You may have noticed in the October newsletter, that we put in a good word for two of our amazing children’s cancer charity partners: The Amelia-Mae Foundation and CLIC Sargent. This month I’ve had cause to think a lot about working in partnership with others, and the incredible rewards that brings. I’ve been to a CCPA (Childhood Cancer Parents Alliance) conference; this is an organisation that Supershoes has joined, and I’m also on the brink of joining forces with another alliance of powerful cancer charities, which I’ll explain about in more detail another time.
The point is that joining forces with others, for any reason, provides a whole bucketload of advantages. You’re immediately not alone; there are others to share ideas with; you can exchange important and exciting information; you can give and receive support; you understand that there are others with the same issues and challenges. You feel stronger and more confident straight away.
Being in the same boat with others is a very special experience, as any parent or carer of a child with cancer will tell you. The shared journey and experiences are all the more valuable, because you know that the others with you understand better than anyone what you’re going through. Together, you can lean on each other, help each other out, laugh, cry and hug each other. I’ve heard so often how valuable the “oncology family” is to everyone.
And Supershoes is doing its very best to support these families in the best way it can. I know that by joining forces with other groups and sharing our knowledge and experience, we can be stronger and more powerful to lobby for change; to be a voice for children all over the UK who need us to shout out loud for them, because they’re currently using all the energy they have to fight the biggest battle of their lives.
Working alongside great charities like AMF and CLIC Sargent, we’ve made both friendships and strong working partnerships that will help us all. These are valuable connections that go beyond “business”, because we’re joining forces to fight for precious young people, just like the cancer sufferers and their families. And I’m convinced that this is a battle that eventually, we’ll win. Fighting on your own is tough; you need a big army to make a big difference. At Supershoes, we know we already make a difference to children with cancer. We’ll always create Supershoes; that’s our reason for being. Now, we also want to do more, and to make a bigger difference. Watch this space.