Bennetts Insurance meets fundraising target for Addenbrooke’s Paediatric Intensive Care Unit

A series of initiatives over the past year have raised enough money to meet the £2,500 goal – and with Bennetts pledging a donation to match the amount raised, the grand total now stands at £5,000.

The Addenbrooke’s PICU was nominated by employees of Bennetts’ Peterborough headquarters as their official 2017 charity in memory of 11-year-old Meg Kane. Meg received treatment at the unit throughout her life for conditions caused by Congenital Hydrocephalus, including cerebral palsy and epilepsy. By way of thanks for the incredible care that Meg and her family experienced, her parents – Charlie and Sarah Kane – expressed a wish to raise money to fund additional training and courses for the PICU nurses.

The PICU is a 13-bed ward caring for sick children who need very close observation from doctors, nurses and supporting members of the team. It is the only Intensive Care Unit for children in East Anglia, admitting approximately 600 children aged 0-16 every year. With the specialist care, equipment and training, 95% of children admitted to the PICU make a good recovery.

Diana Sanderson, Matron for the Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Units at Addenbrooke’s Hospital explains, “The PICU used to get a budget from the East of England Trust to fund extra training for the nurses. Unfortunately, this funding has been cut this year and the Trust can now only provide the essential training the nurses require to do their work. This often means that the PICU nurses have to pay for their own additional training, so the money raised by Bennetts will make a huge difference and we are incredibly grateful.

“We have earmarked it for two specific causes – firstly to train a member of our team as a tutor, meaning that they can provide in-house, cost-effective training for all staff and help to future-proof the continual skill development of the nurses.

“Secondly, we hope to fund a trip for two of our team to attend and present at the World Conference on Paediatric Intensive and Critical Care in Singapore, which will build worldwide awareness of the work Addenbrooke’s does, encourage new nurses to come and work in the unit and also ensure that our nurses are at the forefront of new technology and ideas.”

Suzannah Higgins, Head of Bennetts Corporate Social Responsibility, adds: “Each year, the employees at the Bennetts offices in Peterborough and Coventry nominate a local charity to support. We are incredibly proud of the team in Peterborough and very honoured to have been able to raise an amazing amount of money for the Addenbrooke’s PICU in 2017.

“We’ve had so much fun doing it, with quiz nights, competitive cook-ups, bake sales, raffles – you name it! We’re so pleased that the money will go towards training the nurses so that they can advance their skills and provide even greater care for other families facing similar situations as Meg, Charlie and Sarah Kane.”

For more information on the Addenbrooke’s PICU and to find out how you can offer support, visit: www.cuh.nhs.uk/addenbrookes-hospital

For more information on Bennetts motorcycle insurance, visit: www.bennetts.co.uk