An Okehampton resident has raised over £120 for Endometriosis UK on Monday (March 30) with a special bodypainting challenge to mark ten years of fundraising for the charity.

As usual, Niki challenged herself to finish a full-body artwork in just three hours to raise public awareness of the condition, which occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the womb (the endometrium) grows outside the uterus. This year, she also held a charity raffle.

She said: “Just with the raffle prizes alone we raised £125. I ran out of time, and I wasn’t able to paint the legs, so I got the model to wear a skirt, but I think I achieved quite a lot and I’m really pleased. My model was incredible.”

This year, Niki focused on the implications of “hiding in one body,” reflected in her finished artwork, which features obscured faces on a yellow background – the colour associated with the endometriosis awareness campaign – to represent the hidden nature of the condition.

Niki has suffered badly from endometriosis herself. Over the years, she had undergone multiple surgeries to remove the excess tissue. In 2024, she was diagnosed with adenomyosis, which occurs when the lining of the womb grows into the muscle in the wall of the uterus. However, her womb and ovaries began to stick together, which forced her to choose between hormone replacement therapy and a hysterectomy to relieve the symptoms. Niki chose to have a hysterectomy and, in July last year, underwent the procedure, which has given her much-needed relief.

Endometriosis affects over 1.5 million people in the UK. It can cause a range of symptoms, including inflammation, pain, scar tissue, fertility problems, fatigue and heavy periods.

Endometriosis UK aims to expand support and information available to sufferers, campaign to improve diagnosis time and access to care, invest in research and provide better education to children and healthcare professionals about the condition.