Face Your Fear with Creature Courage and the British Heart Foundation
Facing our fears can be a powerful way to build resilience while contributing to a meaningful cause. That’s exactly what Britain Stelly from Creature Courage, in collaboration with Adrian Adams, Head of Mass Participation at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), are doing through the Face A Fear Campaign. Recently, they appeared on Sky Sunrise News to raise awareness about the campaign, and it turned out to be a lot of fun! Though not everyone on the show was a fan of the spiders…. (yes, there are spiders in the video clip so be warned!)
Why Face Your Fear?
The British Heart Foundation launched the Face A Fear Campaign to support life-saving research for heart and circulatory diseases. This initiative encourages individuals to turn their fear into courage—and their courage into cash for charity. Whether it’s conquering a fear of heights, spiders or even something more modern like being without phone signal, there’s a way for everyone to participate.
Heart Disease in the UK: Why Your Courage Matters
Heart and circulatory diseases affect millions of people in the UK, killing 1 in 4 individuals. The BHF is committed to funding critical research to find cures and treatments. Their campaign encourages everyone to take brave steps by facing their biggest fears and raising money to help protect loved ones from heart-related illnesses.
In the words of the British Heart Foundation’s Face A Fear Website:
“The money you raise will help fund our life-saving research into cures and treatments for heart and circulatory diseases. With your help, we can protect the people you love—your parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and closest friends.”
A Successful Collaboration
Creature Courage was thrilled to be asked to participate in this campaign. We recently hosted a Spider Courage Experience Workshop to help a brave individual overcome their fear of spiders in order to raise money for a local hospice. This act of courage turned out to be highly successful and highlights the transformative power of facing fears.
The Changing Landscape of Phobias
Phobias are an interesting aspect of human psychology. Some tiggers like spiders seem to persist throughout the ages but new technology-based fears are creeping into the modern psyche. The BHF conducted a survey to shed light on this evolving trend.
The results revealed that 50% of UK residents would find life without phone signal more terrifying than living with a creepy clown. This modern-day phobia aligns with the growing digital dependency seen in today’s society.
Traditional vs. Modern Phobias
In the survey, it was found that traditional fears still hold strong. The most common ones include:
- Spiders – 28%
- Heights – 28%
- Snakes – 20%
However, the survey also highlighted the growing dominance of modern fears. Over half (55%) of UK residents reported having at least one modern phobia. The most prevalent of these are:
- Phone running out of battery – 19%
- Missing a flight – 18%
- Having no WIFI access – 15%
- Sending a text to the wrong person – 15%
Facing 21st Century Fears
The British Heart Foundation’s survey also revealed some fascinating statistics about how modern phobias impact people. Surprisingly, 20% of respondents would prefer being locked in a room full of creepy crawlies for an hour over having no likes on their social media posts for a year! Additionally, nearly half (45%) of people would rather hold a spider for an hour than go without WIFI for a month.
Millennials (aged 16-24 in 2017) are particularly vulnerable to these fears. A fifth of them admitted that their phobias have negatively impacted their lives, causing them to lose friendships and relationships.
Gender Differences in Fear
Interestingly, women are more affected by certain modern fears than men. Women are twice as likely to worry about their phone running out of battery (26% versus 12% of men) and fear sending a text to the wrong person (20% versus 9% of men). Though these results might also be skewed by the fact that women are more likely to admit to their fears than men. This highlights how these phobias may impact different groups of people in different ways.
The Courage to Overcome
Despite the rising prevalence of modern phobias, the survey brought a glimmer of hope: 70% of people want to overcome their fears. The Face A Fear Campaign provides a perfect opportunity to do just that, while contributing to a vital cause. Whether it’s spiders, heights, or even the fear of losing WIFI, this campaign gives everyone the chance to show their bravery.
Adrian Adams, Head of Mass Participation at the British Heart Foundation, shared his thoughts on the initiative:
“Whether snakes and spiders make you squirm or no phone signal and lack of WIFI gives you nightmares – take a small step, or giant leap, to conquering your biggest fear. Whatever the nail-biting experience is, by signing up to Face a Fear, you will be helping to beat heartbreak forever. Each year, over 150,000 lives are cut short by heart and circulatory disease – that’s one death every three minutes, so we urgently need your support to keep more hearts beating.””
The Psychological Impact of Phobias
Dr Elena Touroni, Clinical Director at The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, commented on the wider effects of phobias:
“These statistics not only highlight that many people have phobias, but they can have a real impact on your day-to-day lives. Face A Fear is the perfect way to join thousands of like-minded people for a fantastic cause. The BHF will be there to support you every step of the way and at the end of it, you’ll feel on top of the world.”
The campaign not only offers a chance to make a difference but can also help participants feel empowered and in control of their fears. Facing your phobia head-on with support from a campaign like this can be a game-changer.
How You Can Get Involved
If you’re ready to tackle your fears, Creature Courage is here to help. Whether it’s overcoming a fear of spiders or any other phobia, we have the resources and workshops to guide you through the process. Don’t let fear hold you back from making a difference in the world and in your own life.
Take the Next Step
To find out more about participating in the Face A Fear campaign or to inquire about our workshops, visit Creature Courage’s official website or the British Heart Foundation’s Face A Fear page. Let’s face our fears together and help support the fight against heart disease.
By joining forces with the British Heart Foundation, we can raise much-needed funds and awareness while empowering ourselves to conquer the challenges that hold us back. Start your journey to overcoming fear today, and remember—your courage can save lives.
If you would like to get over your fear of spiders or another animal phobia, Get In Touch with us and find freedom today.
