Our volunteer ambassadors help us to raise awareness of the work we do by attending events to talk about our work, encourage others and get involved in fundraising activities.

This is a really important role as it helps us to reach new people, inspire new fundraising activities, and thank our supporters for the work they are doing.

GEORGIE RUTHERFORD 

We are really excited to introduce Georgie Rutherford, our newest Ambassador. Georgie is a business owner (The Long Run Collective) and a professional triathlete but following a melanoma diagnosis in February 2021, a lot changed for her. 

Georgie knows firsthand how patients feel about movement and what they can do safely while they are healing. Not only was she in pain and struggling with lymphedema, but she was also scared of going outside to exercise in the summer due to skin worries and her anxiety levels going through the roof. 

Her goal is simple, she wants to assist those who have either stopped moving for fitness and health due to their diagnosis, lack of confidence, or feeling nervous about what to do. She wants to help other patients who would now like to start some movement in any shape or form, to help boost their self-esteem and their physical and mental health.

Georgie is a triathlete with some incredible achievements under her belt including the winner of the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World Championships and now she wants to use her background in fitness, health & wellness to help the wider melanoma community.  To know more about Georgie, click here.....you won't be disappointed. 

Welcome on board Georgie, we are delighted you have joined our small but mighty team! 

CAMERON GRAHAM  

We couldn't be more proud than to welcome Cammy Graham to our team.

Cam is the newest addition to join our Melanoma UK Ambassador team and at 19, he is the youngest! 

In March 2021 Cam was diagnosed with stage two melanoma and now he wants to help us to heighten awareness of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in young adults.

Cam plays for Stenhousemuir Football Club as an attacking midfielder and as a Melanoma UK Ambassador he is in a unique position to promote our prevention, detection, and awareness messages on the dangers of melanoma.

We are super proud of this young man, welcome to the crazy gang Cam!

ADELE HUGHES  

We want to give a huge welcome to Adele Hughes, the newest addition to join our Melanoma UK Ambassador team. Our small but mighty team is growing! Adele currently lives in Hong Kong, however, she is originally from Liverpool.

In December 2019 Adele was diagnosed with melanoma and ever since that day she has made it her mission to raise as much awareness as possible in order to protect the future generation. 

Whilst on her melanoma journey she set up a blog 'the melanoma in me' as a way of sharing her story and help others.  She has been interviewed for numerous newspapers and magazines in the UK as well as featuring in the South China Morning Post. 

Adele is a primary school teacher at an international school and now it is her aim to use her position to raise awareness of sun safety within the educational institutions in Hong Kong.

Adele is delighted to be an ambassador for Melanoma UK and is looking forward to working with us to promote our prevention, detection, and awareness messages on the dangers of melanoma.

Lovely to have you on the team Adele!

LIVERPOOL ECHO 2020

STEVE WILSON

Super proud to welcome Steve, the newest addition to join our Melanoma UK Ambassador team. 

Steve was diagnosed with melanoma in 2010 and the words "you have got cancer" changed his life forever. Steve was treated and finally discharged in 2016 but melanoma had other plans because in 2017 he found a lump in his groin and instinctively knew the melanoma had spread.

Steve openly admits that he did what a lot of men do and had never faced his fears or emotions. He put on a brave face but on the inside he was feeling more vulnerable and developed two coping strategies that 'helped' him avoid these powerful emotions - drinking to excess and running. He drank to forget and ran to run away from his thoughts.

It was after his operation in 2017 that Steve turned a corner and decided to address his mental wellbeing. 

Part of Steve's role as ambassador for Melanoma UK will be to help with our new Health & Wellbeing programme starting with embedding the findings of the All Can UK report: Out Of Sight But Not Out Of Mind. This report motivated Steve to support others with Mental Health issues and ignited his passion to raise the profile of mental well being in the world of cancer.

Steve said "to be able to put psychological wellbeing on the same level as physical wellbeing is so important - it balances the scales and without balance we cannot live as we should."  Steve is passionate about psycho-oncology and really wants to increase the focus and support on mental well being.  He said "that’s under my control and influence…it’s down to me.  That’s where I can be in control of cancer, otherwise it could control me and I’m not gonna let it!"

Steve has been a tremendous source of inspiration for many people dealing with melanoma - this man is a force to be reckoned with and we are delighted to have him on the team. 

Welcome on board Steve!

  

LISA COSTELLO

A big warm welcome to Lisa, the latest Melanoma UK Ambassador to join our team. 

Lisa lost her wonderful Dad to melanoma when he was just 59 years old. She knew then that she wanted to make a difference but never in a million years did she think melanoma would come knocking on her own front door.  In December 2018 Lisa got the shock of her life when she was diagnosed herself with melanoma.

This has not stopped this pocket rocket, Lisa is now on a mission to educate as many people as possible on how dangerous this disease is. 

From sponsored walks to boat parties there is no stopping this amazing woman....she has a simple mission and that is to help save lives from being utterly devastated by this awful disease.

 

TINA MANNING 1965-2023

Tina is no stranger to the world of melanoma.  Diagnosed herself a number of years ago, Tina was a very successful responder to a particular melanoma treatment, but very recently was found to need further treatment following further brain involvement.  

Tina is one of our 'go-to' patients and can be relied upon to support other patients who are going through the same thing as her

Tina has never allowed melanoma to control her life, she has continued to work, she fundraises for Melanoma UK and is a pivotal part of the team that has been fighting for a ban on sunbeds in the UK since 2018.  Welcome to the team Tina!    

Tina Manning 

1965-2023.  Sadly, Tina became very ill in early 2023.  She passed away on the 6th March 2023.  We will always remember her.     

DAN WHITING

Dan Whiting is the latest Melanoma UK Ambassador to join the growing team.  

Dan is a cricket author and journalist who has been described "as one of the leading alternative cricket writers in Britain right now" by The Cricketer Magazine.

He has written four books including number one bestsellers in Amazon's cricket section, writes regularly for The Cricket Paper and is a regular contributor to Talk Sport radio offering articulate insights delivered from a humorous angle. He has interviewed numerous professional cricketers as well as celebrities such as Piers Morgan. 

Dan has written, devised and presented a stage show called Pushing the Boundaries, involving live interviews on stage with numerous professional cricketers. Having toured across the UK including venues at London, Yorkshire and South Wales, these have all been in aid of Melanoma UK.

He hopes to raise awareness as an ambassador educating cricketers who are exposed to long periods of sunshine, that protection is a necessity.

Not often serious, Melanoma is a subject that is a sobering subject for him, having lost a close friend to the disease in 2016.

Dan looks forward to continuing his long standing association with Melanoma UK and we are happy to have him on board. 

RYAN SIDEBOTTOM

Ex England international Ryan Sidebottom has become the latest cricketer to lend his support to Melanoma UK.   Ryan is very aware of the dangers of over exposure to the sun and the problems that melanoma patients face. He is anxious to make sure the message of protection is passed amongst other cricketers and of course supporters.
Ryan says, “When playing cricket at any level, we can be in on the pitch in very hot conditions for several hours at a time. It is vital that we use the correct level of protection and this is a message we need to get out to youngsters who not only play the game, but come to watch also. Melanoma is a dreadful disease and in a lot of cases, is preventable. I am delighted to be supporting the work of Melanoma UK”.

We are absolutely delighted to have Ryan as our new Ambassador.

ANDY FLOWER OBE

Following Andy Flower's surgery in 2010 for melanoma, we contacted Andy and asked him if he would consider becoming one of our Ambassadors. In the press release at the time, Andy said it wasn't a difficult decision for him to make and he agreed to help us.   We are absolutely delighted to have Andy as one of our Ambassadors.   Andy is pleased to support our work and through the sport of cricket will bring much more awareness of the dangers of over exposure to the sun and use of sunbeds.   In summer of 2012, Andy very kindly agreed to continue his support for a further term.

In the summer of 2013, when we held the fundraising dinner, Andy wasn't free to attend, but recorded a message for all the guests.

See Andy's Message Here

TIM LOVEJOY

The Sunday Brunch host, and former Soccer AM star will work with Factor 50 to encourage others to protect their skin while fundraising for patient support and melanoma research.

Speaking about his role Tim said:

“A number of years ago I lost my Grandad to  melanoma and after seeing for myself what a terrible illness it is, I am giving Factor 50 my full support.

The work they are doing in raising awareness of this disease and supporting patients and families, is something we all need to be aware of and if we can, do our bit.

DARREN PROCTOR

Greatest Hits Radio presenter Darren Proctor has joined forces with UK skin cancer charity, Melanoma UK.

A few years ago Proctor organised a big fundraising ball for Melanoma UK and was instantly taken by the work of the charity. Speaking from his studio, Proctor said “When I was asked if I would like to become an Ambassador for Melanoma UK, it was a very easy decision for me. The weather during the summer of 2018 was amazing, yet how many of us gave any real thought to the protection of our skin? We just don’t take skin care seriously enough here in the UK and I’d like to help change that”.

Melanoma UK was set up in 2007 by our founder Gill Nuttall. Gill lost a family friend to melanoma and started the organisation following her frustrations at the lack of treatments and support. Melanoma UK is now widely recognised as one of the leading skin cancer charities in the UK. Melanoma claims the lives of over 2,500 people every year and the treatment of just one patient with advanced melanoma can cost upwards of £400,000. In an effort to bring the UK in line with Australia, Melanoma UK launched a petition in the summer of 2018 for a ban on sunbeds. The petition has the support of many politicians and celebrities.