Walking on Sunshine with Nicky Newman & Willow Foundation
Nicky Newman was just 30 when she found a lump on one of her breasts. Now 35, Nicky is living with incurable stage 4 Breast Cancer but using her experience to help others to live in the present & find joy.
Earlier this year, Nicky posted a video to her Instagram (where she has amassed over 200k followers) using a walking stick to open her curtains every morning from her hospital bed. To allow her to see daylight, enjoy the sunshine and feel a much needed hit of positivity first thing in the morning - a welcome distraction from her ongoing treatment for cancer.
There was one thing that struck us when she did this however, her stick! A plain black, exceptionally thin, tinny looking walking stick we knew from just looking at it, could be better. In style? Yes 100% but more importantly, safer, more comfortable, robust and better at supporting Nicky as she navigates chemotherapy and more.
It was then our co founder Amelia messaged Nicky to see if we could help, not with the intention of anything other than hopefully helping the adjustment to using a walking stick, that little bit easier and at best put a smile on Nicky's face whenever she used it. But what design? Well that's where Nicky came in, within minutes she mentioned featuring 'the big ball of joy in the sky'. It was inspired, beautiful and utterly brilliant at putting a smile on everyone's face, from the design team to Clare & Amelia as well as our warehouse team, everyone loved it. Safe to say Nicky felt the same when she opened it!
Following many gorgeous pics and videos and a phenomenal reception from both Nicky's, as well as our own followers on social media, we realised we could do more to help. We could release the design but with a % of sales going towards helping other people like Nicky and Amelia, navigate incredibly hard times in their lives either through serious illness or injury. To give them hope, a distraction and something profoundly positive to look forward to.
It was then Nicky suggested Willow Foundation, not only incredible but a charity that bridges both our community and Nicky's. Willow Foundation specifically helps young people aged 16-40 who are facing serious illness, often life threatening. They understand these people all too often aren't able to enjoy their lives but instead are faced with stress, isolation, medication and hospital appointments. So how do they help? By creating magic moments with loved ones that become lasting memories. From Special Treats, little boxes of joy or Special Days at Home and Special Days Out or even Special Breaks, Willow give young people a break from it all, to boost morale and bring friends and family together to make fabulous memories. Nicky knows first hand just how much of a difference they make.
We are delighted to be launching Walking on Sunshine and donating 15% of all sales to Willow Foundation to help young people, like Nicky, who are living with an incredibly unpredictable, often stressful and heart wrenching reality. If there's one thing we have in common, it's finding the positive, finding joy no matter what we are going through and sticking to it like glue. In the words of Nicky herself, GO GRAB LIFE! We hope you love this design as much as we do!
To find out more about the Willow Foundation, Nicky or to shop our latest range, please check out the links below:
