Trekkers reach dizzy heights for Addenbrooke's

Howard Lake | 5 June 2007 | Newswire

It seems like Kilimanjaro is the new place to go if you want to raise money for good causes at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge! Two independent groups have recently taken on the might of the mountain raising over £33,000 for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (Act) – Addenbrooke’s official charity.
The first group to take on Kilimanjaro was led by Cheryl Sayers, a long term fundraiser for Addenbrooke’s. Cheryl and a team of five friends raised an impressive £23,000 for the Hospital’s Oncology Centre through sponsorship and a huge contribution made by the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Trustline Charities.
The money raised from Cheryl’s trek will help purchase a machine related to a new type of cancer treatment called Tomotherapy. The equipment will be the first of its kind to be installed in an NHS Hospital and Addenbrooke’s has been chosen as the first hospital to evaluate its use on behalf of the Department of Health. Over the years, Cheryl’s fundraising efforts have raised over £35,000 for Addenbrooke’s.
The second trek up Kilimanjaro was achieved by two consultant neonatologists from Addenbrooke’s – Wilf Kelsall and Jag Ahluwalia. Accompanied by a group of nine other walkers, including Jag’s 17 year old son Matthew, the group raised over £10,000 for Act. This money will purchase a brain wave monitor for the hospital’s Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The monitor will assess whether new born babies are having epileptic seizures in the very early stages of life and is the first Paediatric machine of its type at Addenbrooke’s.
Commenting on the trek, Wilf said We have been totally overwhelmed by the support we have received from colleagues, friends and family. Their backing was inspiration enough to make it up the mountain. We kept each other going along the way with plenty of laughs and are extremely proud to have raised enough money to purchase this vital piece of equipment. As part of the NICU team at Addenbrooke’s, I know how much this will mean to the department and the impact it will have on the care we can offer our patients.”
Commenting on the achievements of both groups, Caroline Lane, Director of Fundraising for Act said, We are extremely grateful to both teams of trekkers for raising such impressive amounts for Act. Their efforts are highly commendable. Fundraising of this nature provides additional support for our hospital. The equipment purchased through these donations help improve the services we offer patients at Addenbrooke’s. Congratulations to both groups on their achievement.”
About Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT)
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), formerly the Fund & Friends of Addenbrooke’s (FFA), is an independent registered charity which raises money for all departments, wards and clinics at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge – one of the largest and busiest hospitals in the country. Many hospitals across the UK rely on fundraising activities to support existing publicly funded services. Donations received by ACT make a real difference to patients and staff at Addenbrooke’s. Monies raised play a critical role in keeping Addenbrooke’s at the forefront of medical diagnosis, treatment and research, enabling the purchase of sophisticated equipment, funding additional staff and providing financial support for refurbishment projects. Professional fundraising at Addenbrooke’s began in 1997 and over the last ten years has raised more than £3.5 million for a wide range of projects. There are many ways to support ACT. For more information go to:
www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.