South Yorkshire developers donate £50,000 to the fight against childhood leukaemia

South Yorkshire developers donate £50,000 to the fight against childhood leukaemia

7 October 2009

 Vital research in Sheffield into the treatment of childhood leukaemia has received a  £50,000 boost thanks to the efforts of retail property developers Dransfield Properties.

 Representatives from Dransfield have presented a cheque to Leukaemia Research’s Chairman of Fundraising, Alastair Campbell, at The Children’s Hospital, Sheffield.

 Joining Mr Campbell to thank the company’s staff were Dr Lynne Lennard and colleague Professor Ajay Vora of The Children's Hospital, Sheffield and Sheffield University. They will use the donation to continue a study into how different children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) respond to drug treatment – allowing future treatment to be tailored to each individual child.   

 The company’s determination to support research at the hospital led Dransfield Managing Director Mark Dransfield, and his brother Paul, of Hull based PDR Construction to join a team of 17 cyclists in France in June.

 Over four days they completed a strength-sapping 265 mile journey from Lyon to Marseilles – tackling Tour de France icon Mont Ventoux along the way.

 Managing Director of Dransfield Properties Ltd, Mark Dransfield, said:  "Taking on Mont Ventoux on the route from Lyon to Marseilles was a tough challenge and we would like to thank everyone who supported this great cause. We are delighted that the money the team raised will be spent on Leukaemia Research projects here in Yorkshire."

 By reaching their impressive total, Dransfield have become the first company in the country to successfully complete Leukaemia Research’s Big Five-0 Challenge: to help celebrate its 50^th birthday in 2010, the charity is asking 50 companies to raise £50,000 each, and fund further vital research. Leukaemia Research’s Chairman of Fundraising, Alastair Campbell, is leading the Big Five-O Challenge.

Alastair Campbell said: "Good causes do not go away with bad times, on the contrary, the need becomes greater. A big thank you to Dransfield Properties on raising a fantastic £50,000 for research here in Sheffield. The money will help improve treatments for children with leukaemia.”

 Leukaemia Research is dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Since the charity was formed in 1960, huge advances have been made in the treatment of these blood cancers, especially in the area of childhood leukaemia, where survival rates have gone from virtually zero in 1960 to over 85% today.

 People can find out more about the partnership at www.lrf.org.uk/challenge   

 Picture shows left to right Paul Singleton, Steve Hancock, Alastair Campbell, Mark Dransfield, Andrew Malley, Dean Draper

- ENDS -

For further information at Leukaemia Research please contact Chris Gerrard at the press office on 020 7269 9019, or cgerrard@lrf.org.uk

About Leukaemia Research

1. Other Big Five-0 Challenge members include advertising agencies, magazines, property firms and after dinner speaking companies. For more information and to join visit www.lrf.org.uk/challenge 

2. Leukaemia Research is the only national charity devoted exclusively to improving treatments, finding cures and learning how to prevent leukaemia, Hodgkin’s and other lymphomas, myeloma and the other related blood disorders, diagnosed in 24,500 people in the UK every year. Further information, including patient information booklets, is available from www.lrf.org.uk or call 020 7405 0101.

3. Over the next five years, Leukaemia Research urgently needs to raise over £100 million to commit to new research across the UK. From basic laboratory research to clinical trials with patients, Leukaemia Research is committed to saving lives by funding high quality, carefully selected research throughout the UK

4.

Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust is one of only four dedicated Children's Hospital Trusts in the UK providing integrated, highly specialist health care for children and young people in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and beyond.

The Trust was rated as the best children’s NHS hospital trust in the country in the Healthcare Commission Annual Report 2008 and retained its ‘Excellent’ score in both the Quality of Service and Use of Resources categories.

Key services provided by the Trust include: neurosurgery, oncology, endocrinology, specialist orthopaedics, neonatal surgery, metabolic disease, respiratory diseases, intensive care, cystic fibrosis and neurology, A&E services, acute paediatrics, orthopaedics, child development, community paediatrics and services for children with neuro-disability and Child & Adolescent Mental Health services.

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk