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TORCH
Issue 17
In this issue
PAGE 4: how a fundraising dinner is
paying for ground-breaking research
Mother and son team,Wendy and Andrew Scott, abseiled together for the ‘Heads Up’ fund
It’s A family Affair!
With one of the most wet and blustery
Junes on record, we were blessed with
a sunny Sunday for our latest charity
abseil. THE Abseil, supporting the Oxford
Cancer Centre and four other hospital causes,
had over 100 people taking part and raised a
fantastic £25,000.
Abseiling for ‘Heads Up’ was Andrew Scott,
40, who developed oral cancer in his 20s.
He tackled the 100ft hospital wall with his
mother, 69 year old Wendy Scott, to help
fund research into head and neck cancers.
Andrew said: ‘Due to the fantastic work by
the teams at the JR I survived and have been
completely clear of cancer ever since. It felt
great to do the abseil side by side with mum,
and the look on her face was really special.’
Shirley Belcher, a farmer from Benson, also
abseiled with her son, Rupert, for the Oxford
Cancer Centre. She said: ‘We have been
through a really tough time over the last
couple of years, but I had an overriding feeling
that I wanted to give something back to the
hospital that treats my husband. The fact that
it was Father’s Day made it extra special.’
‘I looked down the 100ft wall and thought,
I just can’t do this, but I knew I had to. I
thought of everything my husband Ben has
been through and all the people who have
sponsored us and thought I just can’t chicken
out. I got a real buzz from doing it and we
raised well over £2,000, so we are thrilled.’
PAGE 9: take steps to raise funds
for your favourite area of the
hospital at our annual walk
A team of Cellular Immunology scientists
came down the 100ft wall in fancy dress,
raising money for their research fund. They
were followed by A&E staff, friends and family
and the Acute General Medicine team.
Also abseiling was Horton Hospital Radio’s
Sarah McCay, a team from Oxford Rosemary
Conley Diet & Fitness, three reporters from
the Oxford Mail and a group of staff from
the Abingdon-based company Schlumberger.
Huge thanks to everyone who took part.
Our next abseil is for the Children’s Hospital
on September 23.
News for Supporters of Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds
PAGE 14: our Olympic torch
bearers light up young patients
2
Making a difference
every day…
Smiffy’s Zip!
One of the things that makes this charity so special is
that it is made up of around 600 unique funds,
covering almost every corner of our hospitals. From major campaigns
to build new facilities, to supporting individual hospital wards and
funding innovative medical research – there is something of interest
for everyone. The money you raise and donate is put to great use in
your local hospitals, making a difference every day.
‘Smiffy’, a.k.a. Paul Smith from
Gloucestershire, rowed the equivalent
of the English Channel and back at
his local leisure centre. He called the
event Smiffy’s Zip to mark the scar
from his heart surgery in 2010, and
raised £675 for the Oxford Heart
Centre. He said: ‘I was treated with
the highest level of care. I will always
be so grateful.’
So in this edition of TORCH magazine we are celebrating many of
these causes and the incredible ways you all go the extra mile to
support and fundraise for them.
On page 4 you can read about the ground-breaking work of the
Cleft Lip and Palate Research Fund, where a project is looking at
bonding between babies and their parents. The work of the head
and neck cancer research fund, ‘Heads Up’, which has just reached a
pivotal point, is featured on page 13. Your enthusiasm and support
allows us to go so much further than the NHS can alone, and put
simply, without you, much of this great work couldn’t continue.
Carnival couple –
doing it for Lewis!
One of the easiest ways you can support your chosen hospital area
is to become a regular donor, using the form on the back of this
magazine or online at www.justgiving.com/oxfordradcliffe.
A few pounds every month to the cause that’s close to your heart
will make a real difference over time. Or perhaps you would even
consider leaving a gift in your will? If you would like to discuss how
to do this call Janet on 01865 743443.
You could also sign up for October’s ‘It’s Not Just
a Walk in the Park’, which this year allows all
participants to raise funds for whichever of our
hospital causes they wish. A few miles and a
little sponsorship goes a long way when several
hundred people take part together. Read more
about it on page 9 or visit
www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity
Oxford Ra
dcliffe Hos
pitals Char
ting your
local hospita
l causes
3 mile spon
Oxford Unisored walk around
Sunday 21 versity Parks on
st Octobe
r, 2012
Or why not buy some of our Christmas cards?
Again you can choose whatever area of the
hospital you would most like to benefit. Call
01865 743444 to order your supplies.
Thank you for caring about all these hospital causes and for making a
difference to the thousands of people, young and old, that we treat.
The Fundraising Team
itable Fund
It’s Not Ju
Walk in th st a
e Park !
suppor
s
Steve and Amanda Hobbs raised £270
for Kamran’s Ward, that treats their
four year old son Lewis, by collecting
at their local Milton Keynes carnival.
The couple have also rallied friends
and family to enter a team for our
September 23rd abseil.
Chosen by YOU
Given by ASDA
The Delivery Suite at the JR’s Maternity
Unit was the runaway winner at
Wheatley ASDA’s charity token
scheme. The Unit was nominated by
a customer and was so popular, the
box had to be emptied twice during
the voting period, raising £200!
Remember, we have a team de
3
Fundraisers’ News
Thank you to all our fundraisers whose energy, enthusiasm and imagination continues to inspire. Please tell us
about your fundraising and we will try to include your picture. Email sarah.vaccari@ouh.nhs.uk or call 01865 743428
BRA-vo!
Flying high for Children’s Hospital
Members of the RAF Brize Norton 10 Squadron have chosen the Oxford Children’s
Hospital as their charity of the year. They’ve visited the hospital, entered the OX5
RUN and organised lots of fundraising events at the base, and still hope to do more!
Consultant plastic surgeon, Jeremy
Birch, took part in the Blenheim
triathlon in June, raising over £700
for one of our latest causes at the
charity. BRA (Breast Reconstruction
Awareness) has recently been set up
to support women facing surgery for
breast cancer. Jeremy says:‘The group
aims to demystify the operation and
offer reassurance and support to
women facing this big operation.’
Carnival capers for
Eye Hospital
Marianne Weaver and her 18 month old
son Riley present a cheque to Mr Elston
at the Oxford Eye Hospital, after students
at the Elite Dance School in Bicester made
donations to appear on a float at the
Bicester Carnival. Riley has been a regular
patient since birth and his mum wanted to
do something to say thank you.
Steaming ahead for
Intensive care
Roaring success
Riding route 101
15 firefighters and friends from
Didcot have completed a 101 mile
bike ride around Oxfordshire raising
over £2,500 for Silver Star. Alan
Bertram said: ‘We wanted to support a
When Pete Gransden was involved
in an accident at the Didcot Steam
Railway Centre, the air ambulance
took him to the John Radcliffe’s
Intensive Care Unit to treat his
serious injuries. Now that he is back
volunteering on the trains, Pete
nominated the two organisations that
helped him to receive the proceeds
of a Didcot Steam Aid charity event.
local cause close to all of us. We chose the
Silver Star Unit as a few of us and our friends
have been so dependent on the unit that we
wanted to repay it in some way.’
Carterton Lions have raised £1,125
for the Prostate Cancer Department
at the Churchill Hospital, to help fund
a nurse-led active surveillance clinic.
Several of their members have firsthand experience of prostate cancer
and they wanted to support a local
cause. We thank you all.
edicated to helping your fundraising efforts. Call us on 01865 743444 or visit www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity
4
In‘Spire’ing News…
Tim Goodacre, Alison Simms, Steve Robinson,
Sonia Popat, Sandip Popat
How a Spires fundraising dinner is helping to fund research
that could make a difference to the hundreds of children
born with a cleft lip and palate in the UK every year.
Last year Dr Sandip Popat
(pictured top right), a consultant
at the Spires Cleft Lip and Palate
Centre in Oxford, organised a
fundraising dinner at the Michelin
starred Nut Tree restaurant. Aided
by his wife Sonia, the evening
included a charity auction and a
moving performance from Melanie
Spencer, a 22 year old former
patient, who had once been told
she would never speak.
Thanks to the generosity of
the guests, sponsors and the
restaurant itself, the dinner raised
over £30,000! And that money
is already being put to great use,
helping to fund a ground breaking
research project.
Every year in the UK one in 700
babies is born with a cleft lip and /
or palate – the most common facial
birth defect in the UK. Most children
will go through a series of operations
to restore the lip and palate area, but
a new research project is showing
how the reactions of parents to their
child in these early days could also
make a real difference to their future.
Lynne Murray, Research Professor in
Developmental Psychology explains:
‘When a baby has a cleft lip, parents
can find it more difficult to recognise
their infant’s expressions and social
cues. Hence early interactions with
their baby can show less positive
mutual gaze and engagement. This
appears to be significant for the
infant’s development, with lower
cognitive scores in later infancy and
childhood.’
Until now, there has been no
research into how these difficult
patterns of interaction develop.
However, with the recent financial
support provided, researchers at the
Universities of Reading and Oxford
have started to investigate this issue.
‘Observations have been carried
out with newborn babies and their
mothers over a period of ten weeks,
comparing mother’s interactions
where the baby is healthy with those
where the baby has a cleft lip. Each
time the mother is filmed with her
baby and asked to wear eye tracking
glasses that allow the researchers to
see exactly where she is looking. The
eye tracking records and videos are
now being analysed in fine detail, to
understand the specific difficulties
experienced in the context of infant
cleft lip.’
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK: search ‘Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds’
5
This early research
will lead to a trial
starting in the autumn
to explore whether
video-feedback for
parents may help
them understand their
infant’s expressions and
communication better,
and lead to improved
social engagement
from the outset.
One of the mothers who has taken part in the initial
research, Catherine Stephenson, explained: ‘When we
discovered that our baby daughter Evie had a cleft lip,
we experienced a wide range of emotions. One of the
concerns that I had was whether the cleft would affect my
relationship with her, or how we bonded.’
‘We received fantastic support from the Spires team, and
when they mentioned the study we were happy to join.
We realised how important it was to provide knowledge
and help other families in the same situation in the future.’
Sandip Popat said: ‘It is fantastic that all our hard work
organising the dinner, the tremendous support from local
companies and the enthusiasm of all those who came to
the event is already paying off. I am sure that this research
will help new parents and health professionals become
more aware that these early days with their babies are so
important, and can make a real difference for the future
of children with cleft lip and palate.’
WITNEY
For shopping, eating and leisure
Marriotts Walk, Witney
is the place to visit!
• Debenhams Desire
• Marks & Spencer • Phase Eight
• Dorothy Perkins • Crew Clothing
• Fresh Cards & Gifts
• Monsoon Accessorize • Wallis
• Café Rouge • Frankie & Benny’s
• New Look • Café Nero
• Cineworld – 5-screen cinema
• Fat Face
• Whittards of Chelsea
• For competitions and up to date
information please visit our website
www.marriottswalk.co.uk
The Fund was also boosted by Chairman of Cherwell District Council, Tim Hallchurch,
who donated half the funds from the Council’s annual charity dinner
info@marriottswalk.co.uk
Tel: 01993 704262
6
Children’s Hospital…
Stars come out for
Children’s Hospital Concert
The Dorchester Abbey Christmas Concerts for
the Children’s Hospital have become an important fixture
in the social calendar. These star-studded events have
raised over £150,000 in recent years, paying for exceptional
equipment that makes a difference to so many of our young
patients.
The dedicated organising committee have once again
created a fabulous evening of enter tainment, with
Winchester Cathedral Choir performing, and readings
by Wendy Craig, Hannah Gordon, Michael Palin and Sir
Tim Rice.
Children’s Fundraiser, Penny Hambridge said : ‘The
Dorchester concerts are exceptional events that have raised
huge sums for the Children’s Hospital. We know that the
organising committee work tirelessly to put them together
and are hugely grateful for their tremendous support.’
The concert takes place on Thursday 6 December
at 7.30pm and tickets will be available from
1st October at a cost of £25, £50, £75. Please
remember that all previous concerts have sold out,
so to reserve your seat call 01865 743444.
Le Manoir sign up for Abseil
Emma Tomlin who works in human resources at Le Manoir
explained: ‘We were all moved when we met the youngsters
from the hospital and have seen how enthusiastic Monsieur
Blanc is about the hospital. We are all a bit nervous but
having met the children we have a huge motivation to
complete the challenge.’
Raymond Blanc – who is hoping to cheer the staff on at
the event – said: ‘I’m so proud of my team participating
for such a worthy cause that has been close to my heart
for many years.’
A team of staff from Oxfordshire’s Le Manoir aux
Quat’Saisons has signed up for our latest abseil in
support of the Oxford Children’s Hospital.
The twelve colleagues were inspired when Raymond
Blanc invited a group of young patients from the hospital
for a day at Le Manoir in the summer. The children were
given a private tour of the gardens and kitchens by the
famous Chef and allowed to try some of the delicacies
the restaurant is renowned for.
Many of those taking part in this important event are
parents of children treated at the hospital. A team of
28 family and friends will be abseiling in memory of
William James Radley who lost his battle with a series of
severe medical issues aged just five months. His parents,
Emma and Steven have already raised thousands for
the neonatal department, and said: ‘the fantastic team
enabled William to have a chance of life and for that we
will always be eternally grateful.’
The abseil is on Sunday September 23rd and there
are still places available. If you would like to take part please
call 01865 743444 or visit www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity
YOU can donate £1 to £10 to the Children’s Hospital by texting CHOX12 to 70070
7
Amelia’s marvellous
skootathlon
They played and they gave
The invincible trio of Andrew Baker, Dale Harris and Theresa
Strike reunited this summer to organise another Play2Give
football tournament and fun day for the Children’s Hospital. The
event, held at Oxford City Football Club, in the shadow of the
hospital itself – was attended by 180 children who were thrilled
to meet Oxford United professional players and gave their all
in the competitive tournament. The winning team was Florence
Park and with the children’s entry fees, sponsorship and
proceeds from a fantastic raffle the event raised nearly £5,000.
Huge thanks to all those who worked so hard, including
all the volunteers, JACK fm, the Oxford Mail, both Oxford
United and Oxford City football clubs, and of course all the
children who took part.
Amelia Sherratt has had more than
10 operations and procedures to help
her fight a condition known as idiopathic
intracranial hypertension, which means
increased fluid pressure on the brain. But
this isn’t holding the eight year old back.
This summer she organised a sponsored
‘skootathlon’ – a skoot, bike ride and
run – with five of her Western House
Primary School pupil friends. The group
raised £1,100 for Robin’s Ward at Oxford
Children’s Hospital, where she has been
treated for the last four years.
Amelia said: ‘It feels awesome to raise this
much money for Robin’s Ward. It was really fun
doing the event with all my friends.’
Great Golf Day
Wind and rain didn’t stop 80 dedicated golfers
taking to the course at Studley Wood this June.
The organisers, Dan Hancocks and Anthony Surley, have
both had their sons treated here, so were delighted that
their efforts helped to raise over £9,500 for the Children’s
Hospital and Newborn Care Unit.
The event, which was also organised by Nathan Swift,
included a raffle, auction and dinner as well as the
all-important golf.
Dan and Anthony said: ‘We have both found it very hard
to find any way of saying more than just ‘thank you’ to the
amazing doctors and nurses that have cared for not only
Jack and Oliver, but also our families too.’
‘Helping organise the golf day was our way of giving back
to the Children’s Hospital and all the people who touched
our lives, and continue to do so going forward, whilst Jack
and Oliver were in hospital.’
8
Silver Stars…
The Silver Star Fund supports the unit that cares for seriously ill
expectant mothers and their unborn babies.
Silver Star in the spotlight: Emma’s story
For any couple longing to be parents, the grief
of losing a child can be near impossible to
overcome. But having to go through the birth
of your first child, knowing he has already
died, will be a tragedy that stays with Emma
Bond, from Banbury for the rest of her life.
Emma was 35 weeks pregnant with her son by partner
Jonathan Pollard, when the couple were told that their
son had passed away. Emma had suffered a placental
abruption caused by severe pre-eclampsia – a condition
she had been unaware she had until she was taken to the
Horton General Hospital. She said: ‘We were so excited
and looking forward to having a baby. We’d been so
careful throughout the pregnancy and thought we were
past the dangerous part.’
‘I’d had swollen hands and feet throughout the pregnancy.
But then my face started to swell, which is much more
unusual. Then at 35 weeks pregnant my partner Jonathan
and I received the most devastating news that our unborn
baby had passed away.’
As if the news was not enough, Emma was then left
fighting for her own life as the pre-eclampsia threatened
her with potentially fatal blood poisoning.
After being transferred from Banbury to the unit for
high-risk pregnancies at the John Radcliffe Hospital, her
partner, Jonathan explained: ‘The expert care that the
doctors and midwives gave us couldn’t have been better.
I was able to be at Emma’s bedside the whole time whilst
we were at the JR.’
The couple are backing the Silver Star fundraising drive
to ‘decode pre-eclampsia’ and Jonathan’s 35-year-old
brother Simon, gave the fundraising a tremendous boost
by cycling the 950-miles from John O’Groats to Land’s
End and raising an incredible £15,000!
Emma said: ‘During the most tragic time of our lives,
the care and support myself and Jonathan received from
the Silver Star Unit was second to none. Words cannot
describe how grateful I feel.’
Jonathan added: ‘I wouldn’t want what Emma and I have
been through to be endured by any other couple. By
raising money for the appeal, researchers can hopefully
find out more about pre-eclampsia so the condition can
be cured or managed.’
Family and friends are planning further fundraising efforts
including a 24-mile sponsored swim and Emma and the
couple are delighted to announce that Emma is pregnant
again and being looked after by the Silver Star Ward.
follow us on twitter to get the latest news: @OxHospCharity
9
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10
Raising funds for
the Oxford Heart Centre
What a night!
Andrew House writes: Thanks to the overwhelming
generosity of our supporters we ran a successful dinner in
aid of the Oxford Heartfelt Appeal.
A huge thank you to our speakers, guests and all those
who contributed to the success of the evening.
We auctioned and raffled a wonderful range of prizes: from
afternoon tea at the Chocolate Theatre Café to a fine art
print of the Beatles Sergeant Pepper’s album cover signed
both by the artist, Sir Peter Blake, and the ‘Fifth Beatle’,
Sir George Martin.’
‘Over £24,000 was raised on the night and we are
following up some useful leads which could result in some
further significant support for the Heartfelt Appeal. The
Appeal is focussed on raising funds to create a world-class
Echocardiography Unit for the Heart Centre at the JR.
Due to a significant increase in the number of patients and
the complexity of their disease, the need for advanced
echocardiography is pressing.’
Profe
stopher B ssor Adrian Ban
nin
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the evenin g and
g’s event
Sir Chri
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Andrew House, with Ga
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who went on to be the Qu
stunt double at the
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‘The immediate goal is to fund and equip a clinical centre
with new facilities for two high-end echo machines. This will
benefit patients and support existing University research.
The new unit will also identify those who are at risk of heart
disease, and decipher how and why it develops. The ultimate
goals are to prevent disease as well as find targets for new
treatments or cures.’
With £600,000 left to raise we are looking for anyone
who can help close the appeal – so please contact Andrew
House on 01865 743427 or andrew.house@ouh.nhs.uk
if you or someone you know might be able to help.
If you would like to become a regular donor to the
Heartfelt Appeal, or any of our other funds, please use the
form at the back of this magazine and post it to the
address shown or set up a direct debit online through
www.justgiving.com/oxfordradcliffe
Andrew
Silver
and frien
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YOU can donate £1 to £10 to the Heart Centre Campaign by texting OXHC12 to 70070
11
Blowing a trumpet
for the Heartfelt Appeal
Heart Centre supporter and former
patient, Kenneth Membury, has organised
A mass brass band
concert
on Sunday 28th October at 7pm
rate
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nd Viv
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…and over
£24,000 raised
75 musicians from the Oxford
and Witney area will perform marches,
show tunes, solos, popular classics,
and Proms favourites.
The concert will take place at
Tingewick Hall
on the John Radcliffe site, Oxford
Tickets cost £5 and will be available
on the door or can be pre-ordered
by calling 01865 771347
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12
Cancer causes
Darbys did it !
Local law firm raises over £50,000 for Oxford Cancer Centre
Darbys Solicitors raised over £50,000 to help
make life more comfortable for patients at
the Oxford Cancer Centre. The Oxford firm has
spent three years raising the impressive sum, with staff
organising dances, walks, abseils and most recently a
bike ride from Oxford to Paris, to fund a garden at
the cancer centre, used by patients to escape from the
more clinical side of hospital life. The money has also
helped to buy additional medical equipment at the
hospital.
Paul Lowe, Operations Director at the firm explained:
‘We have beavered away raising this money. We knew
it was a hugely ambitious target to raise £50,000, and
it probably hasn’t been the easiest economic climate
to do it in. But we never gave up and are absolutely
delighted to have actually exceeded our target.’
‘We raised around half the money through a 260 mile
bike ride from Oxford to Paris. Around 40 staff with
friends and family took part and the whole event gave
the team a real buzz. Bar a few punctures and a couple
of people getting lost, there were no major mishaps
and the whole event brought staff together and created
a real camaraderie.’
Jenny Harvey, a partner at the firm who is in charge
of corporate social responsibility, added. ‘I think it is
really important for local firms to play their part in their
community and this was a wonderful way for us to do
just that. We are all really proud to live and work in
Oxford and this was our way of giving something back.
Cancer affects so many people of all ages, and for many
of us this was quite a personal cause, as we have had
friends and family treated here.’
YOU can donate £1 to £10 to the Cancer Care Campaign by texting OXCC12 to 70070
13
Stuart’s Story
HEADS UP
Heads Up, the fund
created to research
head and neck cancer,
has successfully
achieved its initial
goal of funding Oxford
University’s first
research project into
head and neck cancer.
On the back of the Head’s Up seed funding over the
last five years, Dr Stephan Feller’s research group
has attracted major funding from a number of large
research bodies, including the European Union. This
is a huge achievement, and testament to the success
of both Dr Feller’s work and your generosity, raising
an astonishing £500K for the cause.
Given that head and neck cancer is relatively rare and
our current knowledge base is small, further research
into the disease is still much needed. Dr Feller has
already identified potential targets for new projects
and the Heads Up team is investigating where these
can be taken. We’ll keep you posted.
Graham Brogden, Head of Community Fundraising
at the hospital said: ‘We are so grateful to everyone
at Darbys for their continued support of the Cancer
Centre. It makes such a difference to the thousands of
patients who use the hospital every year. To raise such
a huge sum of money for such a great local cause is
nothing short of inspirational.’
“
“
We are thrilled to have raised
such an impressive sum and
I am really proud of what the
team have achieved.
In 2005 Stuart Gray was given the news
that nobody ever wants to hear, he had
cancer. He said:
‘My world fell apart on the spot and all I could think about
was how unjust this was for my children. At that stage I was
very frightened, thinking everybody died of cancer; I carried
some terribly dark thoughts for some time.’
Stuart underwent surgery to remove part of his
sinus, followed by a very nauseating six-week course
of radiotherapy. Five years later a second tumour
was found and he underwent a 12-hour operation
to completely remove his sinus, his eye and half the
palate in the roof of his mouth, replacing the area
with a large piece of tissue from his leg.
Stuart said: ‘My main objective then was to make a fast
recovery in order to keep my promise to the children
that I would be home for Christmas. I have made a good
recovery, thanks to the incredible work by the teams at
the John Radcliffe and Royal Berkshire Hospitals and I am
very, very grateful to them.’
To thank the staff that treated him, Stuart walked the
entire length of the Thames. The 200-mile charity
walk started at the Thames Head, near Kemble,
Gloucestershire and finished at the Thames Estuary
at Crayford Ness in Kent, raising over £8,000.
Commenting on his walk Stuart said: ‘There are many
cancer charities I could have raised money for, however,
few invest heavily in research in head and neck cancers
and much research still needs to be done in this area. I
am delighted to have raised so much money to further
this important area of research.’
14
t fu
Staf f had grea
n holding the
torch
utpatient s
Children in O
loved seeing
the Torch too
Torch Bearers in the spotlight
16-year-old Ben Fox has been a patient at the
Oxford Children’s Hospital since birth. The
teenager has a rare condition called Vater
Syndrome and was born with one leg. But this
hasn’t stopped Ben from leading an incredibly
active life; he is currently training to be a PE
teacher and is a top wheelchair basketball
athlete with aspirations to compete in the 2016
Olympics.
On a trip to the Children’s Hospital to show staff
and patients the torch he carried in Royal Wootton
Bassett, Ben said: ‘Words can’t describe my Olympic
Torch experience. I was so nervous and excited about
it, and couldn’t believe it when the crowd cheered me
on so crazily. It’s fantastic to be able to bring the torch
back here to the hospital and show it to some of the
staff and other patients. It’s been a really special day.’
Ben’s dad, Andy, added: ‘If it hadn’t been for the
people at Oxford, we wouldn’t have Ben – it’s as
simple as that. Some of the staff have known him since
day one. So bringing the torch along today has been
really wonderful.’
Michael Spicer brought his torch in
Ben became a media sensation when he ran with the
torch, and he wasn’t the only person connected to
our hospital to have a moment in the spotlight.
The ever popular Simon Cruden – who volunteers for
over 50 hours every month at the Children’s Hospital
– was trailed by Korean TV throughout his Olympic
torch day. 31-year-old Simon, who is registered blind
following a brain tumour he had as a child, carried
the torch in Bicester, but started his day with the
Korean equivalent of the BBC interviewing him over
his cornflakes. They then travelled with him, by bus, to
the Children’s Hospital and filmed him doing balloon
modelling and magic tricks, before capturing his joy at
carrying the torch in front of an ecstatic crowd that
included many friends, family and hospital staff.
15-year-old Kamran’s Ward patient, Amie Ing who
carried the torch in Bicester and fellow Children’s
Hospital patient Ollie Cartwright, born with a rare
genetic condition known as Pfeiffer Syndrome,
both spoke to their local papers about the amazing
experience.
Ben Fox toured the Children’s Hospital
Joe Robinson ran with torch in Theale
YOU can donate to support causes across our hospitals by texting GIVE19 to 70070
15
Torch-lite:
News in brief from around the Trust
Heart consultant,
Tim Betts, graced
the front page of
the Oxford Mail
and two other
front page stars
were Abingdon’s
Margaret Brown,
who has raised
thousands for breast
cancer causes at
the Oxford Cancer
Centre and helps to
ensure that deaf patients get the care they need, and 21
year old Joe Robinson. Joe Robinson thanked nursing
staff at the John Radcliffe, who saved his life following a
devastating car crash saying: ‘Without them, I wouldn’t
have been able to carry the torch today.’
Michael Spicer, father of Jake who lost his battle with
cancer aged 15, ran through the Mini plant in Oxford
with his torch. Michael also brought his torch in to the
Children’s Hospital and even left it there for several
days so as many children as possible could see it.
And famous chef Raymond Blanc, who has been a great
supporter of the Children’s Hospital in recent years, ran
with the torch in Wallingford, cheered on by 10,000 local
people.
Do you know a member of NHS Staff who has gone the extra
mile? Would you like them to be recognised for their dedication?
NHS Heroes is a brand new national recognition scheme where
members of the public, patients and staff can nominate NHS
staff to receive a recognition certificate for their good work.
For further information please visit www.nhsheroes.com
Go on – get nominating!
To make our hospitals more pleasant and calming environments
for patients, a series of musical concerts has taken place in
wards and waiting rooms across the John Radcliffe. Gentle
harp music was performed live as well as concerts from Oxford
Philomusica trio. It is hoped this pilot programme can be rolled
out to become a regular feature and we are looking for a local
volunteer who can spare a few hours a month to help. Contact
Ruth on ruth.charity@ouh.nhs.uk or 01865 222509
We have lots of amazing fundraising taking place in
late August and September – from climbing Mont Blanc,
to walking and cycling hundreds of miles. We wish everyone
taking part in these amazing events the very best of luck! Read
about them in the next edition of TORCH.
Our hospital Trust is aiming to become a Foundation
Trust and you can help in this mission. We need 7,000 to
become ‘members’ to help us steer the Trust forward. To
become a member email ouhmembers@ouh.nhs.uk or call
01865 743491
If social media is your thing you can keep up to date with
what we are up to through facebook and Twitter. For Facebook
search under Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds and
for Twitter use @OxHospCharity
Come to the Trust’s annual AGM at Oxford Town Hall on
27 September at 6pm.
Wonderland Walk
Seven-year-old Lara Foster, pictured with her parents and paediatric
oncology support worker, Kate Barber, wants you to join her on a
fundraising walk to help children with cancer this September.
Lara was diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukaemia in March this year and is
keen to help Kamran’s Ward where she is treated. She has encouraged some
of her school friends to take part in the walk too.
The stroll, round the grounds of the JR, takes place on September 21st
between 11am and 1.30pm. You can sign up on the day or in advance at
www.emilysbigwalk.org.uk The walk will have an Alice in Wonderland theme
and several local Olympic torch bearers attending, including Michael Spicer,
patient Amie Ing and volunteer Simon Cruden.
WHAT’S ON: For details of all events go to www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity or call 01865 743444
2012: Friday 21 September – Emily’s Walk for Kamran’s
Ward. Join an Alice in Wonderland themed walk and Mad Hatter’s
Tea Party at the John Radcliffe, raising funds for Kamran’s Ward. To
take part come along between 11am and 1.30pm on the day or visit
www.emilysbigwalk.org.uk/event-dates/oxford
Thursday 6 December – Dorchester Abbey Christmas
Concert. A wonderful festive concert with the Winchester Cathedral
Choir performing and readings from Wendy Craig, Hannah Gordon,
Michael Palin and Sir Tim Rice. Call 01865 743444 to book tickets.
2013: Coming soon – The Oxford Mail
OX5 RUN. Our annual Children’s Hospital fun
run will take place at Blenheim Palace in the Spring.
Look out for details coming soon.
Sunday 23 September – Children’s Hospital Abseil
Abseil 100ft down the side of the Women’s Centre at the JR in
support of children’s causes across all our hospitals. This is one of
our biggest Children’s Hospital fundraisers of the year and
we would love you to take part. Tel 01865 743444 or email
penny.hambridge@ouh.nhs.uk
Sunday 12 May – The Abseil
Our annual abseils for causes across the Trust.
Sunday 14 October – Oxford half marathon
You can run in support of any of our hospital causes. Enter at
www.oxfordhalfmarathon.co.uk and set up a fundraising page at
www.justgiving.com/oxfordradcliffe
Follow us on
Sunday 21 October – It’s Not Just a Walk in the Park
A gentle three mile walk around Oxford University Parks, supporting
causes across the hospital – you choose the area you wish to walk for.
Sign up at www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity or call 01865 743444
e: charity@ouh.nhs.uk or t: 01865 743444
www.ouh.nhs.uk/charity
Find us on
search under
‘Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds’
to get the latest news @OxHospCharity
✃
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