Below are some frequently asked questions and answers about our Red Trouser Day. If you need specific help or your question isn’t answered here, then please get in touch.

Red Trouser Day was set up by Paul Finch who survived the disease. Named after Paul’s dazzling red trousers on a night out in London – has already raised over £130,000 through red trouser-themed events – but we want to do much more.

Red Trouser Day is a registered Charity with the Commission, Registered Charity No. 1171208. We are a charity with a fundraising platform with a mission to reduce the number of deaths in the UK from bowel cancer and reduce the suffering for those on treatment through improved and early diagnosis with three primary objectives:

  1. raise awareness of this terrible disease and its devastating impacts on patients and their families,
  2. raise vital funds for medical research at London’s world-renowned Royal Marsden Hospital to help achieve earlier diagnosis, and
  3. have some fun through exciting fundraising and awareness events.

About bowel cancer
Every day 110 people learn that they have bowel cancer. Bowel cancer and colorectal are the same thing, they refer to cancer in the colon or in the rectum, or sometimes in both. Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, 1 in 14 men and 1 in 19 women will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime. Thanks to developments in research 57% of patients with bowel cancer will survive for ten years or more but there is so much more to be done, almost 16,000 patients still die each year. Investing in research is the only way that we can develop new techniques and more effective treatments to save more lives.

Of cancer diseases that are finally diagnosed in Britain, it’s the second biggest cause of death after lung cancer. Around 40,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with the disease every year – but early diagnosis and treatment doubles the chances of survival. Cancer is not age discriminate and the UK is seeing a large increase in diagnosis amongst the young.

Early-stage bowel cancer has few symptoms, but as it spreads, they can include:

  • Changes in your bowel habits
  • Bleeding (blood in your stools or poo)
  • Lumps in your back passage (rectum)
  • Pain in your abdomen and weight loss
  • Tiredness and anaemia from low red blood cell levels.

Because of the limited symptoms, doctors reckon that Bowel cancers can take five to ten years (or even longer) to develop.

Red Trouser Day is raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity so that a dedicated team at can develop more research in the area of bowel cancer. The team are planning research in early detection methods, robotic surgery techniques and post-operative care. By developing these areas patients will be diagnosed earlier and receive treatment sooner, benefit from the latest surgical treatments using precision techniques with quicker recovery times and enjoy a better quality of life after treatment.

We are also keen to understand how helping people deal with the anxiety and stress of such a life threatening condition, can also improve outcomes.

By organising your own fundraising event or getting your workplace involved you can raise money to help fund critical bowel cancer research at The Royal Marsden. We have included a list of event ideas here but these are just suggestions, if you have other ideas go ahead and get involved!

Event Ideas

  • Arrange for your company to host a Red Trouser Day- a donation of £3 from everyone that wears trousers and a donation of £5 for all those who don’t.
  • Get together with your team to sponsor your manager to wear red trousers for the day
  • If you’re the manager why not pay for your team to all wear red trousers for the day?
  • Have a Red Trouser Day at your school and all make a donation to wear red trousers instead of your school uniform
  • Organise a Red Trouser Day pub quiz and theme all of the questions around Red Trousers
  • Do a challenge- maybe run 10k, or a mountain hike – in some red trousers or shorts and get sponsored for the event
  • Organise a fundraising dinner at a local restaurant (e.g. Charity Curry Night)
  • Invite your friends over for a Red Trouser Day dinner party and ask them to make a donation equivalent of what they would have spent going out for a meal- serve red food.
  • Organise a coffee morning and tea party all wearing red trousers
  • For the more adventurous, organise a large dinner fundraising event at a major sporting venue.
  • Hold a red themed cinema night or party and get everyone to wear red trousers and make a donation instead of buying a ticket to see Three Colours: Red or A Hunt for Red October, Red Dragon or Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde
  • Have a Red Trouser Day Music Night and play ‘red’ songs like 99 red balloons, lady in red or anything by Simply Red

Don’t forget that lots of employers do matched giving and will match everything you raise for Red Trouser Day potentially doubling your total. Speak to your CSR department to find out more.

At the heart of Red Trouser Day… red trousers! You buy red trousers from our website shop click here.

As one of our Red Trouser Day ambassadors, we want you to further inspire employers, corporate bodies and individuals to sponsor Red Trouser Day and get more people running fund-raising and awareness events. You can do this in many ways:

  • Encouraging companies or individuals to hold fund-raising events – there is now a catalogue of ideas
  • Getting ‘in kind’ sponsorship from prominent bodies, like sports clubs, local firms and entertainment venues, to host and support fundraising
  • Attracting celebrity and wider media support for Red Trouser Day: do you know someone famous that would join the campaign or come to an event?
  • Make connections in your business, professional and social life with business and medical professionals and patients that can bring in further sponsorship or support through their own networks.