Supporting cutting-edge cancer research, right on our doorstep

We’ve partnered with Leicester-based charity Hope Against Cancer, committing to fundraise a total of £1,500 over the next two years. Planning is well underway for our first fundraising event around the festive season, but exact details are yet to be confirmed.

We chose Hope Against Cancer after our Director, Dafydd Prichard, attended one of their business lunches earlier this year. “I was particularly struck by Hope Against Cancer’s positivity. I’m also very proud of the fact that the charity is funding research going on right here at Leicester’s University Hospital and helping establish the city as an international centre for cancer research.” 

So far, we have been able to donate £300 for Hope Against Cancer through what some might say is a ‘nifty trick’. Back in May, we switched our core business card, used for paid Google advertising, to an American Express for a number of reasons irrelevant to this blog. However in doing so, we have been able to accumulate Amex Reward Points which are redeemable against charity donations made via JustGiving.com. This gave us an idea. By setting up our own JustGiving page, we realised we could convert the reward points accumulated to date into an immediate financial donation and then commit to continuing doing so as our reward points reaccumulate.

To be clear, we are not trying to wheedle our way out of a fundraising event! This is something we are truly looking forward to. The point we’re trying to raise for similar local businesses is to check your ‘Amex Reward Points balance’ and instead of buying a set of golf clubs or a spa weekend, consider donating them to this worthwhile cause. To put things into context, just £50 pays for a day’s time of a Hope Clinical Research Nurser to carry out their duties, while £1,500 could buy a specialist fluorescent laboratory microscope, crucial for Hope-funded researchers to analyse cells. 

Hope Against Cancer make it really easy for organisations to donate with their offering of a corporate partnership. Corporate and Events Fundraiser, Tracey Hallam, passionately keep us updated on charity developments and local research taking place with the University Hospitals Leicester which makes it truly a pleasure to be a charity partner.

Watch this space for the second part of our charity blog, complete with fundraising event pictures. And visit here for new updates.