25k For Friends of PICU
For those that follow us on our various social media platforms (if not, head to Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!), we recently mentioned that some of our staff are taking on the September 25k challenge. The premise is simple; walk/run/skip 25km within the month of September. It can be done in one go, or over several smaller distances – as long as the total is 25k.
The aim of this challenge is to raise vital funds for Friends of PICU: a charity which helps Southampton Paediatric Intensive Care Unit by buying new equipment and supporting the families who have a poorly child residing on the unit.
Every year, between 900 – 1000 children are admitted from across the South East of England (including Jersey and the Channel Islands) to Southampton PICU, some with life changing injuries/conditions and some who then reside on the unit for a prolonged period of time. Friends of PICU help support these families by providing them with accommodation which is across the corridor from the PICU, enabling families to be at their child’s beside within minutes at whatever time of the day or night. Currently, Friends of PICU are raising money to modernise the accommodation as the rooms are now old and in need of renewal and upgrading.
Friends of PICU also help fund life-saving equipment. Currently, they have raised 25% of their target to fund an ECMO console for the unit. This piece of equipment is a life-support machine for children with poorly hearts or lungs. Friends of PICU also raised money to buy the unit a new retrieval ambulance last year. The retrieval ambulance collects incredibly poorly children from across the South East of England to be treated at Southampton PICU so they can receive life-saving treatment that they wouldn’t receive at their local hospital.
At the end of the month, we are delighted to announce that our team have collectively raised £620 and travelled over 812km in September – to put that into perspective, that is approximately the distance from our Worthing office, to Toulouse in the south of France! It is an amazing effort by all involved and a big well done to Suzanne from our Commercial Property Department, who covered the most individual distance. Pictured below is Suzanne receiving her prize.
If you would like to learn more about the amazing work that Friends of PICU do, head to the Friends of PICU website. If you would like to donate towards the challenge, you can still do so via the dedicated JustGiving page.