Salon staff make a run for Eve Appeal
PAIR TAKE ON 10K CHALLENGE AND RAISE £125,000
Reporter TWO beauty therapists are set to take on the Simplyhealth Great North 10k to help their company raise over £100,000 for a women’s cancer charity.
Kathryn Breen, from Gateshead, and Nicola Mark, from Sedgefield, both work at Saks Beauty Gosforth.
This year Saks decided to support the Eve Appeal, a charity aimed at raising awareness and funds into research into gynaecological cancers.
The suggestion for this charity was made by staff who wanted to use the time they spent with customers in the treatment rooms to talk about female cancers that were often a taboo subject.
Nicola, 43, who is the salon’s franchisee, said: “Normally a lot of our fundraising happens in the salon itself through charity raffles and fundraisers but Nicola and I decided to really challenge ourselves by entering a 10k run.
“As part of the Saks family, we wanted to commit as a business to help raise awareness of women’s cancers so we started using the time we spent with customers to talk about the often too-little talked about subject.
“When we contacted the Eve Appeal, we found it really important that there were five gynaecological cancers that a lot of women don’t know about and don’t even know the symptoms of.
“We felt it was a really important cause to support and across the business, we have already raised a combined total of £125,000 which is amazing as it’s completely smashed our target! Neither of us are natural runners so this will be a really big challenge for us but it’s one we are both really looking forward to.”
The Simplyhealth Great North 10k takes place on July 8 and features 5,000 runners who share the satisfaction of completing a 10k chal- lenge, while taking in the sights of the Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside.
Participants then enter Gateshead International Stadium where their family and friends can gather to cheer them on as they cross the finish line.
Kathryn, 33, said: “We want to raise as much awareness as we can by fundraising but also encouraging others to talk about an often taboo subject, whether it be in our salon or if people spot our fundraising teeshirts at the Simplyhealth Great North 10k.
“As a mother myself and Nicky as an auntie we can’t stress the importance of encouraging girls and women of all ages to get checked and go for regular screenings.”
To support the team’s fundraising for the Eve Appeal, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/teambeaut