When the Bowelbabe Fund team first started exploring the idea of a dance-based fundraising challenge, they wanted it to feel inclusive and true to Dame Deborah James’s spirit.
In November, members of the Online Cancer Insights Panel shared their thoughts on the proposed Bowelbabe Fund Dance Challenge. This was a social media campaign inviting participants to dance for 20 minutes a day throughout February. Their honest, thoughtful feedback helped shape the challenge, ensuring it felt accessible, flexible and positive for as many people as possible.
Panel members told us that while dancing can be uplifting, not everyone feels comfortable or physically able to take part in the same way. Some shared concerns about health, confidence or fatigue, and others highlighted that privacy really matters, especially when it comes to sharing videos online.
The team made sure the challenge was designed without pressure or rigid expectations. Messaging clearly reassured participants that they could adapt the challenge to suit their own bodies, energy levels and circumstances. Participants were encouraged to take things at their own pace, break the 20 minutes into smaller chunks, or dance in ways that felt right for them.
Another notable aspect was that participants didn’t have to share videos of themselves dancing. Instead, a private Facebook group was set up where they were encouraged to share dancing to celebrate achievements and inspire others. The group quickly became a highly supportive and uplifting space, with many people happily posting their videos. This encouragement helped even less confident participants feel comfortable enough to share their own dancing as the community grew more creative and positive.
Panel members also highlighted that dancing feels joyful. It can lift mood, boost wellbeing and feel very different from more traditional physical challenges like running or jogging. The campaign leaned into this and focused on fun rather than performance, using playful lines like “No fancy routine. Rhythm optional.” The team also shared creative ideas to help people personalise the challenge from kitchen discos and themed dance days to short dance breaks between daily tasks.
To strengthen the connection to Deborah’s love of dance, panel members suggested showing her dancing as part of the campaign. As a result, the challenge featured footage and imagery of Deborah, alongside a diverse range of participants dancing in their own styles and spaces.
The response exceeded all expectations. The challenge raised over £510,000 (including Gift Aid) which was more than double its original target. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many participants describing it as a refreshing change from traditional physical fundraising challenges like running or jogging.
The success of the Dance Challenge has already influenced plans to run it again next year, using everything learned from this first campaign to make it even better.
This is just one example of how involvement helps make Cancer Research UK’s work more inclusive, relevant and impactful. If you’d like to get involved, you can:
look out for future opportunities on our current involvement opportunities page
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Whether you’ve been involved before or are thinking about taking that first step, we’d love to welcome you.
Find out more about the Bowlbabe Fund including other ways to fundraise and support.
