This February, 19 Santander branches across Kent region will be joining together to complete a 394k walk for charity!
The money raised will be donated to the UK Thalassaemia Society to assist with the purchase of vein finder machines for 61 hospitals throughout the UK. Patients like Jovan who live with chronic blood disorders like thalassaemia major that depend on frequent blood transfusions to live are subjected to multiple needle sticks each time they visit the hospital. These machines will help to identify viable veins quickly and avoid the trauma and psychological agony normally faced by most patients and their families
Thalassaemia is the name for a group of inherited conditions that affect a substance in the blood called haemoglobin. People with thalassaemia produce either no or too little haemoglobin, which is used by red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body. Sadly, thalassemia is passed from parents to children through mutated haemoglobin genes and is most prevalent in Mediterranean cultures along with Southeast Asian and African-American ancestry. Many of those attending our charity event have been affected in some way or other by thalassemia.
The United Kingdom Thalassaemia Society has been in existence for 42 years and supports people affected by the condition. Patients with the major form of the condition require lifelong blood transfusions along with other medical treatment. The charity offers support, advice, counselling and provides information on blood screening. Awareness events and conferences are organised for patients and health professionals to share information and updates on the latest treatment options. Without support from our local communities and businesses within them it would not be possible to offer and arrange these events which provides much needed support.
This is where your help could make a difference:
We are hoping that the following incentive being organised by the staff members from 19 branches of Santander (Kent Region) could be featured on your programmes. The staff from the 19 branches of Santander have chosen to support our charity to help raise funds towards the purchase vein finders for 61 NHS hospitals which would assist patients having to be cannulated, especially the ones with poor veins and living with thalassaemia major, an inherited chronic blood disorder. Santander has been encouraging their branches to work together regionally for charity and each month a different region is selected to plan a calendar of activities to support the charity chosen. We are extremely grateful to have then choose this project which will no doubt help thousands of children accessing care in hospitals.
We are hoping to raise £71000 to purchase 71 units for 61 hospitals in total. The vein finders will help patients and nurses as there would be less trauma to both with fewer attempts having to be made for vein access.
I do hope that this incentive will be chosen as it is scheduled to run throughout February , some of the pertinent points about the planned activities are as follows:
• The 19 branches are scattered throughout the entire Kent region.
• The teams will be walking, running, cycling and jogging the distance of the route to acknowledge the fantastic work of the NHS.
• The starting and ending point of the journey would be the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate.
• There will be different activities at the various branches throughout the month
• There would be displays arranged and information available in the 19 branches on thalassaemia and the need to screen which is a fantastic awareness opportunity.
• Funds are being raised for the UKTS towards the vein finder machines
• A huge social media campaign would be generated on team members pages, the Santander branches involved pages and our platforms
• All local and national media and broadcasting units are being contacted to get maximum coverage for this venture.
