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Author: Danni Smith

A Norfolk village whose residents hit the headlines with their naked calendar for charity finish their year of fundraising with a fun speed dating event

Posted on by Danni Smith

A Norfolk village whose residents have just made national news with photos of their naked calendar for charity are finishing their year of fundraising with a shout out for more singletons to join their final event later this month – speed dating. 

The Denton Dreamboys hit the headlines after producing their naked calendar to raise money for both Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) and the Royal Papworth Charity. 

The village of Denton has been praised as ‘one of a kind’ by Paul White, ACT’s Director of Communications and Impact, after all the extraordinary efforts involving the entire village with fundraising events throughout this year.

Events have included Easter Bingo; a Tractor Run; Party on the Meadow; Walking Football; and a Plough Day, where 45 tractors from neighbouring villages drove to Hardwick Airfield before returning to Denton to plough five fields in the village. 

Organisers Paul and Karen Wilby organised a year of events after Paul’s son, Ben, was given a lifesaving operation at Papworth Hospital for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension caused by blood clots on his lungs.  

The village decided to raise money for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust – the official charity for Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie – as well as Papworth because so many of the villagers have been treated there. 

Culminating with another fun-themed event, their final speed dating evening will take place at the local village hall on Saturday 14th December. 

Karen, pictured below with husband Paul, has put a shout-out for more people to sign up saying: “It’s not just about romance. It’s about friendship too and making new friends and perhaps making old friends again. It’s about linking up with people who live locally that you might have forgotten about.” 

“At the moment we have a lot of mature ladies in their 60s and a couple of gents in their 60s and one man coming up for the night who is in his 30s so we’re putting a call out for as many people as would like to come. Everyone’s welcome. Anyone over 30 but we want lots of people of all ages.” 

She said whilst the event isn’t just about romance – she joked: “It’s about friendship but hopefully more but it would be nice to have everyone coupled up for Christmas! There will be a sprig of mistletoe hanging up in the hall so that they can have a good old snog on the way out!” 

Tickets cost ÂŁ5. To sign up, contact Karen at: rdove@talk21.com  

Since launching their calendar last month, Paul has received hundreds of messages of support from people wanting to buy the calendar to support Addenbrooke’s and Papworth after they or their relatives were treated there. He even received an order from as far afield as Holland, from an 87-year-old lady who wrote: “We may have lost our faculties, but we haven’t lost our sense of humour!” 

Calendar sales on eBay alone have reached ÂŁ3,500 so far with more funds due in from shops.  

Paul said life had gone a little crazy since the calendar launch last month, adding that since appearing on ITV Anglia, BBC Look East and featuring on BBC Breakfast, Denton Dream Boys have also been approached by This Morning’s production team, to appear on national TV later this month. 

For anyone still wanting to get hold of one of the now-famous Denton Dream Boys calendar, they can order it here for ÂŁ15 including P&P.

To view the ITV Anglia film on the Denton Dream Boys click here, but only if you are prepared to see a few bare bottoms!

An entire village in Norfolk fundraising for Addenbrooke’s described as ‘one of a kind’

Posted on by Danni Smith

An entire village whose residents have thrown themselves into a year’s worth of fundraising for Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge has been praised for being ‘one of a kind.’ 

Paul Wilby, from Denton in Norfolk, launched his fundraising appeal in January to raise money for Addenbrooke’s Hospital, via Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), as well as Papworth Hospital, after his son became ill with an undiagnosed condition. 

Ben, 34, had been suffering with severe breathlessness for about three years, and had to stop a couple of times to catch his breath every time he climbed a flight of stairs. However, after being encouraged by a paramedic, who had been called out to his home, to keep investigating his condition, Ben was found to have something called Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension caused by blood clots on his lungs. 

He underwent a lifesaving procedure known as a Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty at Papworth Hospital where a balloon was used to push scar tissue to one side, allowing the blood to flow properly again, which returned Ben’s breathing to normal. 

Since starting their fundraising earlier this year, the villagers of Denton have raised just shy of ÂŁ2,000 with events including Easter Bingo; a Tractor Run; Party on the Meadow; Walking Football; and a Plough Day, where 45 tractors from neighbouring villages drove to Hardwick Airfield before returning to Denton to plough five fields in the village. 

Paul White, Director of Communications and Impact at ACT, said: “In all the 20 years I have been working in the charity sector, I don’t think I have ever heard of a whole village mucking in and fundraising like this. It’s only a small village but for everyone to get involved in this way is amazing. Denton really is one of a kind.” 

Fundraiser Paul, a builder who also runs a self-catering accommodation at his home in the village, has lived in Denton for eight years, and said: “It’s like going back 50 years here. Everyone helps everyone else out. If you want or need anything, someone in the village will help. It is a proper community.” 

His wife, Karen, who has lived in the village for nearly 30 years, said: “Literally everybody in the village has been involved with fundraising. Everyone. Everyone comes along and supports things and will chuck money in a pot and if they can’t come, they’ll come and see us and say, ‘sorry we can’t make it but here’s ÂŁ20.’ So if they’re not involved in volunteering, they’re involved by supporting it, giving money or donating raffle prizes. But that’s the type of place Denton is. People keep an eye on each other which is how it should be.” 

The village, which has a population of 326, runs a monthly dinner night and lunch club for residents and also opens up its village hall every Friday night as a social club.  

However, Paul’s latest fundraising venture could cause a few blushes outside the village – with the production of their very own Full Monty-style calendar, where fifteen of the local male residents volunteered to pose naked, with strategically placed items protecting their dignity, all for charity. 

Paul said the recruits came via the village’s Google Group Chat – with photos from the calendar revealed at a special gala night in the village on November 2nd.

He said the calendar doesn’t come with a warning on the front – only with a note at the back to say ‘no Dream Boys or animals were injured during the filming of this calendar’ – but Paul says the front cover ‘gives you a gist of what to expect inside.’ 

Willing contributors include March’s ‘Naked Gardener’ whose dignity is protected by a pitchfork; April’s ‘Rocking Ricky’ who climbed a hay bale to pose naked with a guitar; and Paul himself, who despite being married to Karen, features as July’s ‘Hilary’s Hunk’. 

Explaining the name, Paul said it relates to one of the more memorable moments from the photo shoots.  

“It was my job on all the photo shoots to stand guard to prevent any embarrassing moments with the public walking into a field where we were taking photos. But on my photo shoot, this lady walked into the field to tell us our donkeys had escaped and saw me naked. Luckily she was a retired nurse so had seen it all before, but literally the only thing I was holding in my hand was a chicken so we decided to call my photo Hilary’s Hunk after her.” 

Paul’s wife, Karen, also features on the back of the calendar fully dressed but rounding up the chickens and sheep for Paul’s photo. “But as you know, that doesn’t really work with animals, so we had quite a few laughs doing the shoot,” Paul said. 

All the photos were taken by village resident Mark Richards, a retired Daily Mail photographer who moved to the village three years ago.  

“Everyone in Denton has welcomed us with open arms,” Mark said, adding: “As for the calendar, it has been an absolute ball. I’ve seen more naked men in the last six months than I have my entire life and there were no shrinking violets!”

Asked if the calendar was a reflection of how much fun Denton was as a village, Paul’s wife Karen said: “Life in Denton is as close to the Vicar of Dibley as you can get. They’re all nutcases here, every one of them!” 

Apart from the bloopers on the back of the calendar, other humorous touches include a photo of one of the oldest residents who at 82 volunteered a little late, so was put in  stocks, with the caption – ‘This is what happens when you don’t get your pants off!” 

Paul hopes to boost the fundraising tally with ticket sales from the gala night – which was sold out – along with sales of the calendar. His son, Ben, did a talk on the night before the big reveal when all the residents got to see the calendar for the first time.

Fundraising will finish with Christmas Bingo in December and a fundraising raffle for ACT at a speed dating event in the village the same month. 

Asked what’s next, Paul replied: “The girls are talking about doing a calendar next year along the lines of what we’ve done, but who knows.” 

Five hundred copies of the Denton Dream Boys calendar have been printed off, with 143 pre-orders already. Copies of the now-famous calendar (as featured on ITV and BBC Breakfast) cost ÂŁ15 on ebay and can be ordered here.

Paul’s Just Giving Page can be found here: . Crowdfunding to donate to Addenbrookes and Papworth Hospital on JustGiving.

Former cancer patient whose pioneering immunotherapy treatment rid his body of the disease urges others to never give up hope

Posted on by Danni Smith

David Bateson, from Bedfordshire, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2019. The father-of-three, from Ampthill, had an operation to remove the lesion, followed by a skin graft. The cancer returned the following year and David needed to have surgery to remove his lymph nodes from his neck, followed by radiotherapy. David was then put on a course of immunotherapy as a preventative measure, but it was on his birthday in 2021, two years later, that he received the news that his cancer had returned, it was Stage 4 and had spread to his liver, lungs and spine. 

“I just thought, it’s Stage 4 and it’s spread to all those organs. I’m done.” 

David’s consultant, Dr Pippa Corrie, a consultant medical oncologist at Addenbrooke’s, prescribed David a new course of immunotherapy treatment, combining two drugs to kick-start his immune system and after two years of the pioneering treatment, David was given the news in January of this year that there was no trace of cancer in his body. 

David said: “I went from believing I was going to die to being told there was no trace of cancer in my body and there was only a 2% chance of it returning. I just feel incredibly lucky and I appreciate life so much. I have a second go at this and it’s just amazing.” 

“The chances are I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for people at the hospital researching and developing new drugs to fight cancer.” 

Research is key at Addenbrooke’s and the wider Cambridge Biomedical Campus. With technical advances in genome sequencing, AI and immunotherapy, patients are experiencing new hope through personalised cancer treatments. This integrated approach will help fast track cancer innovations and will mean patients from not just across the region, but the whole country, can directly benefit from the latest innovations in cancer science.

David is now a member of the hospital’s Patient Advisory Group (PAG), a group of current and former patients using their lived experience to help design and shape the best care to meet everyone’s needs. 

Knowing how lucky he is to be here now, David has this message for other cancer patients. “Don’t ever give up hope. Someone, somewhere, is testing something that could help you. Don’t underestimate the power of medical science and what drugs can do for you.” 

Dr Pippa Corrie, Consultant Medical Oncologist

Dr Corrie, who specialises in melanoma and pancreaticobiliary cancers, said: “Immunotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors are really revolutionary in that before 10/15 years ago, people like David really had very little options in terms of treatment and unfortunately very poor outcomes. Now we can offer them effective immunotherapy which can potentially improve their life expectancy and actually cure some people and that’s really a major step change in how we manage patients with melanoma and now we are doing the same by using these drugs to treat other types of cancer as well.” 

David decided to start fundraising for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust as soon as he started his immunotherapy treatment, giving himself the goal of raising ÂŁ500 for further investment into this groundbreaking medical technology. He has since exceeded his goal, going on to raise a staggering ÂŁ50,000.  

David’s ÂŁ50,000 fundraising tally was reached with a charity football match and a silent raffle and auction. The football match saw Ampthill Town Football Club battle it out against Luton Town Football Club under 21s (which David’s son Jack plays for). Former England goalkeeper David James made a special appearance on the day. 

Earlier this year, Luton Town’s Mick Harford presented David with a giant cheque for £50,000, made out to ACT, at the City’s Premier League match against Fulham FC, which saw the club relegated after losing 4-2.  

“He’s a bit of a legend for someone my age. It was a hell of a surprise, such a lovely thing to do.” 

Describing what it was like to be told he had Stage 4 cancer that had spread to his major organs, David said: “I was just walking round punch-drunk, like I wasn’t really there.” 

The hardest thing was worrying about what would happen to his family – his wife, Lisa, a community nurse, and their children, George, 22; Jack, 19, and Grace, 17. 

“Having kids is the best feeling in the world. When they are born, the feeling you have is unbelievable. I didn’t want to not be there for them, I kept thinking about all the things I would miss. Things like walking Grace down the aisle.” 

But he said despite how he was feeling, his strategy was to try and ‘normalise’ cancer whenever he was at home. “I just tried to normalise it. That was my strategy. During the time I’ve had cancer, the kids have done their A levels, GCSEs, driving tests, got girlfriends, boyfriends, and I like to think that this cancer hasn’t completely ruined their young lives. And that’s a credit to me and Lisa. How we have set the tone and dealt with it.” 

Despite David’s amazing news in January, Lisa said the emotional scars are still there and said, even now, she finds herself reluctant to celebrate.  

“Even now, with David being told he only has a 2% chance of his cancer returning, I still feel scared to celebrate. We have had so many different celebrations where we have been given good news, I am more sceptical now. I think it’s just a way of protecting myself.” 

For David though – “this time feels different” – and having been given the good news back in January, he is keen to continue fundraising for the hospital.

“I really think in 20 years’ time we will be saying, ‘remember when cancer used to kill us.’ It is all about changing the story of cancer.” 

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, courtesy of NBBJ

To find out more about fundraising to support cancer services at Addenbrooke’s, please click here. 

Read more of David’s story and watch his story below.

Use of virtual reality sees big reduction in pain and anxiety levels in palliative patients at Addenbrooke’s

Posted on by Danni Smith

A project looking at the use of Virtual Reality headsets to help relieve anxiety and pain in patients being cared for by the palliative care team at Addenbrooke’s Hospital has revealed some impressive results. 

The project involves patients choosing a nature-themed video from a library of different experiences. Patients are asked to score their pain and anxiety levels before putting on a VR headset and watching a short nature video with audio and music. They then re-rate their score levels for both pain and anxiety immediately after watching the video. 

Images courtesy of Rescape Innovation Ltd

In the first stage of the project, which saw 28 patients take part, results showed a staggering 28.6% reduction in pain levels, followed by a 40.3% reduction in anxiety levels. 

Supporters of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) funded the lease of the DR VR headset from Rescape Innovation for two years so that the palliative team could look at the impact of virtual reality on their patients. However, a delay during COVID means the project has now been extended into its third year.  

Nancy Burridge, Clinical Nurse Specialist with Dr Ben Clark, Speciality Lead, Palliative Team, Addenbrooke’s

The virtual reality project was spearheaded by Nancy Burridge (L), Clinical Nurse Specialist from Addenbrooke’s Palliative Team, who wanted to investigate the use of virtual reality headsets and their benefits to palliative care patients as part of a Masters module she was studying. 

“For us in palliative care there are other ways in which we can help patients relieve their symptoms, but virtual reality is really helpful and can make patients feel much happier. It reduces their pain, reduces their anxiety and there is no downside to it, so it is just a win-win for us. And for us as therapists as well, to be able to offer something that gives patients that level of comfort so easily is just really nice.” 

“I think patients just love the relief of being able to escape for a short time from their environment, from their treatments, from everything and it allows them to relax. I think that’s the beauty of virtual reality that it is so absolutely immersive. You put on the headphones, you show them the goggles and they are completely unaware of everything else that’s going on around them. They are on that beach, they are in Paris, whatever they are doing they are there.” 

Gemma James-Smith, VR Partnerships and Research Consultant at Rescape Innovation Ltd, the company that leases the headset to healthcare facilities, said: “The research behind it demonstrated that nature exposure in VR is very restorative for our mental wellbeing and it can reduce stress and anxiety and improve mood. Nature exposure in VR does bring some of those benefits even though some of the other stimuli, like smell, are not there – but you still get the visuals and audio effects.”  

“Some people choose the beach, that is a very popular one. A lot of people will be drawn to the alpine experience but we even have experiences set in the desert and in space too, so our library of experiences for patients is quite eclectic.” 

Images courtesy of Rescape Innovation Ltd

“It’s very typical to see reductions in both anxiety and pain levels. But it’s great. Anything that can bring a better quality of life to end of life patients is fantastic and very typical of what we see across the board.” 

She said virtual reality headsets were used in a variety of healthcare settings and that it could be used on wards, during procedures and in an outpatient setting, across a variety of medical areas – including everything from oncology, haematology and palliative care to neurology and gynaecology.

Results from the VR evaluation project saw Nancy present her findings at the Palliative Care Congress last year and the summary of her findings won the Marlow Prize – giving her and her team the chance to write a report of their findings in the British Medical Journal of Supportive and Palliative Care. 

Nancy and her team say the use of virtual reality headsets will continue at Addenbrooke’s, benefiting many more patients, thanks to a generous gift left by past patient Jo Brooks.

Jo left a donation to support the ongoing use of VR at Addenbrooke’s having experienced it herself. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, Jo’s cancer returned in 2018, spreading to her left rib, with tumours on her hip, pelvis and lymph nodes. She was admitted to Addenbrooke’s at the end of 2019 after having trouble breathing and stayed in for three months. It was during this time she was given the use of the VR headset to help relieve some of her anxiety. 

Jo’s husband Matt said: “It really helped to lift her spirits, at a very low point.” 

Jo’s mum, Teresa Davy, said: “After two and a half months in hospital, her lungs were still filling up with fluid. She was sitting in bed one day, a heap of misery, and Emma, one of the palliative care nurses came in with VR headset and said, ‘I don’t know if you would be interested in this Jo but you just might like to see what it is like.’ Jo put the glasses on and the headphones and suddenly the whole mood lightened. It was the underwater experience and Jo loved water.” 

“We couldn’t see what she was seeing but all you could hear was ‘ooh look at that! And these squeals of excitement. I don’t know how long she had it for but the impression left on her was enormous. It lifted her mood and made such a difference. It was amazing because it took her out of herself. I wouldn’t like to say it reduced her pain but it certainly reduced her anxiety because it took her into another world.” 

Jo was told she had a brain tumour two years ago which was when she asked her family to make a donation to buy a VR headset for the palliative team. Sadly, Jo passed away a few months later which was when Teresa and Matt worked with the palliative care team to make sure Jo’s generous ÂŁ7,000 donation could be used to extend the benefits of the VR headset to many more patients, 

Nancy added: “We are extremely grateful to Jo’s family for buying the headset but also to ACT and its supporters for funding the lease of a VR headset to get the project started.” 

“I feel that there is a lot more work to be done with virtual reality because I have seen it have such positive effects. One of the things we are looking at now is whether it helps patients with symptoms of breathlessness because what we have noticed from our observations of watching people using the experiences is that we see a slowing in their breathing so this seems like a really good next step. We have discussed it with a team that we work alongside called the Breathless Intervention Service so that is where we are hoping to go next.” 

Courtesy of Rescape Innovation Ltd

Click here to help fund more innovative projects like the virtual reality headsets.

New outdoor facilities for prosthetics and orthotics patients thanks to ACT supporters

Posted on by Danni Smith

The Cambridge Prosthetic and Orthotic Service transferred from clinic nine in Addenbrooke’s  Hospital to its newly-converted base in Great Shelford with new facilities and high-tech equipment ensuring that the time it takes to see a patient, design and fit a new limb or orthotic has been cut dramatically. 

For the first time ever, prosthetics are being made in an on-site workshop, instead of having to be sent away to be manufactured. In addition to this, another first for the centre is a multi-thousand-pound, outdoor terrain area funded by ACT and its supporters. 

The new area, which includes smooth surfaces, slopes, cobbles, grass, stones as well as the knobbly textures found underfoot at pedestrian crossings allows amputees to trial new limbs on more realistic surfaces. 

Previously to this, patients were only able to test out new limbs within hospital corridors or navigate busy, outside areas. Now, however, the new outdoor facility allows prosthetic patients to test drive their new limb and build their confidence in a more realistic setting. 

ACT’s Chief Executive Shelly Thake said: “We would like to thank our supporters who have contributed to these wonderful new facilities in Great Shelford. We were particularly pleased to assist with the all-terrain facility which will be extremely useful in assessing the suitability of the prosthetics made for patients.” 

In addition to the multi-terrain area, ACT supporters also funded the decoration of the children’s area which features fun, animated designs of animals and sea life from around the world – each sporting a prosthetic limb. Images include a crab with scissors as a pincher and a donkey with a fly swat attached to its tail to swat away the flies.  

In addition to the on-site workshop, the extra space at the centre has allowed for a larger movement or ‘gait’ room which uses motion cameras, gait plates and giant TV screens to recreate 3D reconstructions of a patient’s walk – which can then be analysed by a physiotherapist to help work out how a patient is walking and how their prosthetic can be adapted to improve functionality. 

ACT was also instrumental in funding half of the camera system within the gait room which Clinical Scientist Dr Thomas Stone jokingly likened to a Hollywood film studio. 

Praising ACT supporters for their donation to buy the cameras several years ago, Dr Stone said that by having this high-tech camera system, which creates 3D reconstructions, it allows quicker analysis of where improvements need to be made. 

“Our job is to distill a vast amount of information into a clinical report very quickly. A clinician in a clinical setting has 15 minutes to see a patient. Sometimes to try and work out why something isn’t working the way it should be can be very, very hard if you are doing it live. With our cameras, we can take it offline and clinicians can watch a video back and slow it right down to really analyse a patient’s gait. To be able to pick up the 20, 30, or 40 things it could be if something is not working is very hard so we can make it a lot easier for them.” 

In addition to the high-tech equipment in the gait room, physios now use a quicker form of cast called an eCAST which sets within about 20 minutes and doesn’t require setting overnight like the old plaster cast version. New phone technology also allows them to scan patient limbs to quickly build a design for a new orthotic or prosthetic limb.  

Where patients with scoliosis previously had to undergo general anaesthetic in order to be fitted with a cast, the new phone scanner designs the cast in under a minute – greatly reducing costs as well as patient appointment times.   

The centre, opened by mobility specialist Opcare Ltd on behalf of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is run by more than 30 staff including consultants, allied health professionals and clinical scientists. 

They will assist more than 3,300 patients a year of all ages from across the region, including war veterans. 

The official opening of the centre welcomed organizations from across the amputee community, including the Limbless Association, which links amputees with peers. National Outreach Manager, Clifton Henry, said: “This amazing centre shows the work that is happening within the clinical environment but as an amputee the challenge is in the communities and it is the support beyond the clinical setting that is so important. You can’t beat the power of peer support.” 

Kiera trying out the new gravel surface

Also present at the official opening was Steel Bones, an amputee charity for civilians. Mum Rachel attended with her daughter, Kiera, 14, who was born with a childhood condition which led to her foot being amputated as a baby.  

Testing out the slopes and different surfaces for the first time, Keira added: “It’s absolutely great. I remember one time outside Addenbrooke’s I nearly tripped over a brick that was lying on the floor outside but to have this dedicated outdoor space here makes it much nicer.” 

A personal touch within the centre includes some glass mirrors designed with specially adapted images of patients with prosthetics. Cambridge-based company Go Glass, who specialize in glass decoration and architectural glass, donated the mirrors after the experience of Managing Director Tracy Saunders, who lost a leg many years ago. 

Her brother, Design Director Clive Sparkes, said: “When my sister first lost her leg years ago there weren’t any mirrors in the gyms and she just wanted to see her leg, which is why we wanted to donate the mirrors to this amazing new centre.” 

The designs have been adapted for the different areas within the centre. Mirrors in the prosthetic rooms show a person performing a cartwheel and wearing a prosthetic, whilst in the orthotics area, the person performing the cartwheel is seen wearing an orthotic. The design in the paediatric gym, however, is of a superhero wearing a prosthetic leg, with changeable LED lights to help calm young patients in what can be a stressful situation. 

If you would like to donate to ACT to make our hospitals even better, by providing high-tech equipment like that at the new Prosthetic and Orthotics Centre or by funding research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide, please click here.

Congratulations! Two of our fundraisers nominated for this year’s prestigious Pride of Britain Awards

Posted on by Danni Smith

A HUGE thank you and congratulations to two of our fundraisers who featured in a TV special as nominees for this year’s prestigious Pride of Britain Awards.

David Bateson, pictured here with medical oncology consultant Dr Brent O’Carrigan, and Joyce Cripps, pictured with transplant surgeon Andrew Butler, being filmed in the background, have fundraised tirelessly for Addenbrooke’s through Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, whose supporters raise funds to help make the hospitals even better by funding cutting-edge research, innovations and high-tech equipment, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.

Both were shortlisted for ITV Anglia’s Regional Fundraiser of the Year and although they weren’t selected to go through to the finals of Pride of Britain Awards later this year, we are incredibly proud of both of them for all their hard work and for sharing their personal stories to a wider audience.

David Bateson – who has raised £50,000 for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust after being treated at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for cancer – shared his story on the ITV Anglia special.

The father of three, from Ampthill in Bedfordshire, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2019. David’s cancer returned twice but after surgery and treatment, followed by pioneering immunotherapy, David was given the news in January of this year that there was no trace of cancer left in his body.

Since his news, David has worked tirelessly to raise money for cancer services by fundraising for ACT and has raised a staggering ÂŁ50,000 which will go to melanoma research and the ÂŁ14 million public appeal to build the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus by 2029.

Explaining why he felt the need to continue fundraising for cancer research, David said: “The chances are I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for people researching and developing new drugs to fight cancer and I think the new cancer hospital planned for Cambridge is going to take that to another level.”

“For people going through cancer, my message would be, never give up hope. There is always hope and it is amazing what is being developed in terms of new cancer treatments.”

Joyce Cripps, our fundraiser from Bishop’s Stortford in East Hertfordshire, was nominated as regional fundraiser for Anglia East Region after spending over half her life fundraising for charities.

The retired carer and care manager, pictured here, started fundraising over 40 years ago after her daughter Julie’s primary school was damaged by fire. She went on to raise over £104,000 for various charities including Cancer Research, Marie Curie, The Willow Foundation which organizes special holidays for terminally ill patients and their families, local hospitals, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and The Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children with cancer.

However, it was after her daughter Julie underwent a lifesaving liver transplant at Addenbrooke’s six years ago that Joyce pledged to dedicate all her fundraising to liver transplant research by raising money for ACT.

Joyce’s fundraising total for Addenbrooke’s transplant services is set to top £25K by the end of this year which she has raised through tribute nights which she books throughout the year, organizing raffle donations and making all the room and table decorations by hand herself.

As part of her nomination, Joyce was filmed with her husband, John, and daughter Julie visiting the transplant unit to meet Andrew Butler, the surgeon who performed Julie’s lifesaving transplant.

Some of Joyce’s money has already been used to refurbish two staff and patient rooms in the unit as well as fund a single use of the Liver Perfusion Machine, pictured above, which ACT supporters raised £250,000 to buy. As part of filming for the special, Joyce and her family got to see the machine – which mimics the body to ensure a liver’s functionality before transplant and allows surgeons to ‘test drive’ livers for suitability before transplanting them.

“As a family, words are not enough to express our gratitude to that wonderful team who saved Julie’s life. Realizing the difference my fundraising has made to other patients’ lives means this tireless work will continue to my days’ end!” Joyce said.

“I have agreed to ongoing monies raised be used for transplant research thus enabling many more lives being saved.  Had it not been for past research Julie’s story would have been very different.”

As well as David and Joyce, another one of our fundraisers featured on the ITV Anglia special. Pig farmer Nathan Lister, from Redgrave, drove the length of Britain in a bright pink Citroen Picasso – referred to as his ‘Pigasso’ after he transformed it into a fundraising pig, complete with snout, tail, ears and eye lashes.

Nathan was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at 22 and underwent 12 intense rounds of chemotherapy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Now in remission, Nathan and his friends drove from John O’Groats in Scotland to Land’s End in Cornwall, raising more than ÂŁ12,000 for Addenbrooke’s Hospital through ACT and Cancer Research UK, who were interviewed on the show.

Congratulating David and Joyce, who were both nominated for their fundraising for ACT, our charity’s Chief Executive Shelly Thake said:

“We are extremely proud of all our fundraisers. Each and every one of them put in hours and hours of their own time to help make our hospitals even better. In David and Joyce’s case, both have worked tirelessly to raise funds that will go into research to benefit future patients.

“Both took it upon themselves to fundraise for our hospitals at what was a very stressful time in their life – David, when he was still undergoing immunotherapy treatment and Joyce, whilst her daughter was still recovering from a major, lifesaving operation. Not only that, but they continue to fundraise as well as share some of the more private and challenging moments of their life in order to help raise awareness and support others going through a difficult time themselves.”

“Whilst they didn’t get through to the Pride of Britain finals later this year, they did incredibly well to be nominated for ITV Anglia’s Regional Fundraiser of the Year. They should be incredibly proud of all the awareness and hard work they put into their fundraising so we would like to extend a huge congratulations to both of them and thank them for everything they do on behalf of ACT.”

First MRI scanner wrap in UK set to save patients’ lives and thousands of pounds in patient care

Posted on by Danni Smith

The very first wrap of an MRI Scanner in the UK will have a profound impact on both patients and staff at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridgeshire – saving patients’ lives as well as thousands of pounds per patient for the hospital trust.

A new state-of-the-art scanner in the MRIS department has been wrapped with vinyl using a nature-based forest design – aimed at ‘bringing the outside in.’ In addition to the scanner, the walls of the scanner room have also been wrapped in a forest design, showing images of sunlight bursting through a forest and completely transforming the room.

The work was undertaken by Grosvenor Interiors, whose head office is based in Surrey, but was funded by the generosity of donors and supporters of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, whose supporters raise funds to help make the hospitals even better by funding cutting-edge research, innovations and high-tech equipment, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.

Work has completely transformed the scanner room as well as the GE 3.0 tesla MRI scanner, which is used as a showcase scanner for GE for other hospitals to come and visit, and was part of a bigger project to completely transform the MRIS department – with beautiful nature scenes adorning the walls and corridors of the waiting area as well as the changing rooms.

As well as the vinyl wraps, ACT supporters have also funded two £30,000 audio visual systems for two of the department’s three scanners, meaning that stressed patients arriving for a scan can now listen to music and watch videos whilst completing their scan.

Bruno Carmo, MRI Service Manager at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, said: “It has made a massive difference not just for the staff but for the patients too. Everybody who comes in to visit the department notices the environment immediately. It’s different, it’s beautiful and it’s friendly. It just fills my soul.”

The state-of-the-art GE scanner, which is equipped with cutting-edge AI technology, supports the department’s world-leading research. It is the department’s second scanner of its type, which improves diagnostic accuracy for conditions like cancer and musculoskeletal disorders.

Since the scanner went live at the end of July, the department has not seen any patients unable to go through with their scan – which Bruno said will ultimately help save patients’ lives with earlier diagnoses as well as thousands of pounds per patient in some cases.

“One of the big reasons for patients being unable to complete a scan is claustrophobia and anxiety and just the fact that we can see the impact of this nice calm environment already reduces the possibility of a patient having to be recalled for a second time.”

“Ensuring a patient completes their scan first time around can literally save hundreds of pounds, thousands in some cases. For instance, if you have a paediatric patient, someone who is between 2 and 12 years old, if they cannot go ahead with the scan they join a long waiting list to have the scan under general anaesthetic where it can cost thousands, because you need to book the bed space as well as the General Anaesthetic and Theatre teams.”

Bruno said it was too early to gauge the true impact of the scanner at present, but said in an earlier, three-month audit of patients, 90% of patients reported that being able to listen to music and watch videos helped them to complete their scan.

Paul White, Director of Communications and Impact at ACT, said: “Our amazing supporters at ACT have already helped transform numerous staff and patient waiting areas around Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie and continue to do so. Areas like the Oncology Department as well as the X-Ray waiting room where a lot of stressed patients and family members have to sit and wait.”

“It is really heartening to hear the huge impact this work is having on both patients and staff alike – not just in providing them with a nicer environment, but also how these relatively small changes can go as far as saving patients’ lives as well as all the costs associated with being able to successfully scan a patient first time around.”

Ilse Patterson, Lead R&D MRI Radiographer at Addenbrooke’s, said being able to see scan results on a first visit effectively allows diagnosis and treatment or surgery to happen sooner, therefore helping to save patients’ lives in some cases.

The artwork on the wrap and within the department has also transformed her own day to day working life. “I have worked in a few hospitals and I think there is nothing worse than walking into a hospital that looks like a hospital and smells like a hospital, it’s just not pleasant. I was on holiday when the waiting area was transformed and when I returned to work, I was amazed. It definitely changes the mood for the patients.”

“With the old scanner, it was narrow, it was a bit dark in that room, it was a narrow bore (tunnel), it was quite old and it wasn’t very pleasant. I really didn’t enjoy putting patients in there. But now it’s new, it’s light, it’s bigger, it’s got lovely pictures. Just to be able to make it that little bit easier for the patients, in any way we can, is a really positive thing for us.”

Cath Mills, President of the British Association of MR Radiographers (BAMRR), said: “It’s great to see the amazing work at Addenbrooke’s that is helping to make their patients’ experience as positive as possible. The unique ‘one of a kind’ MRI scanner wrap is the first in the UK that we have seen at the British Association of MR Radiographers and we think it’s great!”

“The MR environment can be very daunting to patients, especially paediatrics and those who suffer with severe claustrophobia so it is so important that we do everything we can to help our patients to feel relaxed. MR departments provide as much information as possible prior to appointments to help their patients to prepare, and the clinical staff on scan day offer support to the patient to help them to feel relaxed during their scan. In the past few years manufacturers have made changes to scanner design which has resulted in modern scanners looking a lot less scary than they used to. It is great to see the work at Addenbrookes that has addressed another dimension in scanner design by the addition of the wrap.”

Colin Horn, Managing Director of Grosvenor Interiors (pictured), talks about his own personal reasons for working to transform hospital spaces and equipment, after losing his son Adam to Leukaemia. Read his story.

2024 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival – ‘the biggest yet!’

Posted on by Danni Smith

The 2024 Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival looks set to be the biggest race yet – with over 40 teams and 600 competitors taking part to raise funds for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.

This year’s 18th Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the River Cam at Fen Ditton on Saturday 7th September with teams of 10-15 paddling 30ft boats up the river with a drummer at the front beating time and a helm at the tail.

Races start at 10am, with a prize ceremony at the end of the day. Festival sponsor Illumina will be taking part on the day and with bankside entertainment, food vans and an on-site bar the event is guaranteed to be a fun-packed, family day out.

Lucy Morton, Executive Director at NewWave Events, said: “We’re on track for this year’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival – which is being held in the Chinese Year of the Dragon – to be the biggest one yet with record team entries! We have 41 team entries and over half the firms competing this year have taken part in previous years.”

“It is amazing to see this event growing year on year and incredibly rewarding to see how the fundraising efforts from all teams makes a difference to such a worthy cause. Each year, the event brings a fantastic atmosphere to the city and the energy on the day is amazing.”

“The races are really exhilarating and extremely rewarding to be a part of. For the teams that are competing it is a chance for them to be part of the incredible atmosphere. For spectators, it is a fantastic family day out.”

Friendly rivalry is a big part of what the event is about, but Lucy said it is the unpredictable element that makes the day fun for both competitors and spectators.

“Some of the strongest crews can be knocked out in the heats if they aren’t working together to paddle down the course so it’s very common for novice crews to take home the winner’s trophy on the day as long as they have the determination and team spirit to carry them through!”

All funds raised will help boost ACT’s ÂŁ14 million public appeal to help build the new specialist cancer hospital, whose pioneering research is expected to have a far-reaching impact not just regionally, but nationally and globally too. The Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) will be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus by 2029 and bring together clinical and research expertise in a new, world-class hospital, designed in partnership with staff and patients. The new hospital will detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely, and save more lives.

Donna Lee-Willis, Head of Community Fundraising at Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, said: “We are so excited to be running this event again this year with our longstanding partners NewWave Events and this year’s sponsors, Illumina. Everyone who is there on the day – whether it be competitors or spectators – has a lot of fun and for us to be able to raise money for what is such a good cause makes everyone at ACT incredibly proud.”

Elaine Chapman, Lead Advisory Nurse for CCRH (pictured left), who is taking part herself as a member of the CCRH Project Team, said: “We are delighted this year’s Dragon Boat Festival is dedicating funds to the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital project. This hospital will bring together the very best clinical care and research expertise in a specialist building that has considered the wellbeing of patients and staff. Thank you for supporting us, you are helping to change the story of cancer.”

Mark Robinson, VP and GM, UK and Ireland, Illumina says, “Illumina is proud to support this year’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival to aid ACT. This unique event is just one of the ways that our team here in Cambridge is giving back to communities in which we live and work, while at the same time having a lot of fun!”

Each team completes three heats, with the 12 fastest teams going through to the semis. Three semi-final winners and the fastest runner-up go through to the final. Each boat seats up to 10 paddlers and 1 drummer. The racecourse is a 200m straight course with each race lasting anywhere between 55 and 90 seconds, with times affected by water flow and weather conditions.

Trophies are awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place as well as to the highest placed mixed crew (minimum of five female paddlers), best dressed crew and top charity fundraiser. Medals also go to the top three crews and the highest placed mixed crew.
The winner receives a bottle of bubbly, with the top charity fundraiser winning a punting experience courtesy of Let’s Go Punting.

Bankside entertainment and refreshments include traditional lion dance performances. There are also funfair style rides on the day, with sponsors Illumina hosting several fun activities including strawberry DNA extraction, dress like a scientist with a walk through Cambridge DNA history, a cake stand, face painting and flag making. Cambridge 105 is supporting the event, with live coverage and interviews, on the day.

Come along and support our teams on the day – and help boost our ÂŁ14 million appeal to see the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital built in the City by 2029.

For a taste of what to expect on the day, click on the video below.

Launch of ‘My Thank You’ campaign gives Addenbrooke’s patients chance to thank NHS staff directly

Posted on by Danni Smith

A new campaign allowing Addenbrooke’s patients to send messages of thanks direct to NHS staff who care for them has been launched as part of an eight-week trial.

The ‘My Thank You’ campaign is the first of its kind in the East of England and, for the first time ever, allows grateful patients, as well as family and friends to send messages of thanks directly to a member of staff who has made a real difference to their stay in the hospital by providing them with exceptional care and support. This could be anyone from a member of the security team to porters, administrators and clinical teams including nursing staff and surgeons.  

Messages of thanks can be left for a particular member, or members of staff, who have helped deliver exceptional care and support for patients by simply scanning a QR code displayed on My Thank You posters which have been distributed across the Addenbrooke’s and Rosie sites, both part of the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. 

Alternatively, patients can text the words THANKS ACT to 84901. 

Patients complete an online form where they can enter their message of thanks together with the area or speciality it relates to, along with the member of staff’s name, if they can recall it.  

Once the form is complete, patients are then asked if they would be happy to spread the word on their social media accounts to encourage friends and family to send their own messages of thanks. They will also be given the option of connecting to the hospital charity if they choose. 

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) launched the My Thank You campaign in early August. As the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, its supporters raise funds to help make the hospitals even better by funding cutting-edge research, innovations and high-tech equipment, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.  

ACT’s Chief Executive Shelly Thake welcomed the campaign and said: “We hope My Thank You will see lots of lovely messages of thanks that we can use to brighten the day of all the wonderful staff in the hospital.” 

“We know that everything our supporters do to help make our hospitals even better, is a way for them to be able to give back and say a special thank you to staff by providing funding for ground-breaking research and high-tech equipment which they know will have a huge impact on their lives. To be able to add words to their thanks now too makes it even more special.” 

“Being able to give back financially is one thing but My Thank You takes this concept of patients wanting to give back one step further and allows them to send a very real, heartfelt message of thanks direct to the member, or members of staff, who cared for them during their stay.” 

“Knowing that staff often go through some very personal, often traumatic situations with patients on a daily basis we believe this campaign will generate a huge response from patients and we very much look forward to seeing, and sharing, all the messages that are sent through.” 

Staff welcome ‘My Thank You’ campaign

The My Thank You campaign was welcomed by the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Clinical Education Team. 

Clinical Education Facilitator Waliu Jawula Salisu, said: “The campaign is a brilliant opportunity for patients and service users to express their gratitude to our hardworking staff. They invest so much emotion and energy into looking after our patients and I think this would be a brilliant opportunity to say thank you to them, which they will appreciate so much.”  

Colleague Emma Le Brun added: “It’s also a fantastic opportunity for colleagues to say thank you to each other. We all work in such a busy and stressful environment, a simple thank you could make someone’s day and make them feel a lot more appreciated in a clinical environment.” 

Former patients and her family welcome ‘My Thank You’ campaign

Retired carer Joyce Cripps, 77, started fundraising for Addenbrooke’s transplant services, through ACT, six years ago after her daughter Julie Halls underwent an emergency, lifesaving liver transplant after her organs failed after she contracted sepsis and pneumonia.  

Julie was given just two weeks to survive without a transplant and Joyce said that after the transplant team at Addenbrooke’s saved her daughter’s life, she will never give up fundraising for Addenbrooke’s. 

“As a family we are truly grateful, we always will be, to the wonderful surgical team and all the staff that really gave Julie a chance of life and for us to save her.” 

For Julie, getting to meet the surgeon who saved her life was a very emotional moment – “Having the chance to say thank you to Andrew Butler in person was just amazing.” (seen here, in picture)

Both mum and daughter, from Bishop’s Stortford, say the campaign, where patients and families will have the chance to thank every member of the hospital staff team that care for them, is a fantastic idea. Both women remember different members of staff who supported them through Julie’s lifesaving operation. 

Joyce said: “I can honestly say the staff in the hospital were brilliant. The day of Julie’s operation when we arrived to be told that the organ would be arriving later that day, the co-ordinator Michael Hope was absolutely amazing, the way he looked after me and Julie’s husband Paul. Julie was very distressed and very frightened at the thought of what was ahead of her so Michael put Julie’s mind at rest and asked Julie why she was frightened. She asked him if she was going to die and he said, ‘Julie, when my car breaks down, it goes into a garage that I trust and the car comes out at the end of the day all repaired and that is what we are going to do for you. That is not our goal today for you to die.” 

As for Julie, she remembers lots of people from her stay at Addenbrooke’s. “I can honestly say that my stay in Addenbrooke’s was one of the best times of my life because of the wonderful staff that were so kind and caring, even down to the lady who served my breakfast. Her name was Fran and I still remember her smiley face.” 

Say thank you to a member of hospital staff now.

Tattoo artist takes part in Charity Flash Day to raise awareness of testicular cancer

Posted on by Danni Smith

Tattoo artist Bobbie Lee is using a charity flash day at the Cambridge studios where he works to raise awareness of testicular cancer after being diagnosed with the disease at just 32 years old. 

Bobbie, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November last year, underwent surgery at Addenbrooke’s in December. 

He has since been given the all-clear but has regular check-ups every two months and has to return for regular blood tests and CT scans. 

Although testicular cancer is rare, it is the most common cancer in men aged between 15 and 49, with around 2,400 men diagnosed each year in the UK. According to Cancer Research UK, the most common symptom of testicular cancer is a lump or swelling. 

Testicular symptoms to look out for include: a lump or swelling in part of one testicle; a testicle that gets bigger; a heavy scrotum; discomfort or pain in your testicle or scrotum.

All Known Tattoo Collective, a multi-award-winning tattoo studio in Hills Road, Cambridge where Bobbie works, has organised a charity flash day on Saturday 17th August, with walk-in appointments.  

Seven of the team’s award-winning tattooists will be there on the day, with doors open from 10am to 6pm. Cambridge bar Vodka Revs is hosting a pop-up bar, with food, between 12 noon and 5pm, with merchandise on sale on the day. 

Proceeds will go to Addenbrooke’s Hospital via Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. As the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, our supporters raise funds to help make the hospitals even better by funding cutting-edge research, innovations and high-tech equipment, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide. 

Bobbie, whose cancer was diagnosed early, says he is keen to take away some of the stigma around talking about testicular cancer – and remind men to check their bodies.  

“It is a little embarrassing to talk about as it is testicular cancer but I would rather talk about it than not as it is more about raising awareness. I spoke to my dad about it and he said he wouldn’t have gone to the doctor as he would have been too embarrassed but that’s why it’s important to talk about it and to remind men to check their bodies.” 

Bobbie, who has one friend the same age currently undergoing treatment for testicular cancer and a second, in his 20s, who has been given the all-clear, said: “I didn’t have any of the more obvious signs like swelling or pain, I only had a little discomfort, so it’s really important to check out anything you might be worried about.” 

He has been working as a tattoo artist for 14 months, describing his style as ‘colour work, neo traditional, cartoon style, with lots of ducks’, and says he now talks to his customers about his cancer too.   

“I normally make jokes about it to be honest and have a bit of banter because if you are miserable about it, it’s not good. But if I am tattooing someone for a long time, it can get a little uncomfortable as you have to lean forward a bit when you tattoo so I can feel where my scar is, so I explain to customers why I need to get up and walk about.” 

Bobbie’s diagnosis came after he found what he thought was a lump in his left testicle but having then been told there was nothing there he asked to be referred as he was concerned something still wasn’t right. 

An ultrasound scan at Addenbrooke’s Hospital picked up something in his other testicle and on further investigations it was discovered that Bobbie did have testicular cancer. Shortly after diagnosis, Bobbie underwent surgery to remove his right testicle and he was given the all-clear.  

Early diagnosis prevented him having to undergo any other forms of treatment such as chemotherapy and now Bobbie is keen to give back to Addenbrooke’s, whose staff, he said, were amazing. 

“When I woke up in the recovery room after surgery, I was talking to one of the nurses and she had a few things going on in her life and she looked visibly upset and I just thought, she is still coming in to help people even though she still has her own stuff going on, so if I can raise awareness and raise some money for Addenbrooke’s at the same time that would be great.” 

Studio owners Kyle Warwick and Alex Hugianu were keen to support Bobbie’s fundraising efforts and opened their studio up for a charity flash day, producing a short film to talk about Bobbie’s story and promote the day. The video can be viewed below.

Kyle, who started out as a graffiti artist before becoming a tattoo artist, gained notoriety after his tribute to British physicist, Stephen Hawking, on a permission wall in Cambridge caught the attention of local media.

He usually gets booked up five to six months in advance and has customers coming to see him from across the UK, including firefighter, Ray, who was adding Kyle’s drawing of Kasabian’s Serg on his leg after an earlier design by Kyle showcasing football manager JĂŒrgen Klopp. 

Alex, whose designs are described as ‘black and grey geometric’, started tattooing in Romania, aged 14. Welcoming the chance to give back to Addenbrooke’s she said: “We are all really excited about the charity flash day and just want to help however we can.” 

Donate to the All Known Tattoo Collective Just Giving page.

If you would like to make a difference and fundraise for ACT, click here for a selection of events you can sign up to. Alternatively, email: fundraising@act4addenbrookes.org.uk  Â