Employees at Manchester-based insurance broker Gallagher have raised over £12,000 in the space of one year for the Alex Hulme Foundation, with every penny helping to fund a clinical research project that will ultimately result in improved cancer treatment for children over the years to come. This month’s donation of £12,396 forms part of an ongoing fundraising programme, which will see the broker continue its support throughout 2018.
The foundation is dedicated to the life of Alex Hulme, from Trafford, who sadly lost his battle with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2011. The foundation was set up in 2011 by Alex’s parents, Dave and Nicola Hulme, with the aim to fund and support the research and treatment of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in children.
As well as raising £12,000, through a series of fundraising activities, including running the Greater Manchester Marathon, and in-branch activity, such as ‘Dress-Down Fridays’, Gallagher has been able to provide more hands-on support to the charity. Team members have applied their administrative expertise and manpower to help co-ordinate and run events, notably the Annual Star Ball in 2017. Gallagher was also able to secure significant sponsorships for the ball, which has helped to raise the profile of the charity amongst local businesses and organisations in Manchester.
In addition, the Gallagher team in Manchester successfully secured extra funding for the Foundation by nominating it for Gallagher’s annual ‘Making a Difference’ awards programme. The nationwide initiative was launched to provide financial assistance to smaller, local charities, with Gallagher inviting its 50-plus offices across the UK to put forward nominations. The Alex Hulme Foundation was chosen as a finalist and was awarded £5,000, which went towards the £12,000 total.
Every penny raised by Gallagher will go directly into funding the clinical research project to investigate B-Cell NHL run by Dr Suzanne Turner. Donations and fundraising have been able to cover the costs of vital lab equipment, a lab assistant and a PhD student, all of which will ultimately result in significantly improved treatment of cancer in children for years to come.
Simon Carlon, Account Executive for Gallagher in Manchester, based on New Bailey Street, said: “As a community broker, Gallagher is extremely passionate about providing support to local charities. For us, it’s not just about raising vital funds; we want to go the extra mile by offering our practical help through volunteering and lending our expertise to the Foundation, and I’m extremely proud of the team here in Manchester for their work to date.
“We hope that our support can allow Dave and Nicola to continue with their incredible work, and the money raised will make a real difference in their quest to understand and treat Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.”
Thanking the team for their efforts, Dave Hulme, Chair of Trustees at the Alex Hulme Foundation, commented: “We want to say a huge thank you to Gallagher for its ongoing support. We have been overwhelmed with the efforts and generosity in raising funds for the foundation and we look forward to strengthening our relationship throughout 2018.”
