Izzy's cycle challenge for Royal Papworth Charity

Izzy Wilson, 16, has set herself a mammoth challenge of cycling 48km every day for 15 days- in the hopes to raise £5000 for Royal Papworth Charity in recognition of the lifesaving treatment her mother received at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.

Izzy’s mum, Sarah, was rushed to Royal Papworth Hospital following a heart attack on Christmas Day, subsequently spending 48 hours receiving life-saving treatment in the hospital’s critical care unit and a further 15 days recovering in the hospital.

Izzy will be using those numbers – 48 and 15 – as the basis of her challenge in recognition of the hours Sarah was in critical care and the days Sarah was an inpatient at Royal Papworth. By the end of the challenge, Izzy will have cycled almost 450 miles; the equivalent distance from Suffolk to Inverness.

Big Give Christmas Challenge- We reached our target!

A big thank you to everyone who got involved in our Big Give Christmas Challenge, thanks to our fantastic pledgers in August, the Reed Foundation’s contribution and those who donated in the live campaign during the first week of December, we successfully reached our £20,500 target towards the Heart and Lung Research Institute (HLRI).

The HLRI, which is a joint venture between the University of Cambridge and Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, aims to focus on collaboration between research and its clinical use in treating patients for chronic diseases such as heart attacks, cystic fibrosis, atrial fibrillation and pulmonary hypertension.

The Institute is based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and will create the largest cardiothoracic centre for research, education, industry collaboration, and clinical care in Europe.

The Difference You Make

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic we have received an outpouring of support, because of everyone’s generosity and kindness, we have been able to support our staff, our patients and their families during this challenging time. Your generosity has also enabled us to plan for the future so that we can continue to provide the highest level of vital care and lead fundamental research exploring the treatment of heart and lung disease globally.

Thank you to all our supporters and NHS Charities Together, we have received £520,000 in donations and £183,000 worth of item donations. Every single donation, from handmade scrubs, which brightened up our corridors, to the food and drink donations that have kept our staff fuelled during busy shifts, and the knitted hearts that have connected family while they are separated during a hugely frightening time, has made an incredible difference to our staff and patients here at Royal Papworth Hospital.