Category: Charity

World Mental Health Day fundraising

To mark the World Mental Health Day on Monday October 10, Federica Amati and Pirkko Carmack organised a charity cake sale on Wednesday 12 October at 12.00 in our seminar room, to raise money for Mind mental health charity. We managed to raise £151.60 which was a great result.

It was also a very sweet start to our departmental meeting for a great cause, and also an occasion to remember to look after our own mental health.

We also reminded to Take 10 Minutes and focus on the importance of Mental Health.

CRUK Imperial Centre October update

Blog picThe Great Centre Bake Off

The CRUK Imperial Centre has been hosting a series of bake sales, with teams competing to raise the most money for their chosen charity.

Five teams of researchers and College staff have baked so far, raising an incredible £700 for charities including Cancer Research UK and The Cancer Treatment and Research Trust

We’ve seen some fantastic bakes that would make Mary Berry proud; including chromosome cupcakes and an entire lab cake! These science cakes will be entered into the national CRUK Centre Great Science Cake Off.

The winner of the Centre bake off and science cake off will be announced later this month.

 

Butterfly project at Clinic 8

Imp FringeCancer Research UK has commissioned an art installation in an out-patient clinic at Charring Cross Hospital as part of renovation work.

The art installation will include ceramic butterflies and flowers demonstrating the symbiotic relationship between research and care, whereby patients receive care while simultaneously giving back to scientific research, allowing us to find newer and kinder treatments.

These pieces designed by artist David Marques will create a beautiful meadow, transforming the space for patients.

The butterflies, which each represent a patient coming to the clinic, fly over a healing meadow of flowers of different colours and patterns. These flowers represent the various treatment modalities and people patients meet on their care journey.

A selection of the ceramic pieces was displayed at the Imperial Design Fringe, and the public got the chance to do their own designs that may go on to be adapted by the artist for his work. The pieces will also be on display at the NCRI conference in November.

The installation will be in place by November 2015.

Tamsin Ashton
Research Engagement Manager- Imperial & ICR
Cancer Research UK

Successful fundraising launch for St Mary’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

mperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

 

 

The Imperial College Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science (ICCESS) were recently involved in the highly successful launch of a Charity of the Year partnership between the Children’s Intensive Care Unit Appeal and Home House, a private member’s club on Portman Square.

ICCESS delivered a simulation involving staff from St Mary’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to demonstrate how the unit delivers world-class care despite being under considerable constraints in terms of space. The appeal will raise money to expand the facility and create additional 7 ICU beds within the PICU.

I attended an event to announce the campaign for a new paediatric intensive care unit for St. Mary’s Hospital in London. It was, possibly, the most effective and moving such event, I have ever attended. The doctors from St. Mary’s and others acted out scenes from the paediatric ICU, complete with anxious parents and doctors speaking to them. There was a child in a hospital bed, and the attending physician explained his dire medical situation and articulated his needs, medical and emotional. The doctor spoke with disarming candour. It was tough going to see this performance, very different from the usual speeches and videos more typical of elegant fundraisers and campaign launches.” Feedback from a guest.

mperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
ICCESS Director Professor Roger Kneebone guides the audience through the simulation

The experience of the ICCESS team in delivering realistic medical simulations to engage and move audiences combined perfectly with the passion and dedication of the PICU staff members who participated in the event. The audience, which included Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust staff including Chief Executive Tracey Batten, members of Home House and special guests from appeal committee, found the evening inspirational and emotional. An important event for a very vital unit within St Mary’s Hospital and an significant milestone in this fundraising appeal.

To hear more about the appeal contact Maurice O’Connor on 02033125696 or to donate to the appeal, please visit www.imperialcharity.org.uk/picu

For more information about Imperial College’s Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science (ICCESS), please e-mail: iccess@imperial.ac.uk