{"id":33338,"date":"2023-06-15T08:00:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T08:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/?p=25756"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:12:45","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:12:45","slug":"volunteering-with-pride-bretts-award-winning-involvement-with-cancer-research-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/volunteering-with-pride-bretts-award-winning-involvement-with-cancer-research-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteering with Pride: Brett\u2019s award-winning involvement with Cancer Research UK"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"BrettBrett outside the Cancer Research UK shop he volunteers in<\/p>

” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett1-hero-300×168.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett1-hero.jpg”><\/p>

Brett outside the Cancer Research UK shop he volunteers in<\/p><\/div>

<\/h4>\n

From donning a high-vis jacket to ensure Race for Life events run smoothly up and down the country to taking part in our campaigns to make political change, our volunteers are at the core of everything we do. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

So today, we want to put the spotlight on one of them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Brett has been volunteering at our <\/span>Rotherham <\/span>s<\/span>tore since 2016. <\/span>But what started as a few hours in the shop each week has grown into him being a vital member of the team. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
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I went into my local shop for a world cancer day wristband and liked the atmosphere \u2013 and before I knew it, I was back in the shop for an induction. The rest is history!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Brett<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A view from both sides<\/h2>\n

In the superstore, Brett would often chat to customers about cancer, raising awareness of symptoms and encouraging them to make an appointment with their doctor if they were worried. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

But that really hit home when he noticed an unusual lump in his testicle. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally that came as a shock, but his experience with Cancer Research UK gave him the knowledge and confidence that he needed to make an appointment with his doctor to get it checked out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur carrier bags tell people to contact a doctor if they\u2019re worried,\u201d he says. \u201cLittle did I know this would actually save my life. But it did.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

After an initial appointment with his GP, Brett was referred to Rotherham General Hospital for tests. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

He had surgery to remove the testicle within weeks, which was then followed by a single session of chemotherapy. The good news is that his treatment was a success and he\u2019s being monitored regularly. Thanks to his vigilance, his cancer was caught early.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just made my whole connection with the charity mean that little bit more,\u201d Brett says of his diagnosis. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was the scariest time of my life but knowing I was able to turn the negative into a positive by sharing my story and potentially helping others is something that will stay with me forever.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Experiencing a diagnosis of, and treatment for, cancer has only made Brett more passionate about spreading awareness and breaking down taboos around cancer. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

He knows better than most that catching cancer early saves lives. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Happy 5th birthday to my @CRUKShops<\/a> Rotherham Superstore! I\u2019ve had countless memories in 5 years. Met and worked with some amazing people. Won awards. Survived a pandemic and had actual cancer myself. What a journey! Thank you ❤️ @CR_UK<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/T8v2hIQCEF<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Brett Hadley (@VolunteerBrett) March 15, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A flame of hope <\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n

For his incredible dedication, Brett won Shop Volunteer of the Year at our Flame of Hope award<\/span>s in 2021. B<\/span>ut Brett\u2019s involvement with us goes far beyond the Rotherham store. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s appeared on BBC Radio Sheffield, in the Sheffield Star and Rotherham Advertiser, hosted his own show <\/span>on Charitable Radio and even lent his voice to<\/span> our Race for Life events, sharing his story in 2022 and being the voice of the corporate sponsorship messages in 2023. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Brett\u2019s lanyard, showing just a few of the badges he decorates it with<\/p>

” data-medium-file=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett2-cropped.jpg” data-large-file=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett2-cropped.jpg” decoding=”async” class=” size-full wp-image-25758″ src=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett2-cropped.jpg” alt=”Brett’s lanyard, showing just a few of the badges he decorates it with” width=”200″ height=”200″ srcset=”https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett2-cropped.jpg 200w, https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett2-cropped-150×150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/news.cancerresearchuk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Brett2-cropped-96×96.jpg 96w” sizes=”(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px”><\/p>

Brett\u2019s lanyard, showing just a few of the badges he decorates it with<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

He\u2019s also active on his Twitter account, <\/span>@VolunteerBrett<\/span><\/a>, sharing his favourite #CRUKfinds, as well as updating people on his other volunteering work for Sheffield Children\u2019s NHS Foundation Trust. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

And this year, for the first time, he\u2019ll be taking part in the Pride in London parade with Cancer Research UK on the 1<\/span>st<\/span> of July. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, we\u2019re thrilled that Brett is joining us to celebrate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pride in London is the biggest Pride celebration in the UK. It will be a fantastic moment for our Pride Staff Network to get together and proudly celebrate our fantastic community.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am very much looking forward to meeting Brett, who I\u2019ve heard so much about and who has done so much for the charity,\u201d says Chris Doyle, co-chair of our Pride Network.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs Cancer Research UK, we\u2019re looking forward to bringing members of the Pride Network, from across the UK, together at Pride in London this year. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to beat cancer for everyone, so it\u2019s a fantastic opportunity to not only walk in solidarity and show our support as a charity for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, but also to meet other members of our own Cancer Research UK community that we might not otherwise get to meet in person.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

The gift of time <\/span> <\/span><\/h2>\n

Volunteering can come in all sorts of forms. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

It can be as short as an hour, or as long as a lifetime. A one-off trial, or a newfound passion. But we know that whatever our volunteers are doing, they\u2019re giving us the most precious gift to help us beat cancer: <\/span>the gift of their time<\/span><\/a>. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery minute matters,\u201d Brett says. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVolunteers are the beating heart of the shops. It\u2019s a great place to meet others and gain experience, as well as make a real difference to such an amazing charity who do such important work.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

So. A few days ago was my 7 year anniversary with @CRUKShops<\/a> and @CR_UK<\/a> \u2013 Thousands of hours, a shop volunteer of the year award and an actual cancer diagnosis (and recovery) later and here I am! Still devoted and volunteering several days a week. Here\u2019s to the next 7 years!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Brett Hadley (@VolunteerBrett) February 15, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

More on this topic<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brett\u2019s lanyard, showing just a few of the badges he decorates it with He\u2019s also active on his Twitter account, @VolunteerBrett, sharing his favourite #CRUKfinds, as well as updating people on his other volunteering work for Sheffield Children\u2019s NHS Foundation Trust. And this year, for the first time, he\u2019ll be taking part in the Pride […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5137],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33338"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42923,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33338\/revisions\/42923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}