Bellringers raise £5m to strike back against blood cancer

Julie McDonnell founded Strike Back Against Blood Cancer and in June this year set out to raise £100,000 for Bloodwise, the blood cancer charity. Julie had a simple idea - ask fellow bellringers to ring a sponsored quarter peal at Wye Church, and then walk to Canterbury Cathedral, stopping to ring at other churches along the Pilgrims Way. Since the first peal rang out from Wye 25th June, Julie's simple idea has inspired nearly 600 other events in six months. Thousands of bellringers across the country, and around the world are responding with overwhelming support for her cause. Thanks to their commitment, and the generosity of sponsors Strike Back Against Blood Cancer has raised over £5 million for blood cancer sufferers.

Julie is a bellringer at St George's Brede, near Rye, who has leukaemia. She benefitted from a stem cell transplant in December 2015, and wants to give other people the chance of life. Strike Back Against Blood Cancer also aims to increase awareness of blood cancer, recruit stem cell donors for the Anthony Nolan Trust register, and raise money for research and to fund stem cell (bone marrow) transplants.

"Every 14 minutes in the UK someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, and 38 people die of it every day. However, today, two thirds of everyone diagnosed with blood cancer will still be with us in five years' time. When we started, almost no-one survived for this long." Bloodwise - facts about blood cancer.