A leading builders’ merchant has surpassed the £300,000 mark in its fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Directors from Selco Builders Warehouse visited a team of Macmillan nurses and support staff at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham to celebrate the landmark and gain an insight into how the money is helping the charity in its work.
Birmingham-based Selco now has more than 40 branches across the country, all of which have contributed to the fundraising efforts. The money has been raised through a wide range of initiatives including auctions, golf days, sponsored cycle rides, cake sales and individual challenges such as the London Marathon, 10k road races and even a sponsored head shave and leg wax.
Chief executive Chris Cunliffe and finance director Rob Brewell met with charity representatives at the hospital in the Northfield area of Birmingham where they learned about the ways Macmillan has provided funding.
Commenting on the visit Chris Cunliffe said: “The overwhelming message we received loud and clear from the Macmillan team at the hospital is that the charity is making a real difference to patients’ experience of coping with cancer.
“From the initial diagnosis, where patients understandably have many questions and worries, to the actual treatment and beyond, the team is able to step in and provide the right assistance.
“Our visit was an eye-opener as Macmillan really does help to provide comprehensive care. In addition to the nurses, the charity has also been able to fund a counsellor who can help with issues such as needle phobia, sleep disruption, anxiety or physiological problems post-surgery, and a navigator who essentially becomes a single point of contact to help patients and their families on their journey through treatment and beyond.
“We were able to get a real insight into where the money we have raised is going and how it makes a huge difference to people’s lives. We spoke to patients who couldn’t praise the staff highly enough and we will go back and share with the business how the funds our colleagues and suppliers have raised have had a direct impact.”
Macmillan has funded four advanced nurse practitioners, a counsellor and a navigator at Birmingham’s Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. A new role introduced less than six months ago, Macmillan is employing navigators to ease the amount of administration nurses have to deal with and to provide a dedicated point of contact for patients under the hospital’s care.
Navigator Lorraine Mole explained how Macmillan is looking to create more roles like hers in hospitals across the country. “My role is essentially to signpost patients and to create a smooth pathway for them. Macmillan listened to patients and discovered that what most people wanted was a single point of contact and someone to be able to explain things to them each step of the way.
“Patients have fed back that they feel they can ask me questions they wouldn’t want to bother the nurses with, but these are the type of questions that can cause worry if left unanswered. By dealing with these enquiries, as well as the administrative aspect of patient care at the hospital, I am offering the support that is needed whilst allowing the nurses to spend more time on clinical care which is where they are most valuable.
“I feel very proud to be able to support patients during one of the most traumatic and worrying times of their lives and thanks to companies such as Selco, who raise fantastic amounts of money for Macmillan, we can make sure no one has to face cancer alone.”
Most recently Selco raised more than £11,000 for Macmillan through its partnership with Warwickshire County Cricket Club. As shirt sponsor of the Birmingham Bears, the club allowed Selco to dedicate a match to the charity with a supplier event and auction, fans’ donations and a massive contribution from the club itself.
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