Q&A
Catching up with Paul White, director of communications and impact at Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust ONE-TO-ONE
which has dedicated a special window display to ACT’s 30th birthday celebrations and, during July, will be donating £1 from every ACT cupcake sold. Jack’s Gelato has also got behind our 30th, coming up with a special flavour for July – Apple Caramel Tart (representing the letters ACT) – and donating a percentage of sales to the trust. What benefits have you seen charity fundraising bring to workplace culture? One thing all our corporates tell us is how much staff enjoy fundraising for ACT. It not only brings teams together but also brings satisfaction, being able to see first-hand the impact they’re having. Last year, Illumina funded care packs for families admitted in an emergency, and staff helped to pack and deliver them. Meanwhile, Cambridge Commodities has now raised more than half a million for us – and each year buys, wraps and delivers a present for every patient in hospital on Christmas Day. To mark its 200-year anniversary, property firm Cheffins has pledged £200,000 through events and donations, the majority of which will go towards a playroom in the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital. A lot of our corporates have also signed up for the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival on 13 September. It’s all about having fun while supporting a
Tell us about Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust… As the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) funds cutting-edge equipment and groundbreaking research, and environmental improvements for staff and patients, beyond what the NHS can provide. What impact is its work having on the community? Each year, ACT invests around half a million per month in the hospitals, and the real impact can be seen first-hand. For instance, an Addenbrooke’s MRI scanner was the first in the UK to be wrapped with nature-themed imagery. With patients less anxious, many are now having a scan on their first visit – earlier diagnoses save lives, and thousands of pounds per patient. Our £1.5 million public appeal to buy a da Vinci robotic surgical system for Addenbrooke’s, backed by the Cambridge Independent , has allowed surgeons to perform new firsts, such as a record number of gall bladder operations in a single day and a robot-assisted joint bowel and liver operation.
assault course in memory of her husband Ian, who had died eight months earlier. After recovering in Addenbrooke’s for a month, she went home to rehabilitate – and has just run this year’s London Marathon for us... even managing to give us a mention live on the BBC while being interviewed mid-run! FUNDRAISING TO SAVE LIVES The equipment bought using donations is supporting both patients and staff
How does ACT collaborate with Cambridge businesses
to further its work?
We have a good relationship with all of our corporates,
What recent success story has been touching for you? This is an easy one to answer! Liza Putwain is one of our
who have a really positive impact on hospital life through fundraising, volunteering, funding specific projects and helping out at events. This year, exciting partnerships include Cambridge bakery Fitzbillies,
amazing fundraisers. A mum of three, she broke her neck in a freak accident while running an
really worthwhile cause. act4addenbrookes.org.uk
28 | BUSINESS EDITION | ISSUE 1
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