Bristol Children's Hospital Goes Gold With Amazon For Children With Cancer

News
07/10/2019

Amazon in Bristol is raising awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness month this September with a special event to highlight the innovative work being done by hospitals and charities to increase the survival rate of children with cancer.


Linking with Amazon colleagues around the world, the Bristol team has joined the global movement, #AmazonGoesGold, hosting a gold-themed #PJammin ® party to support local families affected by childhood cancer. The theme pays tribute to brave children with cancer, who can spend a long period of time living in their pyjamas during treatment and recovery. A gold ribbon is the international symbol for childhood cancer awareness.


The special event was attended by members of the Amazon team and representatives from The Grand Appeal, the Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity. During the event, the Amazon team made a £3,000 donation to the Starlight Ward at Bristol Children's Hospital and raised additional £465 through the #AmazonGoesGold raffle. The donation will be used to support children receiving cancer treatment on the Starlight Ward including helping to fund the provision of specialist play assistants who provide imaginative and creative play sessions. These sessions give young patients a chance to be a child again and aim to alleviate the stress they feel during the often long and difficult treatments they face.


Speaking on the event, Pat Faulkner, General Manager at Amazon in Bristol said:

“The Starlight Ward at Bristol Children's Hospital does vital work in our community and we want to support them and the brave children and families who rely on their care. #AmazonGoesGold is an incredible initiative that brings all Amazon colleagues together not only in the UK, but globally, as we seek to raise awareness around childhood cancer and shed light on the innovative work being done by researchers, hospitals and charities to increase the survival rate of children.”


Maxine Moustrides, Corporate Fundraiser at The Grand Appeal added:

“On behalf of the Starlight Ward at Bristol Children's Hospital, I’d like to thank Pat and his team for putting on their PJs to show their support for children impacted by cancer and for providing this donation. We are very appreciative of the #AmazonGoesGold movement and glad that the work done by the amazing staff at Bristol Children’s Hospital is being supported by the local Amazon team.”


This is the second year that Amazon in the UK has supported Childhood Cancer Awareness month. This year’s campaign includes a £50,000 donation to Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, a leading national charity for all childhood cancers. CCLG fund and support innovative world-class research to drive forward improvements in treatment and care and to ensure children with cancer survive and live happy, healthy and independent lives.


More than 400,000 children around the world are diagnosed with paediatric cancer each year and it is the number one non-communicable disease causing the death of children around the world. #AmazonGoesGold expands beyond the UK and North America to Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Japan and Australia to bring greater awareness around childhood cancer globally. Over the course of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Amazon will donate more than £100,000 to local UK hospitals, charities and research organisations and more than $4 million globally in the fight against childhood cancer. For more information visit amazon.co.uk/gogold.


The event and donation forms part of the ‘Amazon in the Community’ programme whereby the company supports the communities around its operating locations across the UK.