My name is Jo Neale and I would like to introduce myself as a new Trustee at The Sunrise Appeal. To mark this occasion, I have challenged myself to ‘Swim for the Sunrise’ during January, committing to a sea swim everyday to raise funds, awareness and support The Sunrise Appeal as an independent charity that supports the Sunrise Centre at Treliske.

A bit about me; I’m a mum, and I live on the north Cornish coast with my family, two dogs and a kitten. I enjoy walking the dogs and the occasional sea swim, but not usually everyday in cold January! I’m also a Business Development Manager at Idenna Creative. I first met the team at the Sunrise Appeal through Idenna in January 2018, when we worked with them to help challenge a scheme put forward by NHS England which could have seen some treatments for certain rarer cancers being centralised in the UK – if the plans were approved, Cornish patients would have had to travel out of county for lifesaving cancer treatment. With the consultation only open for a further three weeks, The Sunrise Appeal decided to take immediate action. Our team at Idenna helped capture the powerful reaction of the Cornish community, and make a stand to have their voices heard. I’m very pleased and proud to say that the campaign was a huge success – it was the most responded to NHS consultation ever in the UK, with over 90% of the responses coming from people in the South West. As a result, the county retained a first class Oncology unit for the people of Cornwall.

I instantly felt a connection with the wonderful and very important work that The Sunrise Appeal does, so I’m excited to commit to my passion for sea swimming everyday, raising some funds for The Sunrise Appeal along the way. I welcome you to join me in January to ‘Swim for the Sunrise,’ either by having a go yourself or donating to my cause. You can support my fundraising journey here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/josunriseswim

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2023!