will absolutely smash it.
"It is also about raising awareness for the charity and breast cancer as well, if everyone who goes to the JustGiving page becomes better informed about breast cancer risk, they can reduce their own risk.
"We are the only charity in the UK entirely dedicated to the prediction and prevention of breast cancer. Unlike many cancer charities, rather than finding a cure, we are dedicated to prevent future generations from ever receiving a breast cancer diagnosis.
"Every year we lose 11,500 women to breast cancer, and our aim is to use science, and save lives, to get that number all the way down to zero.
"Thank you to everyone who has donated, supporting us is one thing, but also showing support for Cath and Ian who are really putting themselves through it throughout the year, I've said it once and I will say it again because it really is true, we can't say thank you enough.
"Their story and what they are trying to achieve is inspiring, and so important."
According to Prevent Breast Cancer, breast cancer is the biggest cause of death for women aged 35 to 49, and one in ten breast cancers are diagnosed late.
If Prevent Breast Cancer can help people get diagnosed earlier, it can reduce the amount of treatment people will have to have.
And Cath is almost at the final furlong for her treatment, with one round of chemotherapy left.
In the unlikely circumstance that they do not meet their distance or fundraising goal by the end of the year, Cath declared "We will keep going on until next year."
Macclesfield: You can donate to the fundraiser HERE.
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