The Alchemist Bar and Restaurant raised an amazing total of £43,900 in 2021 for Blood Cancer UK and they couldn’t have achieved this without the generosity and support of their staff and customers.
TBF partnered with The Alchemist and Blood Cancer UK to raise funds for a Clinical Nurse Advisor and a Medical Social Worker to support those living with Blood Cancer.
How Covid has affected those living with Blood Cancer
Living with blood cancer, or supporting a loved one who has been diagnosed, can be incredibly difficult at any time, but the pandemic has been especially tough for the blood cancer community. People with blood cancer are extremely vulnerable to becoming seriously ill from the coronavirus due to their weakened immune systems, and many have been shielding since March 2020.
Evidence also suggests that people with blood cancer are less likely to be protected by existing Covid vaccines because of the nature of their cancer or treatment. This means that whilst everyone else’s life is getting back to normal, the lives of those with blood cancer are still on pause.
The pandemic has also had a huge toll on the mental health of the blood cancer community, both from the fear of contracting Covid and the sense of isolation from trying to avoid it. This has led to a significant increase in demand for specialised blood cancer support services. The money raised as been invaluable to ensure services have been available to all.
Stephanie Cullen from Blood Cancer UK commented:
‘We are incredibly proud to be working with the The Alchemist and the Tim Bacon Foundation to help make a difference for people affected by blood cancer.
Thanks to their fantastic support, we have been able to fund two key roles on our support line: a Clinical Nurse Advisor and a Medical Social Worker. Both roles provide high quality emotional and practical support and trusted information for all blood cancers.
Our support line is a free and confidential service offering a safe space for all people with blood cancer, their friends, family, and anyone worried about the disease. This service has been a vital resource throughout the pandemic, as people with blood cancer are extremely vulnerable to Covid-19. And after almost two years of the pandemic, it has taken a great toll on their wellbeing.
So far over 2021, our Support Service team has received over 5,000 calls and emails. Recently, we have seen an increase in calls from patients and family members who are concerned about new Covid-19 variants. Additionally, the rising number of blood cancer patients dying from the virus is hugely worrying for our community, and as a result people are continuing to call us for emotional support throughout this difficult period.
As we continue to face an uncertain 2022, Blood Cancer UK will continue to be here for anyone affected by the disease. We want to say a huge thank you to each member of the teams at The Alchemist and the Tim Bacon Foundation, your support will help make a real difference to the blood cancer community.’
Hannah Plumb from The Alchemist commented:-
“At The Alchemist we are so proud to have raised such a substantial amount of money for Blood Cancer UK and The Tim Bacon Foundation. Our work with the Tim Bacon Foundation is so important to us, and to be able to raise funds for both a Clinical Nurse Advisor and a Medical Social Worker, knowing how impactful that will be, means a lot to us and our teams. We look forward to seeing how our donation helps so many people, and to the work we will continue to do with TBF in 2022”
If you would like more information on how your business could work with the Tim Bacon Foundation to achieve its fundraising potential email janeatherton@timbaconfoundation.co.uk