Nineteen year old Stephen Sutton’s story; documenting his life with cancer over the past 18 months, after an initial diagnosis when he was only fifteen, has gone viral on social media and featured prolifically in the news this week.
Upon hearing his cancer was terminal, rather than lie down to this illness, Stephen set himself a goal to raise £10,000 for the charity, Teenage Cancer Trust, which has supported him and many other teenagers with this disease.
Stephen has worked tirelessly organising various fundraising events but it has been his positive attitude and determination to not give in that has inspired people all over the world. Stephen shared his ‘bucket list’ of 46 things ‘to do’; many of which he has accomplished through his own doing and the kindness of others. However, this was not his primary objective and his greatest achievement and his lasting legacy will be how ‘Stephen’s Story’ has prompted the global community to take action for the common good in our fight against cancer.
This has attracted global donations that have resulted in Stephen completely smashing his initial target, his secondary target of £1,000,000 and now he has surpassed a third target of £2,000,000 supported by comedian Jason Manford through the #ThumbsUpForStephen campaign.
Consequently, this has deservedly earned Stephen global recognition, winning numerous awards and calls to speaker and media platforms. All of which he humbly accepts to continue to raise awareness of his fundraising campaign and fight against cancer.
Stephen truly is an inspirational individual and a shining example of how a person’s unquestionable belief and action for greater good can make a huge difference. Our thoughts are with Stephen and his family as he faces a particularly tough battle with his illness this week and we thank him for sharing his incredible story with us.
This is an awe-inspiring tale reminding us that the work of individual social entrepreneurs and organisations, in the fight to improve lives and create social change, is central to our functioning as a civil society. Social Enterprise UK has made significant strides to raise awareness of social change through their ‘Buy Social’ campaign, recently extended to Canada and Australia. At CEIS we are pleased to work with Social Enterprise UK and with an increasing range of partners and associates globally to address inequality and promote social justice.
Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) takes place 14-16 October in Seoul, Korea this year and in its 8th year it continues to offer a unique opportunity for social enterprise leaders, practitioners and supporters from all corners of the globe to come together to discuss, learn and share experiences. Participants always leave with increased awareness and enthusiasm, as well as improved networks and new partners, to assist our work in a global social enterprise movement. We invite you to join us at SEWF to work with others who are interested in the common good and in social change.
To read more on Stephen’s Story and to keep up to date with his fight against cancer, visit https://www.facebook.com/StephensStory
You can also donate to Stephen’s campaign by visiting, https://www.justgiving.com/stephen-sutton-TCT
For further information on how you can join the campaign for social change by registering for Social Enterprise UK’s ‘Buy Social’ campaign, visit http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/policy-campaigns/latest-campaigns/buy-social
For further information on the Social Enterprise World Forum, visit http://www.sewfonline.com/annual-events/seoul-2014/