News Room

Rapide joins Birmingham Children's Hospital in the race to raise £45,000

Date: 31 August, 2010

Six members of the Rapide team are currently training to participate in the annual EDF Birmingham half marathon, due to take place on the 24th of October.

The energetic few are joining forces with Birmingham Children’s Hospital to raise funds for its Eye Department to pay for vital equipment needed to improve the care they offer their patients. With the recession biting there is next to no funding available for the department to buy what it needs so they have decided to enlist the help of local businesses to raise the much needed cash themselves.

Money raised will be put towards purchasing an Optical Coherence Tomography scanner (OCT) - a machine which has revolutionised the care of patients with retinal disease over the past five years. Birmingham Children’s Hospital has one of the largest groups of children in the country with Uveitis, a condition which can affect the retina. With this machine they will be able to diagnose such problems early, and provide better target treatment to those children who require the important sight saving therapies. The machine will also be very useful for a wide range of conditions from diabetes to inheritable retinal problems.

Funds will also be put towards a replacement slit-lamp machine which is used for standard eye tests for toddlers and older children, and a complete refurbishment of their waiting room.

This run is just one of many recent fundraising activities that Rapide have engaged in. In April three team members completed the Paris marathon and raised over £2,500 in aid of Birmingham Children’s Hospital ‘Kidney Kids’ appeal. Sam Taylor, Client Manager, is also about to complete the New York Marathon in November in support of Cancer Research.

Duncan Ramm, Rapide Senior Account Manager said:

‘We’re just happy to be able to show some support to such a worthy cause. So far the public have been really generous and we’re doing all we can to make sure we can help the BCH Eye Department reach their 45k target.’

Claire Dewsbery, Deputy Head Orthoptist at the Eye Department said:

'We’re all working really hard at raising this money and the Birmingham Half Marathon is going to make a massive impact on reaching our target. So a huge thanks to our Rapide runners, and their colleagues, friends and family for supporting them; it is going to be a memorable experience for sure.’

 
To pledge your support, or to take part yourself please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/BCH-eyes