What we've been up to
ACT holds many events throughout the year to raise money for Addenbrooke's Hospital. See below to see what we've been up to so far this year.
Annual Lecture and Dinner
14 November 2008
This year's Annual Lecture and Dinner was the twelfth lecture and dinner event held by the charity. Tthis year's lecture was given by Professor Alastair Compston (Professor of Neurology and Head of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences in the University of Cambridge) on the subject of multiple sclerosis.
Professor Compston's lecture, entitled Treating multiple sclerosis: a modern saga, covered the effects of multiple sclerosis on affected individuals and his research over the last 30 years, with an emphasis on recent advances made in Cambridge that help in understanding the nature and treatment of the illness.
The lecture was followed by a very enjoyable champagne reception and three-course dinner in the Food Court at Addenbrooke's courtesy of Letherby and Christopher. Many thanks to everyone who attended, the event raised £14,500 to enable ACT to provide grants for a range of much-needed equipment and research to enhance patient care throughout Addenbrooke's and the Rosie hospitals.
Cambridge Wine Show
16 October 2008
Nearly 200 people attended the Cambridge Wine Show in October, a very successful and social event, which raised £5000 for tomotherapy (a type of radiotherapy) at Addenbrooke's.
The wine show, held at the Cambridge Guildhall, included 14 different wine stations including Champagne Joseph Perrier, Esporao and Great Western Wines. Additionally, a variety of cheeses were available courtesy of Cheese Stall.
Guests also received a Riedel crystal wine tasting glass and wine vouchers, and attended lectures from masters of wine such as Michael Broadbent and Martin Gamman.
Comments from guests included:
"Lovely evening, thank you."
"Great night."
"Much more sophisticated than I imagined it would be."
A Night at the Opera
13 September 2008
In September ACT held its most exclusive event of the year - A Night at the Opera.
The event featured a concert 'Bizet - An Evening with Georges' written by Geoff Druett of ITV and performed by members of Opera North in Trinity College Chapel. The opera was followed by a three-course meal in Trinity College's famous Great Hall, at which the Opera North members performed a sung grace.
The event proved very successful and was enjoyed by all. Sue Less of Opera North (pictured right) said: "It was one of the best experiences of my forty year career."
The event has raised over £16,000 towards Addenbrooke's evaluation of Tomotherapy, a revolutionary new treatment for prostate cancer. Results of the evaluation are likely to provide direct benefit to cancer patient both nationally and internationally.
It's A Knockout!
12 July 2008
It's A Knockout! – based on the 1970's BBC TV show – was a fantastic event enjoyed by all who took part. Twelve teams lined up for some healthy competition that involved inflatables, foam, water and costumes, including games such as Chicken Shed, Slippery Slope, Dingy Derby, Combat Zone, Human Demolition, Ski Crazy, Great Escape and Human Washing Machine!
Addenbrooke's teams included the Neurosciences Department, the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit, Ward F4, the Transplant Unit, Theatres, and corporate teams included Waitrose, BMW and Ridgeons, along with the day's sponsors Highland Ltd and KPMG.
The team with the most points at the end of the day and the KPMG LLP Challenge Cup winners were the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit team!
The event raised over £10,000 for an urgently required portable CT scanner for Neurosciences.
An Evening of Jazz with Kenny Ball
29 June 2008
The Evening of Jazz featuring legendary musician Kenny Ball with his Jazzmen was a sell out event as nearly 350 people attended to enjoy excellent jazz music in the beautiful surrounds of the Old Vicarage in Grantchester courtesy of Lord and Lady Archer. Kenny Ball The event raised £8000 for the Department of Medicine for the Elderly.
Wrong Trousers Day
27 June 2008
ACT and Addenbrooke’s Hospital staff showed their support for Wallace & Gromit’s Wrong Trousers Day by wearing their wrong trousers to work.
Wrong Trousers Day raises money for Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Foundation, which works to support children’s hospitals and hospices nationwide. The Foundation has regularly made grants to Addenbrooke's to support the employment of a music therapist on the children's wards who works with children with a wide range of needs, disabilities, emotional and psychological disorders and sensory impairments. Music encourages these children to express feelings of fear, anxiety and aggression, helping them to communicate and interact with others and offers them a way to feel connected.
Friends of Addenbrooke's Summer Party
16 June 2008
The highly social Summer Party held in the grounds of Trumpington Hall, courtesy of Antony and Victoria Pemberton, attracted nearly 400 guests who all enjoyed a pleasant summer's evening. This was the tenth Summer Party and the event raised £7,000 for the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Unit at Addenbrooke's.
Annual Bartlow Three Counties Walk 2008
4 May 2008
This year's Bartlow Three Counties Walk attracted a record 600 walkers to raise money for three local causes including the Infectious Diseases Department at Addenbrooke's.
The Three Counties Walk covering Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex started in the village of Bartlow in South Cambridgeshire. It was a lovely day for a walk and walkers could choose between the 13 mile, 8 mile and 2 mile pushchair-friendly walk. Other entertainment included a bouncy castle, a live band and an ice-cream van.
The event raised over £12,000 for the three causes.
PICU rugby fundraiser
3 May 2008
Hundreds of people attended the rugby fundraiser at Cambridge Rugby Football Club in aid of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Addenbrooke's and Cate Stephens (former Addenbrooke's physiotherapist).
The first match for the PICU shield was between the PICU Piranhas and the Essex Barbarians, both teams were made up of local rugby players and friends and family of PICU. The final score was 27-24 to the Barbarians but the Piranhas put up a good fight! The second match for the PICU cup between Cambridge and Southend was won comfortably by Cambridge.
The day which included a lunch, auction and raffle, raised around £6500 for the causes.
Royal Worlington Golf Day
1 May 2008
The Royal Worlington and Newmarket Golf Club in Bury St Edmunds has the reputation of being the finest nine-hole course in England.
ACT's golf day at Royal Worlington was well attended as 11 teams took to the course for a day of Stableford golf, raising £2,500 towards an urgently required portable CT scanner for the Neurosciences Department at Addenbrooke's.
ACT wins grant for children's cars
7 April 2008
ACT has been successful in its application to the Barclays Looking After Local Communities Grants.
ACT has won a grant of £1000 to buy two motorised electric cars for the Children's Day Unit (Ward F2) to take the children to theatres. These electric cars will provide a distraction for the children, making the experience less daunting.
Friends of Addenbrooke's Go Karting Event
28 February 2008
The Friends of Addenbrooke's Go Karting event held at Kartsport in Caxton, Cambridgeshire was a well attended and fun evening which raised £1,700 for the Child Day Care Centre. To read more click here...
Valentine's Dinner Dance and Jazz Cabaret
16 February 2008
Nearly 90 guests attended the event on Saturday 16 February and enjoyed a three course meal and dancing to jazz entertainment by Rosie Val and the Cambridge Jazz Company.
The event, which also included an auction, raised nearly £3,500 towards Addenbrooke's evaluation of its new TomoTherapy machine – the first to be installed in an NHS hospital – for the treatment of patients with prostate cancer, head and neck cancer and other rare cancers.
Pearls prize winner is tickled pink
29 January 2008
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is pleased to announce the winner of the Pink Rose Dinner 2007 raffle prize. Guests to Pink Rose Dinners in 2007 were offered the chance to buy raffle tickets in the hope of winning a special pink prize in aid of the Cambridge Breast Unit. To read more click here...
Sound of Music and New Year Champagne Reception
18 January 2008
The first weekend in January saw two successful events fundraising for children at Addenbrooke’s. Money raised through sales of tickets for The Sound of Music through Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust and a New Year Champagne Reception at Lord and Lady Archer’s London penthouse reached over £15,000 in aid of a major development of Children’s Services at Addenbrooke’s. To read more click here...
