The Big Give Christmas Challenge is live!
For this week only your donation to Willow is doubled and will help more young adults like Maria enjoy a special experience with the people they love.
Maria, 36, from Hertfordshire was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. With support from Willow Coordinator, Fiona, she enjoyed a peaceful escape in the Fuggle Treehouse with her family. It gave them time to slow down and create memories they will always hold close.
Help us reach our target of £17,500 by donating today!
💜 Link in bio.
#Willow #BigGive #Donate #DoubleYourImpact
After taking care of your loved ones, a gift to charity means you leave a legacy of support for a cause that you deeply care about. 💜
Leaving a gift to Willow allows you to continue giving seriously ill young adults the opportunity to make precious memories long into the future.
Whether you choose to leave a residuary or a pecuniary gift in your will, you will be supporting beneficiaries at a time when they need it most. ✍️
🔗Click the link in our bio to write your will for free online, over the phone or in person, and consider leaving a life-changing gift to Willow.
Any amount means the world, thank you 💜
#FreeWills #LegacyGift #Willow #OctopusLegacy
💜 Create a MuchLoved page today 💜
When Alex created a MuchLoved page in memory of his wife Nicky, he had no idea of the profound impact it would have. This heartfelt space, supporting Willow and other charities close to Nikki's heart, became a source of comfort, healing, and even unexpected smiles for everyone who loved her.
Creating a MuchLoved page is a beautiful way to remember a loved one while supporting seriously ill young adults to make lasting memories with their loved ones. 🌟
Visit the link in bio to create your page today and make a lasting difference.
#Willow #MuchLoved #WillowFoundation #RememberingLovedOnes #MakingMemories
Seven years ago, Hannah had a Special Day to take her mind off the harsh realities of cancer treatment. On her all clear anniversary, she told us about the impact her Special Day had on her, many years later.
“Back in 2018, at age 20, I was diagnosed with ovarian germ cell cancer. I underwent two operations, egg harvesting and three and a half months of chemotherapy. In hindsight, it all feels like it happened to somebody else, and I’m very fortunate to say that, despite all the pain, I have a lot of fond memories from that time.
“That includes my experience with Willow. Flora, whose name I’ll never forget, was wonderfully helpful in arranging my Special Day and it meant myself and my sister could go for a lovely night away at King St Townhouse in Manchester. It was brilliant to have something to look forward to, something to take my mind off the situation at hand and to ‘escape’.
“Today marks seven years all clear for me. And after having just seen an email from yourselves about your lottery, I’ve now signed up.
“I now work for a local Sheffield cancer charity myself as Community Fundraising Manager, so know the difference that can be made. I just want to say a huge thank you, and continue doing the incredible work you do.”
100% of the young people we support say that their Willow experience gives them something to look forward to. We couldn't do any of this work without your support - thank you 💜
International MPS Awareness Week begins today, focused on raising awareness of the rare and often unknown MPS conditions.
There is currently no cure for the disease, and it is managed by treatment for the symptoms it causes. Last year, we organised an MPS group day in Manchester, where those living with the conditions had a chance to meet for dinner and enjoy an overnight stay, followed by gift boxes carefully crafted for each of them.
Living with a rare condition can be incredibly isolating, but days like these offer something truly valuable. Spending time with others who understand, and creating memories that go far beyond the day itself leaves a lasting impact on our beneficiaries with MPS. We want to thank @MPSSocietyUK for their continuous support and for helping us give those with MPS an extra Special Day.
#MPSAwarenessWeek #RareDisease #SpecialDay #Willow
20-year-old Grace from Guildford has had treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. Willow Coordinator, Mary, arranged a Special Day at the Harry Potter Studios where Grace spent time with her family having fun and making new memories.
“When I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, everything changed very quickly. I had already struggled with anxiety and depression before my diagnosis but this just made it much worse. More recently, it's given me a reason to enjoy my life more, and to not take things for granted.
"My Special Day was amazing. We had the best day, and the afternoon tea was such a nice treat with it. I've been to the Harry Potter studio tour a few times before but we've always wanted to have the afternoon tea with it and never been able to afford it - it did not disappoint!
"It's one of my favourite places so I was super happy to be going again. It was such a lovely day, being able to spend time with my family and have fun. It will definitely be a day to remember.”
Serious illness affects more than just the body. The mental impact can be just as overwhelming, and it's something that deserves to be spoken about openly.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, Grace is sharing what that journey really looked like for her, as someone facing illness, and how a Special Day to Harry Potter Studios gave her exactly what she needed. 💜
To find out more about what Willow does, click the link in our bio to visit our website.
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealth #YoungAdults #SeriousIllness #HodgkinLymphoma #WillowFoundation #SpecialDay #HarryPotterStudios #MentalHealthMatters
When @fishwithcarl says he had a good time at our fishing event, you know you’ll have an amazing angling weekend 🎣
What you need to know 👇
🐟 48 hour fishing experience at Linear Fisheries in Oxfordshire, with exclusive use of St Johns Lake
📆 31 July - 2 August
⚽ Mingle with England and Arsenal legend @officialdavidseaman , fishing legends @tom_maker , @damianclarke07 , @scottlloyd1989 and Nigel Botherway, and lots of brilliant anglers whilst exchanging tips and stories over dinner
💜 Raise funds for seriously ill young adults
🎟️ Tickets available on our website, link in bio 🔗
#CatchOfTheDay #COTD #Willow
"The quality time it gave us was something that we really needed."
29-year-old Courtney has received treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia. His Willow Coordinator, Claire, organised for him and his partner, Lauren, to have a relaxing break at the Buxton Crescent & Spa.
"My illness has had a huge impact on my life. I struggle with side effects on a daily basis which prevent me from working. I also struggle with my confidence so my social life has been impacted massively as I don't feel comfortable being around large crowds outside my family.
"Over the weekend of my Special Break I felt relaxed, excited, happy and very grateful. I was able to spend amazing one to one time with my partner and it came at a perfect time for us as it's been nonstop with hospital appointments, treatments and side effects.
"It was possibly one of the nicest weekends we've had together, the hotel, the food, the spa, the town...all of it was amazing. The quality time it gave us was something that we really needed."
Too often, young men face cancer without the support they deserve. At Willow, we're committed to being there for more young men like Courtney, helping deliver moments that help them make lasting memories. 💜
#WillowYoungMenWithCancerProject #SupportMenWithCancer #Willow #CancerSupport #YoungMenWithCancer
What are you doing with your free time? 💭
If you've got a few hours to spare, you could help our team to create more special experiences for seriously ill young adults. From retail opportunities to helping out in the office, there's a way for everyone to get involved.
No special skills needed. Just a bit of time and a lot of heart. 💜
Find out more at our website in our bio.
#Volunteer #Volunteering #Willow #WillowFoundation #GiveYourTime #SeriouslyIllYoungAdults #MakeADifference
How would you spend your 50th birthday? One of our fundraisers, Katherine, decided to celebrate by jumping out of a plane!
Terrified of heights, she chose a skydive as her ultimate challenge, raising money for Willow in honour of her beloved cousin Sarah, who sadly died last year.
Katherine said: "I initially decided to do a skydive because my daughter did one for her 18th and it looked like an amazing experience! As I was turning 50 and I’m terrified of heights, I thought exposure therapy was the way forward and decided I wanted to challenge myself!
"In September 2025 we sadly lost my beautiful cousin Sarah to cancer. She chose Willow as the charity for all the donations at her funeral. In her honour, I too wanted to raise some money for the charity."
Thank you, Katherine, for facing your fear and turning it into something so beautiful. You're incredible.
#FundraisingHero #Willow #Skydive #WillowFoundation #InMemory
"We felt thoroughly spoilt on our Special Day."
Laura, 39, from London, and her partner Jake had a much needed break away at Sopwell House Spa for their Special Day, giving them a chance to take a break from the harsh realities of Laura’s illness.
“In January 2025, I was hospitalised after being unwell for a few weeks, only to discover I had metastatic breast cancer. This was my secondary cancer but came as a huge shock to me and my partner Jake. The majority of last year was spent in and out of hospital – I had 12 rounds of chemotherapy and various other treatments.
“Initially, it was not a good prognosis. However, I responded really well to treatment and for now they have managed to stabilise my condition.
“Our Special Day from Willow was a trip to Sopwell House Hotel & Spa, something we have always wanted to do together. After a rough year it was the perfect way for us both to relax and forget about the outside world, and all the treatments and hospital visits.
“We felt thoroughly spoilt on our Special Day and the team at Sopwell House catered to our every need. We are forever grateful to Willow for these memories and the work that they do helping people who are dealing with serious illness.”
Jake, Laura’s partner said: “It was lovely to see Laura so relaxed and at ease while we were there, we even had our room upgraded to the Luxe Suite at Sopwell House which was simply amazing – a real experience of luxury.
"We had a wonderful 24 hours together on the Special Day. We felt thoroughly spoilt, it was a much needed break from our busy schedules and the pressures of living with her condition.”
Thank you @pinkribbonfoundation for your generous support, helping us to provide Special Days to people like Laura 💜
#Willow #SopwellHouse #PinkRibbonFoundation @sopwellhouse
Ever wondered who makes our events so special? 💜
From the Willow Ball to the London Football Awards, Catch of the Day and so much more throughout the year, our events team pour their heart into every detail, all in aid of the young people we support. Swipe to meet the people behind the magic!
To find out more about the events our wonderful team have organised, visit our website in our bio!
#TeamWillow #WillowFoundation #WillowEvents #MeetTheTeam
