Tile Giant is celebrating six months of successful fundraising for Anthony Nolan, which has so far seen them raise an amazing £30,000 to support the charity’s lifesaving work. Tile Giant is raising money as part of a two-year partnership with Anthony Nolan, with a goal to raise a total of £100,000 to help save the lives of people with blood cancer.
As part of the celebrations, colleagues at the Worcester branch of Tile Giant welcomed a special visitor this week, eight-year-old Esme Clayson from Evesham. Esme was just three years old when she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia, the only cure for which was a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor. Fortunately, Anthony Nolan found her a match in the form of 30-year-old German man Andreas Haber, and Esme is now a healthy and happy young girl.
On Monday 20 June, Esme and her mum Naomi paid a visit to Tile Giant in Worcester to thank the store for their support in raising vital funds for Anthony Nolan, which will help more people with blood cancer have a second chance at life.
Customers and traders enjoyed tea and cake and Esme was presented with a bag of presents donated from local businesses.
Naomi Clayson shared her pleasure at being able to visit Tile Giant as an ambassador for Anthony Nolan: ‘I’m glad that we can use our story to help raise money and find more donors for children like Esme.
‘I was completely devastated when Esme was diagnosed and no one in our family was a match for her. Thanks to Anthony Nolan and the kindness of our donor Andreas, we still have a daughter and my son Jack has a sister. We’re so grateful to Tile Giant for raising money to support Anthony Nolan’s lifesaving work and giving other families a second chance at life together.’
Tile Giant branches across the country have raised almost £30,000 so far, through a range of challenges including sponsored cycles, bake sales, and marathons. Colleagues at the Tile Giant store in Worcester are currently planning even more events, including a static cycle next month covering the same distance as the Tour de France.
It is hoped that Tile Giant’s staff and customers will raise £100,000 for Anthony Nolan during the partnership, money which will be used to recruit more potential donors to the charity’s register of stem cell donors. This is vital, as currently only 60 per cent of patients are able to find the best possible match.
Steven Clark, store manager at Worcester, says, ‘It was such a pleasure to meet Esme and her mum and to see first-hand the difference that Anthony Nolan makes to the lives of people with blood cancer. We've all been coming up with ideas on how we can help raise even more money, and meeting Esme today has got us all looking forward to our in-store static cycle next month, cycling 2200 miles between us to up our fundraising total.’
Richard Davidson, Director of Engagement at Anthony Nolan, said: ‘The support from Tile Giant is incredible and makes a giant difference to people with blood cancer. The charity have achieved a fantastic amount in the last six months and the money they have raised will help us recruit more potential donors to the stem cell register and save the lives of more people like Esme.’
Anthony Nolan was the world’s first bone marrow register. The charity has been saving lives for four decades by matching remarkable people willing to donate their stem cells to patients in desperate need of a transplant.
The charity also carries out pioneering research aimed at improving stem cell transplant outcomes and supports patients through their transplant journeys.
Keep an eye out in your local branch of Tile Giant for fundraising activities you can get involved with, or for more information about Anthony Nolan visit www.anthonynolan.org