Craigavon-based company Almac has made a £10,000 donation to the Friends of the Cancer Centre Charity to provide support and comfort to cancer patients across Northern Ireland.
The money was raised at the pharmaceutical company’s 2012 charity raffle, when employees bought ballot tickets and had the chance to win 35 prizes donated by Almac suppliers. Ballot prizes included an Apple Macbook Air Laptop, an Apple iPad and a football signed by the Manchester United team.
All proceeds were donated to the Friends of the Cancer Centre charity, which is based at the Cancer Centre at the Belfast City Hospital, Northern Ireland’s regional centre of excellence for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The ‘Friends’ charity has been tirelessly fundraising for the past three decades to support projects that are outside and in addition to the provisions made by the Health Service, such as medical research, the funding of medical equipment, the provision of comforts to improve the quality of life for patients and their families and even the creation of jobs to help with diagnosis and treatment. ‘Friends’ has to date funded some major projects, responding to needs highlighted by the Cancer Centre’s medical staff.
Colleen Shaw, director of the Friends of the Cancer Centre, said: ‘We are delighted to receive this very generous donation from Almac. The charity relies entirely on voluntary donations and it will make such a difference to the thousands of children, young people and adults with cancer across Northern Ireland that we help each year.’
Receiving the donation on behalf of the charity, Elaine Shaw, Friends of the Cancer Centre Breast Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist, said: ‘People often experience feelings of powerlessness when they have cancer. They have to spend time in impersonal surroundings, get their heads around diagnoses that can be difficult to explain, and cope with the emotional and psychological consequences of their illness. The Friends of the Cancer Centre supports patients every step of the way by funding research, equipment and complementary therapies to help both patients and their families to cope better in traumatic times. Almac’s outstanding donation will greatly help us in our efforts to support even more patients and families across Northern Ireland.’
Alan Armstrong, CEO of the Almac Group, said: ‘Since 2006 and thanks to Elaine Gibson, our Global Travel and Events Manager, who has worked tirelessly over the years to organise the raffle and secure the best fundraising opportunities, we have raised well over £60,000 for a wide range of local charities including the Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke Association and the Southern Area Hospice amongst others. Our sincere thanks go to our many suppliers for their kind generosity in supplying prizes for the draw, and of course to our staff who gave generously and participated in the raffle event. We are delighted that the money raised will go towards caring for cancer patients and their families in the most challenging of times.’
