The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust has received an incredible donation of £93,000 to help support families affected by retinoblastoma (Rb).
The grant, which will be awarded over two years, was donated by Global’s Make Some Noise, after we were chosen as one of their beneficiary charities last year.
It will help pay for us to have staff based at the two specialist centres for Rb in the UK – Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Royal London Hospital – to support families from the moment their child is diagnosed, throughout treatment and beyond. It will also help to fund our members’ days, to give families the chance to meet others affected by Rb.
It marks the culmination of an amazing year working with Global’s Make Some Noise, which is the official charity of Global, the media and entertainment group. The charity unites some of the UK’s best-loved radio stations – Heart, Capital, LBC, Classic FM, Smooth, Radio X, Capital XTRA and Gold – to raise money and give a voice to smaller charities across the UK.
Highlights included:
- Heart FM London breakfast presenters Jamie Theakston and Emma Bunton hosting one of our ambassadors, 16-year-old Theo Sergiou.
- Classic FM presenter John Suchet, who interviewed dad Graham Northfield about his family’s experience with Rb and our Chief Executive Patrick Tonks.
- Heart FM West Midlands presenter Gemma Hill, who took part in an extraordinary 150 mile kayak from London to Birmingham.
Patrick Tonks, Chief Executive of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, said: “We’ve had an absolutely incredible year working with Global’s Make Some Noise team. The support we have received has been astounding and will make a huge difference to the families that we help. It has been an honour and a privilege to be a part of this amazing campaign.”
Patrick added: “In addition to this incredible donation of £93,000, which will play a valuable role in helping us to support families over the next two years, this partnership has given us some amazing opportunities to raise vital awareness of Rb and for our families to be heard.
“We would like to thank all of our families who got involved and of course everyone who donated to this special cause.”