Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust Logo
Close
Menu

Tag: ACT

The heartbroken parents of a special little boy who ‘touched so many people’s lives’ have pledged to raise over £100,000 in his memory for the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital 

Posted on by Danni Smith

The mum and stepdad of a special little boy who ‘touched so many people’s lives’ have pledged to raise over £100,000 in his memory after he died from a rare incurable disease, aged 11, in September last year. 

Elliott-James Heslop, or Elliott as he was known to family and friends, was diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease called TTC7A deficiency when he was just three months old; a condition that causes diarrhoea, inflammation of the intestines, bowel obstructions, immune dysfunction, and an inability to absorb nutrients.   

He had his first surgery at just a few hours old and underwent multiple surgeries to try and fix strictures in his bowel. Unfortunately, these were unsuccessful, and Elliott had to have an Ileostomy. Unable to absorb nutrients in the usual way, Elliott was TPN-dependent from birth, meaning artificial nutrients were given to him via a central line called a Hickman Line.  

Elliott spent the first eleven months of his life in hospital and at just eight months old underwent a bone marrow transplant at Great Ormond Street Hospital. 

His condition meant that when he was at his worst, he couldn’t walk very far as it affected his bone density and muscle mass. It also prevented him from joining a football team or going on school residentials. It also restricted what Elliott was able to do in a day as he would need to be home at certain times for his TPN treatment, which also meant the family were not able to go abroad. However, mum Kayleigh Eley and husband, Ross, Elliott’s stepdad, from Cambourne in Cambridgeshire, said Elliott loved trips to caravan parks – and said he went swimming for the first time last year after finding out about a special wetsuit he could wear in the water. 

Despite the impact of his condition, Kayleigh and Ross said Elliott never moaned. 

“He would have his moments like with football, where he would say I wish I could play football, but it would only be the odd comment now and then. He never moaned, he just got on with it,” Kayleigh said. 

Although they always knew Elliott’s condition was incurable, Kayleigh said it was still a shock when he died.

“Even though you know it’s not curable you just kind of live every day and go with it. But we didn’t expect him to go downhill as quickly as he did.” 

It was in December 2023, that Elliott caught the flu, which impacted his liver and meant he needed to be assessed for transplant again. Kayleigh and Ross were told Elliott would be listed for a multi-visceral transplant, but ten days later after Elliott’s condition worsened, he was rushed back into hospital with painful pancreatitis and in July last year, the family were given the devastating news that Elliott’s condition could no longer be treated. Sadly, Elliott passed away in September.   

Kayleigh and Ross, who have three-year-old daughter, Maddison, together, and Scarlett, 15, and Florence, 7, both from previous relationships, set about fundraising to create some special memories with Elliott before his death as well as raise money for the Cambridge Children’s Hospital (CCH), through Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT).  

The Cambridge Children’s Hospital is set to be built by 2030 and will be the first specialist children’s hospital for the East of England; the only region in the UK without one. Bringing together clinical excellence from two NHS Trusts with pioneering research from the University of Cambridge, the new five-storey 35,000sqm hospital will be based at the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Europe’s largest biomedical campus.   

After writing to Elliott’s favourite football team, West Ham, every day for three months, Ross finally got lucky and both he, Elliott and Scarlett were invited down to West Ham for a training session with the players, where Elliott got to meet one of his favourites, James Ward-Prowse, and walk onto the field as a team mascot.  

Ross – who came into Elliott’s life at six years old – describes himself as a ‘bonus dad’ rather than stepdad and said: “I feel really privileged to have had Elliott in my life. He’s like the son I never had.” 

Kayleigh describes her son as “cheeky, funny, very caring and very sensitive” adding, “So many people have said to me how he really touched their lives. I know he’s amazing because he’s my child and I know how great he is, but he did, he really touched other people’s lives.” 

As for how they are, Ross says: “I don’t think I have accepted it yet because I don’t want to. The worst thing about it is, is that life just keeps on going on around you. It’s the worst pain ever. I’d rather someone chopped off my legs than this. Elliott was my bonus child and the way I feel is the worst feeling ever.” 

Mum Kayleigh said: “People think you are ok but we have to be because we have our other kids. But I still expect to see him sometimes. Sometimes you look and think he is going to be there.” 

Ross said he came off Facebook for six months after Elliott’s death because he found all the memories too painful and says: “Every day is different. Every hour is different.” 

The couple say they remember Elliott as the cheeky little boy who would play pranks on his family, including the time he hid inside Scarlett’s wardrobe and started playing with the LED lights on her ceiling before jumping out to scare her. 

Kayleigh also speaks movingly about Elliott’s best friend who keeps a picture of Elliott in his bedroom and a candle to remember him by and when he has had a bad day, will still call Elliott’s phone to leave a message.  

Ross and Kayleigh say the number eleven has come up a lot in their lives – both before, and since, Elliott’s death aged eleven. When Ross completed a charity walk from his home in Cambourne to the West Ham grounds they arrived at 11am. West Ham also honoured Elliott’s memory by clapping him during a game at the eleventh minute and after moving house recently, they moved to number eleven, with Ross saying – “Elliott will never leave us. Not in a million years.” 

The couple have pledged to raise ÂŁ100,000 for the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital, through Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) as a way of thanking Addenbrooke’s for the amazing care Elliott received since birth – describing his consultant, Dr Camilla Salvestrini, as “amazing”.  

Although their target is ÂŁ100,000, Kayleigh and Ross are hoping to boost their target to ÂŁ125,000 so that they can fully equip one of the rooms within the Cambridge Children’s Hospital and have it named after Elliott. 

“We’d love to have something named after Elliott in his memory,” said Kayleigh, “and know that we helped fund something that would be for the whole community. It’s raising money for the next generation of children and supporting all the families that will be going there.” 

Fundraising efforts so far have included the walk from their home in Cambourne to the West Ham football grounds; a children’s sponsored swim; a 30th tea party in July to celebrate ACT’s 30th and a 72-hole golf challenge at Cambridge Country Club earlier this month, with a 9-hole lesson donated by PGA Professional Joel Rickard.  

Ross’ next challenge will be this September, when he and his boss will complete the walk along Hadrian’s Wall over three days, setting out on the 11th. 

Click here to donate to Elliott’s page.

ACT celebrates 30-years of fundraising

Posted on by Danni Smith

A much-loved hospital charity whose supporters have fundraised more than ÂŁ150 million towards supporting innovation in patient care for Addenbrooke’s in the first 30-years of its life has pledged to be even more ambitious in years to come.  

This year, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) celebrates its 30th birthday – with a special look back at some of the ground-breaking projects it has funded.  

Ruth standing in front of Bus

ACT is the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals in Cambridge and funds high-tech equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide.  

Since April 2025 alone, ACT has invested over ÂŁ1 million in a range of projects – supporting everything from cutting-edge research and AI, to rehab, mental health and wellbeing, hospital environments, and even family fun days. Since fundraising began 30 years ago, the charity has funded an impressive list of projects, mainly state-of-the-art equipment and vital research. 

The charity’s impact stretches far beyond Cambridge and the East of England – funding early research that impacts beyond Addenbrooke’s. Funding comes not just from fundraisers but from individual donors as well as other sources such as grants and legacies.  

Pledging to continue the charity’s impressive 30 years of impact to date, ACT’s Chief Executive, Shelly Thake, said: “It is amazing to think how far we have come as a charity since our beginning thirty years ago.”

“We were forged out of a hugely successful community fundraising group and it was the forward thinking of this group of fundraisers that brought us to where we are today after they decided that the people of Cambridge deserved the best medical diagnostics and fundraised for the first whole body CT and MRI scanner here in the city. We really do owe them so much – and would not be here today if it were not for their passion and determination.” Read more of their story here.

“We see these same qualities in all our supporters and fundraisers today who work so tirelessly, with such passion and dedication. We are incredibly proud to be part of ACT and will be forever grateful for the support of all our donors and fundraisers who help to make lives better not just for patients but also staff too.” 

“We have achieved so much in the first 30 years of our life and we have even bigger ambitions for the next 30 years and beyond – including our capital campaign to build two new hospitals on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both of which are a first for the East of England – the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) and the Cambridge Children’s Hospital (CCH) which will be the first children’s hospital in the world to fully integrate physical and mental wellbeing as part of patient care.” 

Roland Sinker, CBE, Chief Executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) (pictured right), thanked ACT and all its supporters for their hard work and achievements over the past 30 years. 

“I always think of ACT and its supporters as the silent hero because whilst all of us here at the hospital are aware of, and incredibly grateful for, its financial support, to a patient coming to Addenbrooke’s or the Rosie for the first time, they wouldn’t necessarily be aware of how much the charity and its supporters have done to change not just patient experience at the hospital, but staff experience too.” 

“They have helped fund groundbreaking research which has benefitted patients across the world and provided high-tech equipment which has provided earlier diagnoses and less invasive treatments, saving lives and thousands of pounds for the NHS as well as helping to cut waiting times.” 

“The reality is that every donation made to ACT, no matter how big or small, has a direct impact on staff and patients. So for anyone who has made, or will be making, a donation to the charity that is so close to our hearts, I would like to say a special thank you. Please know that every donation makes a difference.” 

This year, to help ACT celebrate its 30th anniversary, the charity is asking supporters, new and old, to raise a cup (not glass!) and host a tea party for Addenbrooke’s.

Businesses in Cambridge and surrounding areas, served by Addenbrooke’s, are also jumping on board the birthday celebrations by launching their own special products to mark ACT’s 30th.  

Iconic Cambridge institution and bakery Fitzbillies, famous for its Chelsea Buns, launched ACT’s 30th celebrations at their tearooms in Trumpington Street. 

Co-owners Tim Hayward, a food critic and broadcaster, and partner Alison Wright, who won a lifetime achievement award in the Cambridge Independent Business Awards 2024 for rescuing the 104-year-old iconic bakery and cafe, put their weight behind ACT’s 30th because of the ‘world-class’ care Tim received after being admitted to Addenbrooke’s following a medical emergency back in Covid. 

Tim was admitted to hospital in November 2020 with COVID-19 and required treatment using a ventilator and suffered a pulmonary embolism. He was discharged after a month, having spent 14 days in a coma, and later described himself as “lucky to have lived” saying: “I wouldn’t be here without the excellent staff and support of the hospital. Thank goodness for world-class care and the fantastic work of ACT. Long may it continue.” 

Fitzbillies has dedicated a special window display in their Trumpington Street tearooms and during ACT’s birthday month of July, will donate ÂŁ1 to the charity for every ACT chocolate cupcake sold and 20% from sales from their special afternoon and cream tea packs. 

Another Cambridge favourite – Jack’s Gelato – has created a brand-new flavour of gelato to mark the special occasion. Apple Caramel Tart – representing each first letter of ACT’s name. The special flavour can be purchased online during ACT’s birthday month of July with ÂŁ4 from every pint sale donated to ACT. Orders will be available for collection 10am-11pm from the Bene’t St shop between Monday August 18th and Friday August 22nd and 9am-11am on Saturday 23rd. 

Business owner Jack Van Praag, who sells between 10,000 and 30,000 scoops of gelato a week, said: “We are helping ACT because we believe in the incredible work they do to support patients and their families at Addenbrooke’s. We are proud to contribute to their 30th-anniversary celebrations with a special flavour and donation from every tub sold.” 

Hospital staff will get to celebrate ACT’s 30th with their annual staff BBQ on July 2nd, a milestone which this year they share with the Royal Papworth Charity.   

  • If you would like to fundraise for ACT and host a tea party for Addenbrooke’s, you can order your pack here.
  • Afternoon tea party items from the ‘Addenbrooke’s collection’ can be found here.
  • Click here if you would like to donate to ACT 

History of ACT

ACT was born out of two existing charities dating back to the 1990s.  

In 1995, gifts and legacies which had been donated to Addenbrooke’s Hospital over the years were registered with the Charity Commission and managed by the hospital trust as The Addenbrooke’s Charities. Two years later, a new charity called The Fund for Addenbrooke’s was established to raise funds to support the hospital.

In 2005, independent trustees were appointed for ACT with assets from both The Addenbrooke’s Charities and The Fund for Addenbrooke’s transferring to the new trustees, thereby establishing ACT as a charity.                

ACT encourages people who have lost loved ones to remember them with a special walking event in May

Posted on by Danni Smith

ACT is encouraging those who have lost loved ones to remember them by taking part in a special fundraising event throughout the month of May. 

Walk to Remember encourages those who have lost someone close to them to walk 30 miles in their memory. 

“It can be anywhere from a walk in one of your favourite places – to somewhere that holds special memories of your loved one,” said Emily Willdigg, Community Relationships Manager at Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT). 

Explaining why the event was so special for people, Emily said: “Losing someone you love, whether it’s a husband, wife, child, parent, grandparent or friend, is such a hard thing to go through and often one of the things people find the hardest is being able to talk about their loss afterwards. Even if they have people close to them that they can talk to, there are always going to be those times when the experience of losing someone can feel very sad and isolating.” 

“With Walk to Remember, what we really want to do is to be able to give people that special way to remember the person they have lost and acknowledge the imprint that that person has left on their heart.” 

Funds raised from Walk to Remember will go to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals that funds cutting-edge equipment, groundbreaking research, and improvements to the environment for both staff and patients, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide. 

Anyone who takes part in Walk to Remember is being asked to raise a suggested minimum sponsorship of ÂŁ150. In addition to this, walkers can post a special message on a dedication wall on the charity’s website – allowing them to post photos with special messages to their loved ones. 

“The dedication wall is such a lovely way for people to really honour and remember the person they lost and to share those lasting memories of the person they love,” Emily added. 

One of the fundraisers who took part in the event last year, and posted a memory of her husband Jonathan, was Rachael Tuley-Auld, from Cambridge.  

“I decided to take part in last year’s Walk to Remember, to pay tribute to my beloved late husband Jonathan. So many Addenbrooke’s staff, who cared for Jonathan over the 13 months he battled to recover, were truly remarkable. We were married in the Lewin Rehabilitation Unit, shortly before he died, so the hospital will be forever close to my heart.” 

“Walking over a mile each day enabled me to reflect on and honour his memory, whilst raising funds for Addenbrooke’s. Highlights included following the Dinky Door trail around Cambridge, as well as seeking out the giraffe installations dotted around the city.” 

To register for your place in this year’s Walk to Remember now, visit:  www.act4addenbrookes.org.uk/events/walk-to-remember 

To view the dedication wall, visit: https://act.dedicationpage.org/walktoremember 

Former cancer patient to run sixty miler from Swavesey to Spurs ground to raise funds for Addenbrooke’s cancer services

Posted on by Danni Smith

A former cancer patient who has spent over twenty years completing challenges after being given the all-clear following his testicular cancer diagnosis is now set to complete his latest challenge – an ‘ultra’ 62 mile-run from his home in Swavesey in Cambridgeshire to the football grounds of Tottenham Hotspur in London. 

Sean Papworth, 50, an avid Spurs fan, will complete what he is calling the ‘Swavesey to Spurs SIXTY Miler’ with his godson Max Rose, 22, an avid Liverpool fan – with both men intending to cross the finishing line in each of their team’s strip. 

Setting off from The Green in Swavesey on Saturday 26th April, the pair – who only recently completed the Cambridge Half Marathon – will not only cross the line in two different football strips but will arrive a day before the two Premier League Teams are set to play each other.  

Covering a total of 62 miles, Sean and Max will follow a route running along paths and through villages parallel to the A10. Friends and family will follow in a support vehicle with others on bikes. Setting off at six in the morning, with just a few stops along the way for food, the pair are expected to take between 12 and 15 hours to reach their destination.  

Describing the ultra as ‘unchartered territory in running’ for him, Sean said; “I am going to have to dig deep to achieve this. It’s going to be a tough run. Just training doing 19 miles, I can feel it in my legs.” 

Sean, who has completed numerous fundraising challenges since being given the all-clear from testicular cancer 20 years ago, is hoping to raise over two and a half thousand pounds for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust as well as mental health charity Mind, as a way of thanking staff at Addenbrooke’s who treated both him, and his dad, who sadly died from bowel cancer when Sean was just 12 years old. 

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is the official charity for Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie and funds cutting-edge equipment, groundbreaking research, and improvements to the environment for both staff and patients, above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide. 

Sean was diagnosed with testicular cancer back in 2003 when he was just 28. He had two baby girls at the time and, as a joiner, had just set up his business making staircases. He said his wife, Kelly, had to bring the girls up while he was undergoing treatment, which involved surgery followed by intense rounds of chemo. His cancer then spread and surgeons had to cut open his stomach to remove a lot of lymph nodes.  

He was given the all-clear a year later and went on to have a boy, completing his family of three: his eldest daughter Nevie, now 25; middle daughter Teagan, 22, and son Dexter, 18. 

But despite his own battle with cancer, Sean said it was losing his dad from bowel cancer when he was just 12 years old that left the biggest imprint on his life. 

He says the nod to mental health is his acknowledgement of how tough it was to lose his dad. He says while he can talk very openly about his own cancer, he found it really hard to talk about his dad growing up, and counselling later in life really helped him. 

“My dad had bowel cancer and it was very quick. I remember him being ill in the September and him coming out of hospital in the December. I remember my mum telling me it was terminal and that he had come home because he didn’t want to be in hospital when he died and then we lost him in the January.”

“As much as my cancer was hard, the toughest thing I’ve ever had to go through was losing my dad.”

“I used to clam up about my dad especially. I think because I was such a young age. But then I had some counselling, when I was about 20, and then some more a couple of years ago. As the years have gone by, I’ve talked about it but at the same time put a bit of a brave face on and just sort of taken it in my stride rather than actually going, ‘that was quite a big thing that happened to me.”

Describing cancer as a ‘horrible, cruel disease’, Sean says he had to turn to counselling again more recently after reaching middle age and losing other friends to cancer as well as a close friend to suicide last year. 

“I just think when you get to this age you evaluate things a lot more. I had a couple of years where everything was happening at once and it sort of took its toll.” 

Since his recovery Sean has set himself numerous challenges including biking from the UK to Sweden; completing Lands End to John o’Groats; running the London Marathon last year and the Cambridge Half Marathon this year, along with the 2025 Paris Marathon – with the grand finale (for now!) the ‘Swavesey to Spurs SIXTY Miler’.  

Sean says all of the challenges he has set himself are a nod to those who have not made it through their treatment and says: “I’m still here and I’m still fine. That’s why I am doing this run, not just to raise money but to prove I can and because I’m alive and just the fact that a lot of people don’t come out of hospital alive.”  

Recalling his time on the ward, Sean says he remembers a 13-year-old being treated for cancer – “which was really humbling” – and a man around his own age, who also had testicular cancer and had the same operation as him.  

“He later died and I remember his wife messaging me to say that they had lost him and that’s why I do everything I do. It’s in memory of all those people who haven’t made it, not the people who do. To me, if you’ve had cancer and got through it then you have to do something good with that.” 

He also remembers his eldest daughter coming to see him in hospital when she was only three.

“I remember seeing her little face coming into the ward. Her face dropped when she saw me, and things like that really stick with you.”

But as hard as his experiences have been, Sean says remembering how lucky he is helps him to keep going.

“Everyone gets low moments in their life and you can’t always snap out of them quickly but when you get into a better place you can tell yourself not to feel sorry for yourself because there are lots of people going through awful things like cancer, including little children. You can have a moan and feel sorry for yourself but that’s the slap on the face you need to keep going.” 

Sean will start the run from his home in Swavesey to Tottenham Hotspur football grounds in an ACT t-shirt but plans to have several t-shirt changes along the way, including a couple of shirts he is having designed with his sponsors’ names on. However, he plans to cross the finishing line in his Tottenham Hotspur shirt. Max – who is the son of his close friend Simon, whose kids have all grown up together – will be wearing his Liverpool strip.  

Asked how he thought they would both manage the run, Sean said: “Max is more than half my age and a lot fitter than me but he’s never done a marathon before so I’ve got that over him because I’ve had that experience. As far as rivalry goes though, it only goes as far as our football teams, not the run. We are going to need to have each others’ backs for this run and be strong for each other.”   

Cambridge is set to have its own cancer research hospital, to be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus by 2029. The Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) will be the first specialist cancer hospital for the East of England. It will bring together clinical and research expertise under one roof – allowing clinicians to detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely and save more lives.

*** Sean will be auctioning off a Tottenham Hotspur pennant signed by some of the current squad – and anyone wanting to donate to his fundraising page, or sponsor him ÂŁ200 for a logo on his running shirts – should go to Sean’s Give Wheel page at: https://www.givewheel.com/fundraising/5937/sean  

Addenbrooke’s Paediatric Oncology nurse runs Cambridge Half to raise awareness of hospital that treated her as a child

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

A Paediatric Oncology nurse working back on the ward that looked after her when she had leukaemia as a child is to run this year’s TTP Cambridge Half Marathon to raise awareness of the charity that raises funds for the hospital where she now works.

Molly Shelley, 22, a paediatric oncology nurse at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) when she was just three years old.

Diagnosed in the May of 2006, her parents had taken her to the GP and A&E on many occasions over a period of several months trying to work out what was wrong with her after the toddler started suffering from unexplained symptoms including leg pain, uncontrollable high temperatures and constant ear infections.

Molly would also bruise really easily and had all the typical rashes as well as a distended stomach prior to treatment.

Tests revealed Molly (pictured right with her sister, Daisy) had 95% leukaemia cells in her bone marrow so underwent an intense programme of six weeks of aggressive chemotherapy, which luckily put her into remission. After that she was put on a two-year treatment plan consisting of ongoing chemotherapy, lumbar punctures and blood transfusions before being given the all-clear, aged five.

Asked what she remembers, Molly said: “I’m very grateful and lucky to say that I only have positive memories of what was obviously, a very difficult time. So I feel really grateful for that.”

“The limited memories I do have are of the nurses and my time on the ward – but as a kid, not as a poorly patient. Those memories are of being with my nurses or playing with them. I remember being in my hospital bed one time with my dad, watching a film, and the nurse came in to take a blood test and I just stuck my arm out. They didn’t have to say a word.”

Molly said it was her experience as a child which pushed her into the nursing profession – “My mum always said it was weird that I felt so comfortable in a hospital. Now I couldn’t even imagine myself doing another job.”

Having graduated from University in December, Molly interviewed for her current role in January. Her interviewer was the ward manager when Molly was being treated for Leukaemia and Molly says she now knows four members of staff who were working on the ward when she was a child.

“I definitely wouldn’t be nursing now it if wasn’t for me having leukaemia as a child,” she said. “But I see it as a positive as it has made me who I am today. It’s driven me into this career and made me do things I wouldn’t have done otherwise.”

“Obviously it affected my parents a lot more than me and now when I am on the ward I think more about my parents in that situation than myself.”

“If I’m speaking to the families, I am always thinking about how I interact with the parents. I just think, ‘how would I want my parents to have received this?’ and that’s how I go about it.”

Molly’s Leukaemia obviously had a a big impact on all her family. Her dad, Paul, had to give up his job at the time to care for Molly; her mum, Alison, who works in HR, went to work in the NHS after Molly’s recovery and now works for a genomics company, and sister Daisy, now studies BioMed science.

Molly is running the London Marathon in April, raising money for Leukaemia UK and Blood Cancer UK, who the family raised money for 20 years ago.

She opted to run the Cambridge Half Marathon for Addenbrooke’s official charity, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), after getting her place in the ballot in this year’s half and said: “I just knew as soon as I got the place it would be so special to me to be running around the city that we are based in and to be able to run for the charity of the hospital I was a patient in. It feels very special and fitting – a full-circle kind of moment because 20 years ago I was a patient on the ward I am now a nurse on.”

Molly has decided to share her story now to help other families going through the same thing.

“The reason I am sharing my story now is I just hope to show parents that me having Leukaemia shows I am living proof that there is light at the end of what can be a very dark tunnel. I just want to give them hope.”

Asked how she finds working with kids, she said: “Kids are just so resilient, you wouldn’t know they were unwell. They all have a smile on their face, they laugh with you, dance with you, they are just incredible. They are living life to the best of their ability.”

She said ward staff organise a mini disco in the corridors once a week to get everyone together and said it was one such special moment that really hit home with her.

“I’d come out of the staff room and saw all the kids had come out of their rooms and the staff had put on a bit of a mini disco in the corridor of the ward. They were all stood there with their drip stands and pumps, with all their wires and everything, and the staff were dancing with them. There was music on a speaker and a little disco ball and some lights and they were all stood in a circle holding hands, dancing – the parents, kids and staff. And it’s in that split second where you are like, ‘This is what it is all about. This is why I do this job. The kids are just incredible.”

If you have been inspired by Molly’s story and would like to make a donation to ACT, please click here.

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.

John Addenbrooke Lecture inspires and drives meaningful changes in healthcare

Posted on by sarah.rastrick@act4addenbrookes.org.uk

This year’s John Addenbrooke Lecture provided an evening of insightful presentations, stimulating conversations, and the opportunity to be part of a community dedicated to making a difference.

The annual event saw an exceptional line up of speakers all of whom are leaders within their field:

Dr. Ken Poole, an esteemed Academic Consultant in Rheumatology and Metabolic Bone Disease, presented his latest findings that are transforming the approach to bone health and rheumatologic care. Professor Matthias Zilbauer, Clinical Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology, shared his ground-breaking research and insights into children’s digestive health, and Sue Broster, Director of Innovation, Digital, and Improvement, discussed the innovative strategies and digital advancements driving improvement in healthcare delivery. 

Click below to watch a recording of the 2024 John Addenbrooke Lecture:

The lecture, which was held at Astra Zeneca’s imposing building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, was hailed a huge success by ACT’s Director of Communications and Impact, Paul White:

“We couldn’t have been prouder of ACT and its impact following the John Addenbrooke’s Lecture. For so many of our valued supporters to be there, listening to the extraordinary talks by some of the hospital’s leaders in research and innovation, really showcased what our charity – and our supporters – can, and do, achieve across Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie.”

He continued: “To hear three remarkable individuals, who between them are changing the way we treat life-limiting conditions such as osteoarthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, and driving forward innovation that will go on to save and change countless lives, talk of how grateful they are to ACT and its supporters, and how their work has only been possible because of the people in that room, was a moment to really be proud of – and one which will motivate us to do even more going forward.”

If you would like to make a change today, and donate to ACT to help fund ground-breaking research and equipment within our hospitals, please click here. To here more about ACT’s activities sign up at the foot of our homepage.

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.”

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.