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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 £14 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 £14 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.

ACT calls on runners in 2025 TTP Cambridge Half Marathon to run for new specialist cancer hospital

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

A leading hospital charity is calling on runners in the 2025 TTP Cambridge Half Marathon to join forces to boost its multi-million pound campaign to see a new world-class cancer hospital built in the city by 2029.

The Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) is to be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and 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.

As the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) has launched two major capital campaigns to build two ‘firsts’ for the region – the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and the Cambridge Children’s Hospital.

Money raised by ACT supporters in the TTP Cambridge Half Marathon 2025 will help boost the charity’s £14 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.

“We would love anyone who secures a ballot place in next year’s TTP Cambridge Half Marathon to choose ACT as their official charity. By doing so they will play a pivotal role in raising funds to help build what will be an amazing, world-leading cancer specialist hospital, the first of its kind in the Eastern region,” said Rebecca Beattie, Community Fundraising Manager at ACT. “So, calling all runners – come and join #TeamAddenbrookes!”

Places for next year’s half marathon on Sunday 9 March go live on the TTP Cambridge Half Marathon website on Friday 23 August, and are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

However, if you haven’t secured a TTP Cambridge Half Marathon place, ACT has a number of charity places available for next year’s half marathon, with 2025 seeing the highest number of entries to date, rising from 4 in 2022 to 150 in 2025.
Register for your charity place now.

“It really is an amazing event to be part of and for all our runners to be raising money for the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital really does make the atmosphere on the day very special,” Rebecca said.

Any runners who are lucky enough to secure their own place in the half marathon can join #TeamAddenbrookes by contacting ACT at: fundraising@act4addenbrookes.org.uk. Entrants will receive the same support package as ACT’s own charity runners. 

Ella Hamilton, from TTP Cambridge Half Marathon, said: “We are looking forward to entries becoming available for next year’s event, we predict this to be our fastest sell out yet! We are pleased to be supporting such an amazing array of charities, including Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust which has launched the public appeal for the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. The local community is really supportive of the half marathon so there’s always a really great atmosphere on the day – not just for runners but spectators too.’

Ilse Patterson, Lead R&D MR Radiographer at Addenbrooke’s

The TTP Cambridge Half Marathon starts at Jesus Green in the centre of Cambridge. It then takes runners to the outskirts of Cambridge along some of the busiest roads which will be closed on the day of the race. Runners then pass over the river, through Kings College, Queens College and past Corpus Christi College before entering the beautiful village of Grantchester. In the final leg, runners will be taken through the stunning grounds of Jesus College before finishing back at Jesus Green with an electric welcome from spectators at what is always a popular event in the city’s calendar.

Ilse Patterson, Lead R&D MR Radiographer at Addenbrooke’s (pictured right), said she will be entering for the second time next year. “I decided to attempt the Cambridge Half Marathon in 2024 and absolutely loved it first time around so have decided to enter again for 2025 and run to make a difference – so have chosen to run for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. ACT really impacts not just on our patients across Addenbrooke’s, but also staff members too and as an employee of the hospital this makes a huge difference. I am patiently waiting for entries to open so I can apply again for next year!”

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.

One year on – and over 500 patients have benefitted from YOUR donations to a £1.5 million appeal to buy a new surgical robot for Addenbrooke’s

Posted on by Danni Smith

A year after our amazing ACT supporters raised a staggering £1.5 million to buy a new surgical robot for Addenbrooke’s we can reveal just how much impact the robot has had across a wide range of specialities. 

Addenbrooke’s three surgical robots have helped specialists carry out nearly 540 lifesaving or life-altering operations in the last 12 months. 

Importantly, the robots enabled patients to recover faster from surgery, and allowed them to go home in hours or days – rather than weeks. 

They have helped with a wide range of conditions, cut waiting lists and fuelled ambitions for a fourth robot, which would make Addenbrooke’s one of the leading surgical centres in the UK. 

The success was outlined today (5 July) – a year to the day after the Trust’s second robot was unveiled following a £1.5m fundraising campaign by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT).  

ACT CEO, Shelly Thake, said: “It is important that all those who worked so hard to raise so much money are aware of just how impactful the robots have been for patients over the last 12 months. Once again, we want to thank them for their incredible support, this would not have been possible without them.” 

The da Vinci Xi dual console surgical system has revolutionised patient care and surgical training across six specialties – urology, gynae-oncology, gynaecology, colorectal, ENT (ear, nose and throat) and HPB (Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary – diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tree). 
 

Chair of CUH Robotic Surgery Steering Group (RUG), Mr Siong-Seng Liau, said: “It has been an incredible 12 months during which we have treated hundreds of patients for a multitude of different conditions using techniques that often allow them to go home more quickly, freeing up beds for other patients who urgently need them. 

“We are looking forward to the future with great confidence and, although it may be some way off, have ambitions to acquire a fourth robot and become the leading robotic surgical centre in the UK.” 

Consultant Colorectal and Robotic Surgeon, Dr Michael Powar, said: “The robotic platform that ACT supporters fundraised for offers enhanced precision, improved visualisation and greater dexterity when we perform surgery. We are seeing this translate to better patient outcomes with more patients having less invasive procedures, reduced pain and quicker recovery after surgery.” 

The unveiling at Addenbrooke’s Treatment Centre was memorable as the robot cut its own ribbon in front of guests, coinciding with a host of other celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS. 

In addition to the £1.5 million raised by ACT supporters, we were able to use a legacy that had been left to the charity to purchase a dual console for the da Vinci Xi dual surgical system, allowing surgical trainees to gain hands-on experience of robotic-assisted surgery alongside an experienced surgeon. The legacy brought the total raised by ACT supporters overall to £2,022,270. We would like to thank those who generously supported the robot appeal over the last two years, in particular the Mark Benevolent Fund and the ALBORADA Trust. 

Our fund-raising campaign was so successful it enabled the hospital to lease a third CMR Surgical Versius robot, allowing surgical teams to add further upper gastrointestinal, benign gynaecological and colorectal specialities to the service. 

The two systems compliment Addenbrooke’s first robot, a Da Vinci Si, which was introduced over a decade ago to treat kidney, bladder, and prostate patients and was later upgraded to a Da Vinci Xi. 

The appeal ran over two years with support from the Cambridge Independent and many groups and individuals, including Addenbrooke’s surgeon, Atanu Pal, who took part in the virtual London Marathon in 2021, running a route that spelled out the word ROBOT. 
 
The Cambridgeshire Vintage Tractor Club also rallied more than 100 tractors to drive through South Cambridgeshire villages, and Frances Dewhurst challenged herself to walk up her stairs ten times a day for 100 days, in memory of her late sisters, Hilary and Charlotte.  

To find out more about fundraising for ACT, click here.

10-strong security team from Addenbrooke’s raise nearly £6,000 in charity skydive

Posted on by Danni Smith

Martyn Grass, who organised the skydive over Beccles Airfield with his colleague Mark, described the jump as “absolutely amazing,” adding: “It was so fast! We covered a mile and a half in ten seconds! The adrenaline when you land is like nothing you have felt before. We were literally all hugging at the end of it. Only one of the team was a bit off colour when they landed but all the security team were great.”

Martyn and his colleagues, who provide security across the whole of the Addenbrooke’s site, including the Accident and Emergency Department, completed the ACT challenge to raise money for young people suffering with mental health issues.

Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) is the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals, and money raised by our supporters 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.

Explaining why he wanted young people’s mental health to be the focus of their fundraising, Martyn said: “Working at the hospital is quite challenging for all the security officers dealing with paediatric mental health issues. Sometimes we have to deal with people trying to abscond, so it was important for us to try and raise money for young people with mental health issues to show our support.”

“When it comes to mental health, my saying is never look back. Always look forward. In mental health, each individual has a lot of stairs in front of them and it might be 5 to 10, or 10 to a 100, but every step will eventually get them to the top and they’ll be all right.”

Martyn was awarded a You Made a Difference Award by the hospital earlier this year praising him for the passion he puts into his work, saying: “Martyn is passionate about his role and giving the best service to patients, staff and visitors.”

The security officer, from Shepreth, was nominated for the award by a young woman who was admitted to A&E overnight in a distressed state.

“She was with a family member at the time who was very concerned about her. I sat down with her and chatted to her about her mental health and she wrote into the hospital thanking me for taking the time to speak to her. Apparently she is doing really well now.”

Apart from the skydive, Martyn’s JustGiving page – currently standing at £5,938 – is still being boosted by donations. He has organised a Prom Night Raffle for Year 11 pupils at a local secondary schools to win a ride to their prom in one of four prestige cars provided by Wallis and Son cars in Barton and A.G Motors in Papworth.

ACT’s Head of Fundraising, Donna Lee-Willis, said: “We are delighted that Martyn and his colleagues have been able to have fun while at the same time raising such an amazing amount of money for ACT that will benefit patients and staff across Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie.”

Our charity has organised an exciting selection of fundraising challenges for anyone who would like to raise funds for the hospital. Find out more here. Alternatively, supporters can organise their own events.

Click here to donate to Martyn’s JustGiving page.