Women’s Health Hope, a charity dedicated to women’s health, has launched a new fundraising campaign called “Painathon” to draw attention to the long NHS wait times for gynaecological care. The campaign coincides with the London Marathon weekend on 26-27 April and uses the endurance challenge of running 26.2 miles as a metaphor for the prolonged wait that many women endure for medical treatment.
The creative agency Fold7 developed the campaign, with key contributions from Philippa Baines and Dan Burkitt. Baines cited her own experience with debilitating health issues as inspiration. The campaign features striking posters of real women living with chronic pain, who wear bib-style numbers displaying their NHS wait times, such as “1461 days waiting for surgery” and “4748 days waiting for a diagnosis.” Accompanying slogans include phrases like “Blood, sweat and years,” “The endurance test with no finish line in sight,” and “760,000 women can’t run away from this.”
These posters will be positioned along the London Marathon route, aiming to raise public awareness. In addition, the campaign will run on social media using bespoke Instagram bib stickers designed to encourage women to share their personal stories. This engagement also supports fundraising efforts. Man From Uncle, an event marketing specialist, is responsible for the campaign’s flyposting.
Philly Baines, creative at Fold7, told Campaign Live: “Women's Health Hope was a lifeline to me, after getting struck down by a debilitating health condition. I felt totally alone in a vacuum of gynaecological care. But WHH support groups showed me I was in good company and the charity’s mission: to turn pain into power, has helped me make sense of my prognosis.
“To support such an important charity that helps so many women is a total honour. The team assembled has all been affected by the issue in some way and exemplifies what can happen when we come together and campaign for change. Fold7 has a longstanding history of supporting women’s health charities and this is just the latest example of how creativity and advertising can be a powerful force for good.”
Photographer Georgie Wileman captured the images of the women featured, including Evie Lapworth and Nathalie Meagan-Blake. Both women live with endometriosis and other conditions exacerbated by delayed medical attention. Lapworth also serves as a trustee of Women’s Health Hope, while Meagan-Blake is an active advocate for women’s health issues.
The campaign’s fundraising target is £27,000, reflecting the 27,000 women who wait more than a year for treatment. Donations made through Women’s Health Hope’s Just Giving page will support ongoing patient advocacy and support services.
Monica Thomas, founder of Women’s Health Hope, remarked: “As someone living with endometriosis, adenomyosis, lichen sclerosus and other chronic conditions, I know all too well the pain, exhaustion, and isolation that so many women face – often in silence. These are illnesses that disproportionately, and often exclusively, impact women, yet they continue to be overlooked and underfunded.
“Through this campaign, we’re not only raising vital funds and awareness, but we’re also sending a clear message to the government: it’s time to take women’s health seriously, and to go further in turning commitments into meaningful change.”
The “Painathon” campaign therefore combines creative visual impact with community engagement and fundraising efforts to highlight and address the significant challenges faced by women navigating NHS gynaecological care.
Source: Noah Wire Services