On World Cancer Day, we reached over 150,000 supporters.
In my wildest dreams, I didn't for a minute think that the campaign would be as successful has it has been OR that we would have been able to achieve so much in under a month. I still can't believe it's only been 28 days since I started the campaign but the success is down to YOU - for your support by sharing and getting in touch with your MPs and generally pushing and pushing. If the campaign only had 500 signatures, I don't think we would have had such media interest or support - so thank you! I will NOT be stopping. This campaign has only just started. I will continue until we get change. I realise this will be a hard slog but I'm in it for the long run - as I keep saying, big changes like this are more of a marathon than a sprint. With that in mind, I still need to ask for your help. Your continued support by sharing and contacting MPs is vital to the continued success. We can't take our foot off the gas!
I have never campaigned before so as we've hit this fantastic milestone, I feel it appropriate to say a few thanks to those who have been helping me and without whom, I think the campaign may have stalled long ago. So please forgive me if I do a sort of Oscar Winner's speech. In no particular order, the Oscars for best support to a new campaigner go to ......................
Change.Org for giving me this platform to ask for change and the team that have been in contact with me on a daily basis encouraging and putting up with my daft (probably daily) questions! I've gone from knowing absolutely nothing about how a campaign runs to a tiny bit of knowledge and so thank you Change.Org. From the start, I have had the unwaivering support of Prevent Breast Cancer and Peppermint Soda and I know that without them, this campaign would never have been as successful as it has been and I don't say that lightly. Rebecca Hanberry, you have been unbelievable and are truly a genius! When Lester Barr, Consultant Breast Surgeon and Patron of Prevent Breast Cancer endorsed the campaign, I knew I was on the right track and that this campaign could really make a difference that gave me such a boost very early on. Kate Green my local MP who jumped on board and within a week secured a meeting for us with the Department of Health & Social Care (an absolutely amazing achievement that everybody is in awe of). Dr Mohsan Ahmad for his already pioneering work raising awareness with dental practices in the North West (and my sounding board for all things "mouth")! My campaign wing woman, Emma Wright who has taught me how to "tweet" and what the "@" and '#" tags mean and in the process has gained a following of rather dubious gentlemen! All my fantastic friends who have given their unwaivering support and put up with my unrelenting spam who have continued to share and share - you know who you all are! ITV Granada News (Lucy Meacock and Rob Smith) who were the nicest presenters you could ever hope to meet and have turned me into a superfan! BBC Breakfast for my first ever (and very scary) live TV interview and a mention must go to the make up lady for making me look human after a night of no sleep and giving me the nicest eyebrows I've ever had! BBC North West, Channel 5, The Times and the Manchester Evening News for their kind coverage. Also a big thank you to the dental community and all the dental organisations both online and in print who have given me the opportunity to highlight the campaign and not burn me at the stake as I thought you would - that includes all the staff at George Warman Publications (and a big shout out to Oliver Cann). Thank you also to the other media outlets and journalists who have helped (and are still continuing to do so). And lastly to my husband and daughter who have been ignored as I've worked on the campaign, who have made sure I've been fed and watered and who have nodded with great encouragement as I've shown them the numbers increasing! I know I've missed out loads of people and I'm sorry but I'm truly overwhelmed by all the support. Thank you!
Normal non-gushy service will be resumed tomorrow!