From 1 to 31 December 2025, Bowel Cancer UK are encouraging people to ditch the razor and grow a beard to support their annual Decembeard campaign.

The idea is that individuals, teams, business and anyone who wants to grow a beard or decorate the ones they already have can do so and raise money for Bowel Cancer UK. Donations can be made by going to their page https://donate.bowelcanceruk.org.uk and follow the instructions.

Taking part in the Decembeard event can be a way for those affected by Bowel Cancer to say thank you for the work carried out by the charity or for anyone who wishes to support the ongoing research and campaigns to improve the quality of life of anyone affected by the disease.

Who are Bowel Cancer UK?

Bowel Cancer UK are the UK’s leading bowel cancer charity. Their mission statement is to save lives and improve the quality of life of everyone affected by bowel cancer; their ultimate aim, as part of their 5 year strategy that they launched in July 2023, is for a future where nobody dies of bowel cancer. They provide support, campaign for change, support and fund research and help with education.

Their website is full of useful information about bowel cancer, how they can help, information about research, campaigns and details of how to donate and support their cause. Their website has details of symptoms to look out for and real-life stories of people who have been helped by the charity.

What is Bowel Cancer?

Bowel Cancer, also known as Colorectal cancer, affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum. Bowel cancer is diagnosed when abnormal cells start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled way. The cells can grow into surrounding tissues or organs and may spread to other areas of the body.

• Bowel cancer is the 4th most common types of cancer in the UK. Almost 44,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK.
• Bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age, any gender, any ethnicity or wherever you live.
• More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50. However More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 50 every year.
• 1 in 17 men and 1 in 20 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.

Symptoms

• Bleeding from your bottom
• Blood in your poo
• A change in your toilet habits, going more or less than usual, having diarrhoea or constipation
• Loosing weight for no obvious reason
• Feeling very tired all of the time for no obvious reason
• Pain or lump in your stomach

These symptoms could be due to many things but it is always important to seek medical advice to find out what is causing them, as early diagnosis of bowel cancer can be crucial to having the best possible outcome.

Your GP can provide you with an at home test. It is important to help diagnose bowel cancer earlier as the earlier it is diagnosed the more treatable it is likely to be.

We have assisted a number of clients in respect of medical negligence relating to a delay in bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment. If you or a loved one have suffered from bowel cancer and you feel that there was a delay in diagnosis or that the treatment was not conducted to an appropriate standard, please contact our Medical Negligence team on 01482 3223697 to discuss how we can help.

More information about the Decembeard campaign and other Bowel Cancer related information can be found at www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk