The other weekend, along with several thousand other Devonites, I took part in CRUK’s Race for Life in Exeter — a breath-takingly picturesque 5k run, ruthlessly marshalled by wayward sheep. I think it’s fair to say I was doing this for selfish reasons; a beautiful day, the memory of one cream tea too many.

Very surprisingly then — even more so than the fact of crossing the finish — I experienced something completely unexpected: I found myself absolutely overcome with emotion. All around me in a sea of pink, women were gathering in celebration of someone they loved, proudly bearing back panels with photos of their mums, dads, aunties, husbands. As I stood blinking with tears at the start line, a woman of my age smiled at me and quietly touched my arm. I was about to confess, shamefacedly, that really I was fine, that this wasn’t about me — that, amazingly, no-one really close to me had been affected by cancer. Then I caught sight of her banner. She had recently lost her own young daughter to leukaemia. Feeling even more humbled, there was an extra kick of determination in my step when the starting gun sounded.

It really got me thinking about how as fundraisers we can all learn from the power of charity events. More than any other activity, they can totally knock for six that prevailing thought - all too common in a world of many fundraising asks - that ‘this isn’t about me’. Personal experience of a cause doesn’t have to be a prerequisite to getting involved but it sure as heck rubs off.

You can find out more about CRUK’s event at http://www.raceforlife.org/

Kate Reeves