Charity news

Anna’s Hope

For children and young people with brain tumours

2021 is the 15th year that Anna’s Hope has been helping make a difference to the lives of children with a brain tumour. Looking back we have achieved so much, like the first Specialist Neuro-rehabilitation Service in the UK for children diagnosed with a brain tumour called the Brainbow Service. It all started shortly after Anna passed away when Rob and I met with Addenbrookes Clinicians and a representative from Tadworth Children’s Trust. As a result of this meeting the vision of creating a service to help Children with a Brain Tumour reach their full potential was developed. It would be pioneering and the first in the UK providing multidisciplinary support from diagnosis, during and after treatment. In 2013 the vision became reality with the launch of the Brainbow Service at Addenbrookes Hospital. It is now helping over 200 children and their families in the region each year and is the leading example for the rest of the UK. As most will know Every Penny raised for Anna’s Hope goes to supporting children with a Brain Tumour and we are delighted to have invested over £1.5million so far in the Brainbow Service. We are also delighted to commit to a further two years funding

Anna’s Hope – 15 years of making a different for children with a brain tumour

ensuring more children will receive this pioneering support.

Carole Hughes If you want to help us continue to make a difference to the lives of children with a brain tumour please contact Carole Hughes by e-mail admin@annashope.co.uk or telephone 01780 740492.

EACH to move out of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk offices

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) will not renew the leases on its head office in Milton or regional office in Ipswich, as part of a cost-saving programme responding to a forecasted operational deficit of £2 million over the next 12 months. There are normally some 40 staff based in Milton’s High Street and at Ipswich’s Ransomes Europark. They will now continue a mix of working from home and within hospice buildings as EACH drives down costs, ensuring delivery of its frontline service during a time when retail income and fundraising activities remain significantly affected. Phil Gormley, EACH Chief Executive, said: “Our three hospices remain open and continue to provide care as we focus every penny on care delivery. However, staff in our offices have proved they can work remotely and will blend home working with using office space in our hospice buildings. “Not renewing the leases was a fairly straightforward decision given the times we find ourselves in. This third lockdown, closing our shops, has meant putting over 120 members of staff back on furlough and standing down our 1,700 volunteers. While our fundraisers worked hard over the festive period, our latest forecasting shows an operational deficit of £2 million over the next 12 months. Once again, this illustrates why we need our service delivery underpinned by proper statutory funding.” Last year, EACH only received 16 per cent of its income from statutory sources. Aside from that it relies on over £6 million coming in from trusts, major donors, businesses, community groups, individuals and events, as well as £5 million in income from its retail operation. Fundraising activities have been vastly reduced as a result of restrictions, such as EACH’s Christmas tree collections that were cancelled. Meanwhile, every time shops have to shut the charity loses around £100,000 income a week. Trying to manage retail activity back to sustainable levels of income in between lockdowns has brought some success, but trading is still not at the levels it needs and has budgeted for.

Introducing Head to Toe

Head to Toe is the Charity for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT). Our aim is to provide help and support that goes above and beyond what the increasingly limited NHS budgets can provide, bridging the gap between healthcare and our local community. We help support and empower people to lead fulfilling lives by funding projects that enhance mental health and community care. Our aims are to improve the health and wellbeing of our community and provide hope to those who need our support the most. The projects we run, the support and the funding we provide is informed by local need and the clinical expertise of our NHS staff. This support has taken many different forms; but has always put the wellbeing of those we support, and our NHS staff, right at the centre. The scale and impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been unprecedented, but the resilience and dedication of our healthcare services in their response has been an inspiration. Much of the funding provided to Head to Toe throughout the last few months has been thanks to the NHS Charities Together national fundraising campaign – which has captured the spirit, generosity, and solidarity of the nation. We hope to share with you over the coming months how this funding, our donors, fundraisers and friends have helped support CPFT through COVID-19 and where we are in need of more support in 2022 and beyond. Watch this space as we show you exactly where your money and support goes!

For more information on the charity please contact Laura Stones, Fundraising Manager on 07749 726071 or email at laura.stones@cpft.nhs.uk

Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice ‘thrilled’ to have Perkins’ support

Staff at Cambridgeshire’s Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice are delighted to have been chosen as one of two new charity partners by Perkins Engines Company Limited. Employees at Perkins’ Peterborough and Manchester facilities chose Sue Ryder and Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind as their new charity partners for the next two years. Perkins will support employee fundraising and volunteering activities, including through a matching funds programme. “Everyone here at the hospice is thrilled to hear the news that we have been chosen as Perkins’ charity partner for the next two years,” said Nilesh Patel, Senior Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough. “The power of this collaboration will help us to continue providing our compassionate palliative care for people with life-limiting conditions throughout Peterborough and the surrounding areas. “We are passionate about what we do and through services such as our specialist inpatient unit, hospice at home team and family and bereavement support, we are there for local families at the most difficult times of their lives.” You may think that leprosy is an ancient Biblical disease, but today someone is newly diagnosed with leprosy every two minutes. Even though there is a cure, sadly leprosy continues to rob people of family, jobs, and dignity. Can you support Leprosy Changemakers like Zaina (pictured) in Mozambique bring life-changing medicine and care to communities.

To find our more visit https://bit.ly/2PfekYS or call Shabina on 01733 516090.

Support for the Leprosy Mission