Vent-Axia Steps Up for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Staff from ventilation leader, Vent-Axia, have put on their walking shoes to support Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September and raised money for Young Lives vs Cancer, the company’s charity of the year for 2022.

Lena and Melanie

Crawley-based Lena Hebestreit and Melanie Lewis tackled the South Coast Challenge on Saturday 3 September while Dudley-based Gail Bradley is taking part in Young Lives vs Cancer’s Challenge 60 virtual event. Vent-Axia’s support of the charity is part of a group-wide initiative which has raised £3,510 so far this year.

Marketing Manager Lena Hebestreit, and Procurement Manager Melanie Lewis, both from Vent-Axia’s Crawley site, completed the 25km South Coast Challenge.

They walked from Eastbourne to Alfriston in East Sussex in 6 hrs 26 mins and 55 seconds, coming 99th and 100th out of 248 entrants.

Thanks to their efforts, they’ve raised £710 for Young Lives vs Cancer. It is not too late to donate to support Lena and Melanie by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mel-and-lena

Gail Bradley

Meanwhile, Gail Bradley, an Inventory Controller based at Vent-Axia’s Dudley site, is taking part in the Challenge 60 virtual event for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Participants are challenged to jog, run, cycle, walk or swim 60 miles in September to represent the 60-mile round trip that young cancer patients face, on average, to get the specialist treatment they need. But Gail is going above and beyond the 60 miles and is aiming to double it and take on a ‘Challenge 120’.

So far Gail has raised £219 and is hoping to raise lots more for Young Lives vs Cancer – please lend your support at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gail-bradley4.  

About Young Lives vs Cancer

Young Lives vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent) is a cancer charity for children and young people that is solely funded by donations. The charity helps families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.

Every day, 12 more children and young people hear the devastating news that they have cancer. The money raised will help towards the charity continuing to fight for children and young people with cancer.

For example, £15 could pay towards a social worker to support a recently diagnosed young person; £38 could pay for a family to stay in one of the charity’s Homes from Home near the hospital and £100 could pay towards a financial grant to ensure families facing money worries can pay for basics like food.

‘Grateful’

Speaking on behalf of Young Lives vs Cancer, Rose Bailey, Fundraising Engagement Manager, says: “We’re delighted that Vent-Axia has chosen to support Young Lives vs Cancer this year and we’re so grateful to Lena, Melanie and Gail for the support and effort they are making to help raise money for the charity. Thanks to Vent-Axia and their amazing staff, young people facing cancer, and their families, won’t have to face cancer alone.”

Lena comments: “WE DID IT! Over six hours and 40,903 steps later, Melanie and I completed our 25km walk of the South Coast supporting Young Lives vs Cancer. It was tough, but nothing in comparison to what cancer fighters have to go through…. we walked for them. We’d like to say thank you to all of you who have supported us and donated so generously to this great charity.

“Now we’re lending our support to Gail’s fantastic efforts where she is taking on the huge challenge of walking 120 miles in September to raise more, very much needed funds for Young Lives vs Cancer. If anyone can donate any amount, large or small, we’d be so grateful. Thank you.”

When a child is diagnosed with cancer life becomes full of fear, for them and their family. Fear of treatment, but also of families being torn apart, overwhelming money worries, of having nowhere to turn, no one to talk to.

Young Lives vs Cancer helps families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them. Powered by the kindness of their supporters, they face it all together. Visit www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk to find out more.