News story
29 January 2025
A LEADING hospital charity that funds cutting edge equipment and groundbreaking research for Addenbrooke’s is celebrating its first corporate partner ever to hit half a million pounds in fundraising.
The impressive total comes after a seven-year partnership between Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) and Cambridge Commodities in Ely, the longest strategic corporate partner the charity has had.
Following a year of fundraising, staff at Cambridge Commodities visited the ACT offices to hand over a cheque for £77,000, raised with the firm’s annual ball and some office events – bringing their total over the years to £561,810.
CEO James Stevens (pictured right) and his staff voted to work with ACT seven years ago after staff expressed their desire to work with a local charity that benefits the lives of so many
staff, family and friends – and where their impact would be visible.
James said staff have thrown themselves into fundraising challenges over the years, saying: “In the seven years we’ve been working with ACT we have been given the opportunity to be part of so many incredible events. We’ve Dragon boated, we’ve
handed out daffodils to CUH staff, baked cakes, we’ve half marathoned, human fruit
machined, dressed up, quizzed, wrapped Christmas presents, put on some
spectacular festive black-tie events, laughed, cried and had the most memorable of times. These events haven’t just raised much needed money for ACT but have brought our team, Team CC, closer together and added purpose.”
Claire Billing, Director of Fundraising at ACT, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to celebrate this amazing achievement with James and his team. This is the first time any of our corporate partners have raised over half a million pounds so we would like to thank everyone at Cambridge Commodities for all their hard work and support over the years.”
As the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, ACT – which celebrates its 30th birthday this year – funds cutting-edge equipment and groundbreaking research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide. Funding makes real inroads in patient care, benefitting families in the East of England and beyond.
James said: “We are so lucky to have such an incredible hospital on our doorstep so staff get a chance to say thank you and I get a huge amount of pride seeing our staff volunteering for an event when it would be so much easier for them to say no!”
Since fundraising for both Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, James and his team have had many first-hand experiences of seeing the fruits of their labour.
One member of staff, Emily, received one of the Christmas presents her company funded and she helped wrap after being admitted to the Rosie at Christmas, after going into labour early.
Another member of staff to experience the direct impact of their fundraising is Natalie Scott Paul, the firm’s Head of Payroll, who organises the Annual Christmas Ball every year with finance manager Carly Purell.
“One of the things we wanted to do was pay the salary of a play therapist. That year my daughter was admitted to Addenbrooke’s, and the play therapist came to see her while she was waiting to be seen. I texted everyone at work and said, ‘we did that!’”
Asked for some of his team’s favourite moments, James said: “The daffodil giving, which we have funded, is always a fantastic event because we get a chance to personally say thanks to all the hospital staff whilst handing out bunches of daffodils. And it would be impossible not to mention the Christmas gift giving day we had late last year when we were able to give the gifts we’d raised money for and wrapped directly to the patients. This was made even more special by five very close friends mentioning to me after Christmas that their friends and family received, and very much appreciated, their gift and card.”
James, whose passion for working with ACT led to him to volunteer as a trustee, where he currently chairs the Fundraising Committee, said he never expected to be working with ACT for as long as he has.
“We were originally aiming to raise £20,000 for our 20th birthday which once achieved turned into the best addiction to raising more. I couldn’t be prouder of the team, our supporters and the ACT staff for making it all so much fun. What better feeling is there than bringing a smile to someone’s face and making people happy?”
Praising James and his team, Claire said: “By donating to ACT they – and anyone else who donates to our charity – know that all the money raised will go towards funding groundbreaking research and high-tech equipment to improve the lives of patients, families and staff at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie.”
“Examples of this include the first MRI Scanner Wrap in the UK, which ACT supporters funded. The work, carried out by Grosvenor Interiors, completely transformed the MRI scanner by wrapping it in nature-themed images, meaning
many more patients are now able to go through with their scan first time, resulting in earlier diagnoses which saves lives as well as thousands of pounds in patient care for the NHS.”
“Another example is the £1.5 million public campaign which paid for a second da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system for Addenbrooke’s which is helping to cut waiting lists and provide surgery that is less invasive, allowing patients to go home earlier; in hours as opposed to days or weeks.”
“We have thoroughly enjoyed working with James and his team who now feel like more of an extension to the ACT team as we have built such a strong working relationship with them over the years.”
Natasha Robertson, Corporate Partnerships Manager at ACT, said: “We are so grateful to everyone at Cambridge Commodities for everything they have done. James and his team work tirelessly throughout the year, every year.”
“One of the joys of being a charity partner with ACT is that staff can really throw themselves into fundraising and be as involved as little, or as much, as they like. It can be anything from taking part in one of our exciting fundraising challenges, helping out at events, getting involved in a special project within the hospital itself or speaking to supporters within the hospitals. The possibilities are endless.”
To find out how James balances the needs of running a business with fundraising, please visit: www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk/corporate-parternships
If you are a corporate and would like to get in touch about opportunities to work with ACT, please email: corporate@act4addenbrookes.org.uk
To contact our fundraising team email: fundraising@act4addebrookes.org.uk and to donate please go to: www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk/donate.