Charity fundraiser Carole Hamnett-Sadler has taken her combined total for Cancer Research UK to more than £8,600 after taking part in this year’s Race for Life.
Carole, who is HR Manager at Hill’s Panel Products (HPP) Ltd, the Oldham-based board, doors and fittings manufacturers and suppliers, has taken part in the Race for Life most years since 2009 – swapping challenges just the once when joined a group of HPP colleagues in Hill’s Angels to brave the Pretty Muddy obstacle race, also for Cancer Research.
She completed this year’s 5km run at Heaton Park, near Manchester, in some warm and challenging conditions in a very respectable 53 minutes, raising another £625 to add to the thousands she’s raised in previous years.
Race for Life is Cancer Research UK’s biggest series of fundraising events, raising money for research into all 200 types of cancer.
“Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years,” says Carole. “I feel like we are actually getting somewhere in the fight against cancer with lots of good work happening with research. It’s just so important that we keep it going.”
And Carole first instigated HPP’s involvement in the Wear It Pink campaign for Breast Cancer Now, which raises money to help make life-changing breast cancer research and support happen.
Staff at HPP’s Scottfield Road HQ and Sheffield trade counter will again be donning pink clothing in exchange for a charity donation when the annual fundraiser comes around on 21st October – the seventh year HPP has participated.
Research into breast cancer is having to play catch-up following the pandemic, when 2,300 hours’ worth of laboratory time was lost.
Despite the setbacks, the charity says it has never been more determined to reach its goal – that by 2050 everyone diagnosed with breast cancer will survive and be supported to live well.
This year is the 21st anniversary of Wear It Pink Day, which has raised more than £37m nationally since its inception. Last year’s HPP total came to more than £300, which organiser Amy Fairbank, Marketing Co-ordinator, is hoping to improve upon this time round.
She says “It’s important to hold such important charity days as not only is valuable money raised, but it increases employee engagement and enables us to give back to the community whilst having a bit of fun”
The Wear it Pink day will mark the latest in several fundraising activities undertaken by HPP this year. They include a Ukraine Day for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, whose appeal is providing funds to support Ukraine’s 7.5m children caught up in the growing humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s invasion, which raised £1,121.
Meanwhile, semi-retired transport manager Pete Greenwood instigated a collection point at the firm’s reception for Oldham Foodbank, where he volunteers each week, while Production Planning Administrator Ellis Smith raised £571 for mental health charity Mind by taking part in the 33.3-mile Tour of Tameside running festival.
Health and Safety Officer Stuart Chamberlain took part in a golf tournament for Maggie’s cancer centre in Oldham, which raised more than £10,700, including £310 raised by Stuart’s team and an additional £100 sponsorship from HPP.