With a jam-packed calendar of events coming up this year, we’re pleased to announce our new charity partners for 2019.
Stacey Muir, Marketing Executive at Brindley, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be able to support such fantastic local causes. Every year, we’re blown away by the generosity of the Brindley community and general public. We raised over £60,000 last year and hope that with this continued support we can raise even more in 2019.”
The Family Festival, taking place on Saturday 15th June, will include the ever popular Dragonboat Race sponsored by Deutsche Bank, raising funds for Cure Leukaemia for the fifth year running.
Cure Leukaemia helps finance the internationally renowned Centre for Clinical Haematology (CCH) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, to fund life-saving clinical trials to treat patients with blood cancer who have exhausted standard treatment options. Funds raised from the Brindley Dragonboat Race have directly supported the CCH allowing a £3.4m expansion of the centre to take place in 2017. It’s now over 12 months since the centre re-opened and the improvements have seen annual patient treatments increase from 10,000 to 19,000, 10 new clinical trials opened, average chemotherapy waiting times reduced from 3 hours to 30 minutes and 1000 bed days saved, saving over £1m for the NHS.
Jackie Kelly, head of corporate partnerships at Cure Leukaemia, said: “These figures emphasise the impact this great Birmingham event has had on blood cancer patients in this region. It is not just patients but also staff that benefit and once again nurses from the CCH will be taking part in the Dragonboat Race in June. I hope that businesses sign up and take part in this event because their fundraising will have a direct, life-saving impact.”
This year’s outdoor Film Festival will be drawing the crowds to Central Square once again from Monday 15th to Sunday 21st July. Charity partner Sense will be fundraising throughout the week long event, hosting various activities across the estate.
Sense is a national charity supporting children and adults who are deafblind or have complex disabilities. Its Touchbase Centre in Birmingham brings health and social care services together with wider community, arts, sports and wellbeing activities – and helps deafblind people to access employment, volunteering and training opportunities.
Carl Williams, community fundraising officer at Sense, commented: “We are thrilled to be Brindley’s chosen charity partner for this year’s Film Festival. As a charity offering so much support to deafblind people throughout Birmingham and the West Midlands, this partnership will help us to raise much needed awareness of our work in the region. It’s an incredible opportunity and we are looking forward to a successful year.”
Last but not least, the inaugural Brindley Food Festival will be making its debut in Central Square on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th September, bringing a host of tasty treats to the estate to support Ronald McDonald House. This fantastic charity provides free home away from home accommodation for families of children receiving treatment at specialist children’s hospitals.
Natalie Wood, corporate fundraiser, adds: “This year sees Ronald McDonald House Charities celebrate 30 years in the UK and also sees us mark the 10th anniversary of our Birmingham House. We are delighted that Brindley have chosen to help us commemorate these very special occasions by making us their charity for the 2019 Food Festival. As an independent charity we are heavily reliant on the generosity of the local community to fund our Houses, and this partnership will raise vital funds to help us ensure we can continue to support families when they need it most.”
