ScS is to feature a bowel cancer awareness campaign in its latest TV advertising, which begins today.
The chain has been working with ITV’s Lorraine and Bowel Cancer UK, to raise awareness of bowel cancer and its symptoms, which if caught early enough, can often be cured by treatment and prevent it from returning.
Some 22 empty two-seater sofas took over Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on Tuesday to represent the 44 people who lose their lives every day due to bowel cancer, the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, which is more than 16,000 lives lost every year. Bowel cancer survivor Deborah James presented part of the ITV show live from an ScS sofa at the stadium on, to talk about issues surrounding this type of cancer, urging people to check for symptoms and visit a doctor if they are worried. The Stadium of Light was chosen as it holds 49,000 seats, a number close to the 42,000 diagnosed with the disease each year in the UK.
ScS has also added stickers to its delivery fleet and has have information signs in all of its stores. It is also donating £24,901 to Bowel Cancer UK, which is equivalent to the number of miles around the earth, as staff are attempting to complete this distance in a sponsored walk, helping to raise more funds. The advertisements will run from 22 April to 4 May.
‘Both my nana and my mum sadly passed away from bowel cancer after being diagnosed too late. If we had known earlier things may have been different, and that’s incredibly frustrating to know. It’s so important for people to know the symptoms and everything they can do to help prevent it, so they can find it early and treat it before it’s too late,’ says Monica Jordan, ScS customer service administrator.
‘Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, but it’s treatable and curable, especially when diagnosed and treated early, so it’s essential people know the symptoms to look out for. Having a focus on the disease on ITV’s Lorraine will hopefully go a long way to helping raise awareness of the signs and saving lives. We are also thrilled to have the support of ScS, which is generously fundraising for our charity, and its support will help with our lifesaving research and vital bowel cancer services. We wish it all the best for their ambitious round the Earth challenge,’ says Genevieve Edwards, Bowel Cancer UK chief executive.
‘We’re delighted to be able to support Bowel Cancer UK and ITV’s Lorraine campaign to help raise awareness for such an important cause. The fact that bowel cancer is so often treatable means that awareness can quite literally be the difference between life and death. We wanted to pay respect to those who lose their lives to bowel cancer each year, by showing empty seats in the stadium that is so close to our home in Sunderland,’ says Steve Carson, ScS ceo.