Fundraising News:
This year we took on two big walks.
The first was a 50km trek over the South Downs with one of our patrons, Elly Griffiths, and a brilliant team of colleagues from school. Naturally, we chose the hottest day of the year! Our route formed an upside-down handbag (in honour of Charlotte’s BAG), with some colleagues joining us for the first three hours to walk the “handle.” It took us around 13 hours in total — a long, hot, unforgettable day.
Our second challenge was the Jurassic Coast Walk: six days, 155km. On day three, our other patron, Matthew Wright, joined us. The final day was by far the toughest: 31 miles in 14 hours over jagged, unrelenting terrain, under a cloudless sky.
We started strong, completing almost half the distance by midday. In fact, we arrived at Kimmeridge Bay ahead of time. But the final seven hours were a slow-motion battle. The climbs grew steeper, the descents more brutal, each one jarring our knees. With no public water stops along the way, we were dehydrated by the 25th mile and wondering seriously whether we had it in us to complete the walk. St Alban’s Head rose before us like a wall of clay, the clock counting down on us. We made it through Durlston and Swanage and dragged ourselves to the finish line.
What kept us moving was knowing that whatever pain we felt was nothing compared to what Charlotte has endured. On every climb, every bone-shaking drop, her courage pulled us forward.
By the time Studland Bay came into view, we were wrecked — salt-streaked, skin scorched, and legs trembling. Against the odds, we made it. Not so much walking as dragging ourselves, almost crawling, to the end.
We raised in excess of £5,000, so it was well worth the effort!
BBC Breakfast News/King’s College Hospital, London:
Charlotte first appeared on BBC Breakfast in June 2015, a year after launching her YouTube channel. Ten years later, BBC Breakfast filmed Miles and I in Charlotte’s Lab at King’s College Hospital, London, alongside some of the research team.
To date, we’ve raised £341,000 — every penny donated to King’s College Hospital to fund brain tumour research. Some of Charlotte’s own research results were returned three months after she passed away. The research funded by Charlotte’s BAG is working to bring results to patients and clinicians much faster.
Here is a word from one of the Charlotte’s BAG team at King’s College Hospital:
‘We have used Charlotte’s BAG Charity funding to invest in Oxford Nanopore Technology. This enables rapid DNA sequencing and data analysis in real time. Although still early, the results look very promising and should enable a full tumour classification in under 2 hours of the sample being taken in surgery. Further improvements to this new workflow could support a full molecular analysis within one week and have all results available by the first clinical assessment meeting. This is 3x faster than our current approach. This increased speed of diagnostics will reduce patient anxiety and allow better care planning from an earlier time point.
We are very grateful for this funding, we see this as a paradigm shift in diagnostics and it is very exciting for all those involved in improving the care of these patients’. KCH, Sept 2025
The BBC interview generated £9,000 in donations which we are so grateful for.
Pride of Britain:
I was genuinely surprised to receive a call from ITV in August telling me I had been nominated for Meridian’s Fundraiser of the Year. Less than 24 hours later, I learned I’d been shortlisted. Each region had four nominees, with only one going through to the national final held at The Pride of Britain Awards in London that October.
Elly, Miles, and I were filmed walking across the Sussex Downs, passing Charlotte’s final resting place. I had to wait until 19th September to find out the result, completely unaware that the presentation would take place during the school staff briefing that very morning.
Miles and I travelled to London for the ceremony on the 20th October and walked the famous red carpet outside the Grosvenor Hotel. I didn’t win Fundraiser of the Year, but it was an incredible experience that we both thoroughly enjoyed.
Annual Accounts:
Miles and I were honoured to be included in King’s College Hospital’s Annual Accounts under a banner saying “A Thank You to Our Donors”.
Social Media:
We’re delighted to share that Charlotte’s YouTube channel has now been viewed more than 26 million times worldwide, with 87,500 subscribers and counting. My goal is to help her reach 100,000 subscribers, the milestone that earns the Silver YouTube Creator Award. To be able to hold that award to the sky and say, “You did it, Charlotte,” would give me immense pride and joy.
Twitter:
Twitter is our preferred social media platform and, as such, is updated most frequently. Please see this link for the Charlotte’s BAG account: https://twitter.com/alexeades1
GDPR:
GDPR (Data Protection) rules mean we need your permission to keep sending this newsletter by email.
If you’d like to continue receiving it, and haven’t already opted in, please send a quick email to info@charlottesbag.com with “Newsletter please” in the subject line. We’ll then add you to our updated, GDPR-compliant mailing list.
(If you’ve already done this — thank you! No need to do it again.)
With very best wishes and all our thanks
Alex, Miles
The Charlotte’s BAG team
www.charlottesbag.org
www.youtube.com/charlotteeades
ITV Lorraine ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’ 2017
#87 Brighton Power 100 List Most Influential Figures in Brighton 2018
BBC Surrey and Sussex Community Heroes Award Fundraiser 2018/2019
45th Brighton Power 100 List Most Influential Figures in Brighton 2019
Nala, Charlotte’s cat – Cats Protection Rescue Cat of the Year 2019
BACv British Citizen Award July 2019
Points of Light Award March 2020
Coronation Champion April 2023
Daily Mirror Pride of Britain ITV Meridian Fundraiser Award 2025
Pride of Britain Finalist October 2025
We/I have been interviewed for/otherwise featured in:
My Online Cancer Diary (Channel 4) Oct 2017
Prima Magazine Feb 2018
Good Housekeeping Jan 2018
Take a Break Pets Nov 2019
BBC ‘Inside Out’ Jan 2017
Brighton Latest TV Nov 2019
Radio Five Live April 2024
Guest speaker King’s College Hospital Neurosurgery Conference June 2024
Prima Magazine Oct 2024
Radio Five Live Nov 2024
Nine Magazine (Australian) Nov 2024
BBC Breakfast June 2025
ITV Meridian Oct 2025
Facebook.com
Twitter.com
Instagram.com
Charlotte’s BAG
P O BOX 5439
Brighton BN50 8JR
© Copyright 2023 | Charlotte’s BAG | Registered UK Charity: 1169419