A total of 2,280 people took part in the Chariots of Fire race in September 2016, setting off from Queens’ Green in Cambridge. Together, the 380 teams raised more than in any previous year in the event’s 25-year history.
Hewitsons Charitable Trust, which organised the 1.7-mile relay race, handed a giant cheque for the total sum to the Papworth Hospital Charity on Wednesday (18th January).
During the presentation, special thanks were given to team 178, named ‘The Newmans’, which contributed an impressive £13,850 to the total – significantly more than any other single team.
All of the money will go towards supporting the hospital charity in its efforts to address the worldwide shortage of donor hearts.
Specifically, the money will help fund the charity’s pioneering DCD Transplantation technique, which enables surgeons to use donor hearts previously considered too damaged for transplant, known as non-beating heart donors. This could increase the number of hearts available for transplantation by up to 40 per cent, potentially saving hundreds of lives, as the heart transplant waiting list continues to grow.
Charles Hewitson, Senior Partner at Hewitsons law firm and the Race Director, said: “As race director for Chariots of Fire I am delighted to witness this extraordinary achievement, which has greatly exceeded the original, but no less ambitious, target of £120,000, set by Papworth Hospital Charity.
“The continued level of support extended to each charity by the Cambridge community and the generosity provided by each of the colleges and our event suppliers is further testament to the appeal of Chariots, and I would like to thank every participant for this support.”
Stephen Posey, Chief Executive of Papworth Hospital, added: “We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of all those involved in raising a huge amount of money to support a pioneering transplant programme at Papworth Hospital, which will transform the lives of critically-ill patients in our care.
“On behalf of Papworth Hospital, I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who entered the race, donated, volunteered and of course to Hewitsons Charitable Trust; your generosity will make a huge difference to our patients, not just here and now but in the future.”
Over its 25-year history, Chariots of Fire has raised in excess of £1million for a variety of worthwhile local charities. The event will celebrate its 26th anniversary this year, on Sunday 17th September, continuing its legacy as the region’s longest-running charitable relay race. Organisers hope to raise thousands more pounds for this year’s selected charity, which will be announced in May 2017.
Team entries for this year’s race will open online in May, at https://www.chariots-of-fire.co.uk/enter/
For more details about Chariots of Fire contact the administration team on 01223 461155 or visit www.chariots-of-fire.co.uk
Image: (L-R top row): Sir Michael Marshall, Charles Hewitson, Cllr Jeremy Benstead, Eric Scoones, Professor John Wallwork, Stephen Posey. (L-R bottom row): Chris Elliott, Stephen Large
About Papworth Hospital Charity
Papworth Hospital Charity exists to support the ground-breaking work of Papworth Hospital. With increasing pressures on NHS resources, the charity plays a vital role in ensuring the hospital continues to provide the highest standards of care, whilst also ensuring the development of new ways of treating heart and lung disease through innovative and cutting-edge research.
Pioneering medicine and innovative surgical advances at Papworth Hospital have not only transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients but also helped shape cardiothoracic medicine internationally. This has been made possible through the generous funding provided by Papworth Hospital Charity.
About Papworth Hospital
Papworth Hospital is the UK’s leading heart and lung hospital treating over 100,000 patients each year from across the UK. The hospital includes the country’s largest heart and lung transplant centre, the only national centre for pulmonary endarterectomy and it is a national centre for a range of other specialist services.
Since carrying out the UK’s first successful heart transplant in 1979, Papworth has established an international reputation for excellence in research and innovation, top surgical results and the very best in patient care.
Papworth Hospital carries out more major heart operations than any other hospital in the UK, currently more than 2,500 per year. With regular scrutiny from robust quality performance monitoring systems, the survival rates and outcomes of these operations are among the best in the world.
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