A Founders Journal (Part 1) – Turning Inspiration into Impact
By Mandy Shaw, Founder & Chairwoman of Rope4Hope
If you had told me a few years ago that I would one day be leading a nationwide skipping movement on behalf of Cancer Research UK I probably would have laughed.
But sometimes the smallest moments can spark something far bigger than we ever imagined.
Like many families, mine has been deeply affected by cancer. Over the years we have lost several loved ones — not least of which was my dear Mum in 2020. Experiences like that leave a mark on your heart, and somewhere along the way a quiet determination grew in me to try, in whatever way I could, to help make a difference.
That opportunity came in October 2023, when I signed up for a Cancer Research UK challenge: 100 skips a day for the month.
“Easy,” I thought. After all, skipping was something we all did at school, right?
Well… wrong, actually!
On day one I managed about 30 jumps before I had to sit down for ten minutes to recover! But something about the challenge hooked me. I kept going, day after day, determined to improve.
And two weeks in, something quite special happened.
On 13 October 2023, I completed my first 100 skips non-stop. That day was special to me — it was the third anniversary of my mum’s passing. It was a moment filled with mixed emotions: pride, love, reflection and a deep sense of achievement. I was doing something significant to honour my Mum!
By the end of that month I had completely fallen in love with skipping, I was fitter, stronger with increasing stamina, and most importantly I had raised over £300 for Cancer Research UK.
But the story didn’t stop there.
In the spring of 2024, after hosting a couple of fundraising quizzes and taking part in two more skipping challenges, (raising over £1000 in the process) a thought popped into my head:
I wonder if there’s a Guinness World Record for skipping?
Well, as it turns out — there are several.
So I shared the idea with my contact at Cancer Research UK: what if we brought together people from across the country who had already skipped for them… joined forces… and attempted something extraordinary together?
She loved the idea.
Cancer Research UK were supportive too — but with one important condition.
It had to be supporter-led and completely self-funded.
“Now that’s a challenge,” I thought.
And that moment was the beginning of something far bigger than I could have imagined. An idea that would eventually grow into Rope4Hope.
Not just a challenge
Not Just a personal fitness journey
But the start of a movement
And how do you turn a hopeful idea into a nationwide movement? Well… that’s the story for the next journal entry
Rope4Hope — Our Nation. Your Rope. Their Hope.