Paint it Pink #Pinkcycled.
Its that time of year again when I call on all of you to upcycle in pink for my chosen charity The Pink Ribbon Foundation ( Reg. Charity No. 1080839) a small grant-making trust that works hard to help sufferers and their families at a time when they really need it.
I have been doing this every October for the last three years and each year it gathers momentum, this year we even have two lovely shades of paint designed by Valspar and on sale in B&Q called Pink Ribbon Support and Pink Ribbon Care and for each can sold 5% of the profits will also go to the foundation. Each year I have also been supported by Preloved - they will give you a free account it you are taking part in #Pinkcycled ( see below) If you, like me and are rubbish at running and can’t possibly contemplate climbing mount Kilimanjaro in-between school runs then getting involved with Pinkcycled is a great way to raise money for a great charity and have some fun. It’s also a great way for us creatives to share top tips, ideas and inspire others .
So what so I mean my Pinkcycled ?………well basically just upcycling in pink, it could be anything the rules are that there are no rules!!! Just get creative and make something that you can sell and donate the proceeds to the charity.#pinkcycled!
The clever lot at Preloved have popped it all down for you in an idiots guide ………. pop the kettle on and have a read.
Not only will this be a fantastic way to raise awareness and funds for an amazing charity but it will also be a great fun challenge, allowing us to unleash our creativity, pink style!
How can I get involved in #pinkcycled?
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is simple. You are challenged to upcycle anything you like, but it has to be PINK!
Create your wonderful pink upcycle, perhaps have a look at some Preloved furniture to give a second life?
Take some well-lit, clear photos of your creation
Drop us a message on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram so it can be converted to a free charity account to allow instant messages, unlimited photos and priority listings
Upload your item to Preloved, ensure you include Pinkcycle in the title and description
Share it on social media under the hashtag #pinkcycled
Once you receive a message about an item, tell the buyer to pay through Justgiving (they must detail what item they want in the donation information)
Ship the item or arrange collection
Post about it on social media, using #pinkcycle and feel free to tag @Preloved, @pinkribbonfoundation and @lynnelambourne to feature!
And that’s it! Easy as #pinkcycled pie! However, that’s not the only way to get involved…
Bloggers and video creators
We would love to see ‘How-Tos’ of your creations, to inspire the masses and create a buzz around the hashtag. This way, not only can we raise money and awareness, but share top upcycling and product knowledge within the upcycled community!
#Pinkcycled Purchasers
Once all our talented upcyclers have uploaded their creations, we need you to buy buy buy! Search #pinkcycled into Preloved to find all the creations in one place.
Once you’ve fallen in love with a creation, message the buyer to let them know.
To pay, donate the amount agreed with the seller to the #pinkcycled Just Giving page, plus anything else you’d like to donate on top. To help things tick along smoothly, please make sure you describe the item you want to buy in the donation message!
#Pinkcycled Donations
If you’re not an upcycling fan, you can simply donate to the #pinkcycled Just Giving page. Plus, you can tick the Gift Aid box so Pink Ribbon Foundation can get an extra 25%!
We want to raise £3,000 before December so ready, set, get pinkcycling!
A few examples of last years Pinkcycled creations.
IN OTHER PINK NEWS…………
Today in a double page spread in the Sunday Express Newspaper is a wonderful photoshoot that The Pink Ribbon Foundation did along with Valspar paint and the hugely talented Filippo Ioco, body painter and fine artist. We have been calling it the #secretproject on social media for the last few weeks, so for those of you who follow me on Instagram you now know what I was talking about!!!! We were all sworn to secrecy until the release of the pictures today in the newspaper- with the powerful article ‘Breast Cancer Wont beat us’.
Seven inspiring and courageous women and one very brave man all of whom had been breast cancers sufferers were brave enough to be made into living pieces of art by Filippo and his fantastic team of body paint artists to draw attention to Breast Cancer Awareness month. I was lucky enough to be there on the day of the shoot in my capacity as chief tea maker and was so inspired by their positivity and confidence. Everyone was supporting each other, it really was incredible that after the shortest time everyone had forgotten that they were only wondering around in a pair pants in front of complete strangers, they were having so much fun, knowing that being part of this shoot would highlight a cause that means so much to all of them.
The two colours that Valspar had created for The Pink Ribbon were used by Fillipo to paint the backdrop that they all blended into. For me it was really special that Andrew, a male breast cancer survivor was brave enough to come along and be included on the shoot. As you know my Father has had breast cancer twice and is fine now but I had never chatted with another male sufferer (only 1% of all suffers are men) Andrew talked about many of the things that Dad mentioned with his diagnosis, the fact that you really feel that you are in a woman’s world and can often feel like an outsider in the clinics. I was so grateful to him for helping draw attention to the fact that men get it too, so many people still seem unaware of that fact so for me knowing that the Pink Ribbon Foundation wanted to help draw attention to that was really positive.
Andrew Fowler male breast cancer survivor who said “ You cant be maudlin or morbid, you have to be constructive” and I love that attitude.
Photo Credit to Sam Pearce who was the brilliant photographer on the day.
Today when I picked up the paper and I read all of their stories again, I must admit to having a bit of a cry, thats the last thing any of that awesome lot would have wanted but I was so moved by their strength and some of their comments in the article. When you have a moan or your day’s not going well, remember if this lovely lot can get their positive pants on then so can you, normal everyday moans seem pathetic is comparison to their challenges. It was a crazy day, I for one felt very overdressed on set but what an experience for everyone, certainly not an opportunity that comes around everyday. As Laura says in the article ‘You never know when that bus is coming” and while that does not make it any easier to be suffering with Breast Cancer its certainly a lesson to us all to make the most of every day and every opportunity.
So folks this month check your breasts, early detection can make all the difference, you don’t need me to tell you that.Click here to learn how on the Pink Ribbon Foundation website. If you can please also help me raise funds through my Pinkcycled initiative that would be much appreciated. Any money I raise will really help the charity support sufferers and their families ,grants from the Pink Ribbon Foundation can make a huge difference. It can provide a highly skilled programme of care, complimentary therapies, counselling for patients and their families, up-date communication materials, awareness programmes, lymphedema care, therapy sessions, specialist equipment extra nurses to care for breast cancer patients, vital research into this terrible disease and much more and THATS why I work so hard to support them.
I also just wanted to take this opportunity to thank Preloved for their support again this year I am so so grateful and also to make a special mention to Lisa who runs the Pink Ribbon Foundation- single handily, she works so hard and make a difference to so many. She is a human dynamo and very special person.
So off you go, get upcycling in pink.
Love always Lynne xx