Gynaecological Cancer Fund

The Lady Garden Foundation (previously the Gynaecological Cancer Fund) was launched in 2014 in order to raise funds and awareness of a number of gynaecological cancers. Many of the cancers, such as cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, womb cancer, vaginal cancer and vulval cancer, have high death rates in developed countries, due to a lack of understanding and treatments.[1] The charity has also created a number of fashionable items, such as hoodies, which have appeared in Hello! and Vanity Fair.[2]

Dr. Susana Banerjee at The Royal Marsden Hospital is one of the main beneficiaries of the funds raised by the charity. Her treatment is aimed at targeted treatment for women with gynaecological cancers. The original mission of the charity was to raise £750,000 for Dr Banerjee over three years. This was achieved in early 2018 and the foundation now funds various research projects at The Royal Marsden.[1]

Shortly after its establishment, the Lady Garden Foundation held a number of notable fundraising events to raise money for the cause. The events began in 2015, when they hosted a lunch for gynaecological cancer charities at Fortnum & Mason in London. In 2016, a Gala was held by Chopard and hosted by Naomie Harris. The Duchess of York was also in attendance.

In April 2016, the campaign held its first Lady Garden 5k, which took place in Battersea Park, London.[3][4]

Since 2015 onwards, various fashion icons and companies have designed accessories and clothing to promote the Fund and its campaigns.[5] It notably signed an agreement with the retailer Topshop to sell Lady Garden hoodies during Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month. In early 2017, Marloe London also designed a scarf for the Gynaecological Cancer Fund.[6] The charity then partnered with Selfridge's in 2017, and more recently, Stripe & Stare in November 2018.

The Lady Garden Campaign was started by the charity as a social media campaign to raise awareness for numerous cancers. It also wanted to promote screening and also funding for the treatment of gynaecological cancers. Since 2015, the campaign has coordinated its promotional efforts around Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place in Britain every September.

The social media campaign was started after research suggested that over a third of women were too embarrassed to go to the doctor with gynaecological concerns in the United Kingdom.[7] The campaign was launched in 2015, to raise awareness and funds for the treatment of gynaecological cancer. It was launched in conjunction with Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month in September.[8]

As soon as the social media campaign was launched, it saw huge celebrity endorsements online, from the likes of Ellie Goulding, Margot Robbie, Alexa Chung and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on social media.[9][10] The media suggested that the campaign went viral in the summer of 2015, reaching more than 40 million people on social media within 24 hours.[11][12]

After the campaign's launch in 2015, the Lady Garden Foundation carried out research to measure the impact of the cancer awareness campaign. They discovered that 81 percent of women exposed to the campaign were more aware of gynaecological health, while 59 percent were more aware of the symptoms of gynaecological cancers.[13]

• Jenny Halpern Prince
• Tamara Beckwith Veroni
• Mika Simmons
• Chloe Delevingne
• Astrid Harbord
• Bridget Barker
• Josephine Daniel
• Kate Percival

• Cancer in the United Kingdom