Nerissa Deeks

In the UK around one in fifteen of us will develop bowel cancer and it claims the lives of over 16,000 people every year. The good news is that advances in treatment and screening mean that when caught at an early stage, bowel cancer is nearly always survivable.

It is 40 years since GUTS was founded and set up what was one of the very first mass screening programmes for bowel cancer, working with GP surgeries in Surrey, Hampshire and West Surrey. Now there is a national screening programme and GUTS uses its funds to support research, to run a colon cancer family clinic and to buy facilities/equipment that will improve care and treatment for bowel cancer patients at the Royal Surrey. We also seek to raise awareness about the importance of taking part in the screening programme and what we as individuals can do to lower their own risk of developing bowel cancer.

GUTS is a respected and established local charity that seeks the help and support from all sections of the community – particularly business – to help raise funds and carry our message to the local population.