After 24 years of tireless fundraising, the Cambridge Fundraising Committee recently reached an incredible milestone, raising over £1million in support of The Sick Children’s Trust.
Since 2000, the Cambridge Fundraising Committee has diligently fundraised for our Cambridge ‘Homes from Home’, which support families with a sick child being treated at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and The Rosie Hospital.
The Committee, which regularly hosts celebrity lunches, evening lectures, afternoon tea parties, garden tours, concerts and more, was formed by Patsy Glazebrook in 1999 to raise money for the charity’s first ‘Home from Home’ in Cambridge. Acorn House was opened a year later by stage and screen legend Michael Crawford CBE, who has been President of The Sick Children’s Trust since 1987.
Patsy Glazebrook (right) with The Sick Children’s Trust CEO Jane Featherstone (left) and charity Trustee Peter Cunard.
In 2012, the charity opened a second ‘Home from Home’ in Cambridge, with Chestnut House supporting families with a child on the neonatal ward at The Rosie. Thanks largely to the Committee’s remarkable fundraising efforts, the two Cambridge ‘Homes from Home’ have now supported 11,900 families.
To celebrate the Committee reaching their astonishing £1million milestone, a special luncheon in their honour was organised in central London at 30 St Mary Axe, the building affectionately known as ‘The Gherkin’.
Speaking about the Cambridge Fundraising Committee’s wonderful contribution to the charity, Jane Featherstone, Chief Executive of The Sick Children’s Trust, said:
“Ever since Patsy formed the Cambridge Fundraising Committee some 24 years ago, they have been the most wonderful champions of The Sick Children’s Trust, fully embracing the role our ‘Homes from Home’ play in supporting families with a seriously ill child being treated at Addenbrooke’s and The Rosie hospitals. To reach £1million in funds raised for us is simply astonishing, and we will be forever grateful to them for everything they have done and continue to do for us.
“We never underestimate just how much time and effort goes into planning their numerous events, talks and tours, and want to say a massive thank you to Patsy and Committee members past and present who have worked extremely hard to raise the funds we need to keep these wonderful ‘Homes from Homes’ open so they can serve families at their time of need for many years to come.”
With charity trustees and staff present, the Cambridge Fundraising Committee were given a first-hand account of how their fundraising supports families, with dad James Eddleston speaking about his stay at Chestnut House following his premature son Jude’s transfer from Chelmsford to The Rosie earlier this year. Offering his thanks to the Committee, James described the Chestnut House ‘Home from Home’ as a “vital lifeline” and that he “could not be more thankful for the support of The Sick Children’s Trust” during that time.
Cambridge Fundraising Committee founder Patsy Glazebrook, who earlier this year became a Dame of the Order of St George the Martyr in recognition of her fundraising efforts, said:
“I was asked to set up a Fundraising Committee for The Sick Children’s Trust Charity in 1999, which is when permission was given to build Acorn House on the Addenbrooke’s Hospital site. Since then and with the help of a very motivated Committee, I have organised over 340 fundraising events. Everyone on our Committee is incredibly motivated to run these events because we know that every penny we raise is going to a very good cause.
“I’m delighted to say that we have now raised over £1,030,000, providing funds to maintain Acorn House and Chestnut House so that they can continue supporting families with a seriously ill child in the best possible way. If people would like to know more about what we do or the events we are running, I’d encourage them to email us on sctcambridge@gmail.com.”
Members of the Cambridge Fundraising Committee on their special day at ‘The Gherkin’.