BCIA Immediate Past-President hands over charity cheque to Teenage Cancer Trust

Graeme Rees, Immediate Past-President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA), has presented a cheque for £11,679 to the Teenage Cancer Trust. The Teenage Cancer Trust was Graeme’s nominated charity during his two-year term as BCIA President.

Teenage Cancer Trust offers unique care and support, designed for and with teenagers and young adults affected by cancer. The charity funds specialised nurses, youth workers and hospital units in the NHS, so young people have dedicated staff and facilities to support them throughout treatment.

As a charity close to his own heart, Graeme was committed to raising both money and awareness of Teenage Cancer Trust’s work and an impressive £5,000 was raised in just one night at the 2023 BCIA Awards. The BCIA also set up a five-million step challenge to attract sponsorship and donations, with a number of BCIA members getting involved and committing to the cause. The challenge was inspired by Teenage Cancer Trust’s very own Walk With Us 15,000 step challenge, which is driven by the amount of steps per day the average nurse works in their role of supporting young people and their families affected by cancer.

Graeme’s tenure as BCIA President ended on 1^st March as Stacey Lucas took on the role with Jen Vickers taking the position of Vice-President. Graeme said: “One of my wishes when I became BCIA President was to see if we could do more to support our nominated charity and I am delighted at how our members responded and engaged so passionately with the challenge. I am very proud to sign off my term with this contribution and I would like to thank everybody who has done their bit to support this hugely important organisation.”

Helen Farquharson, Senior Relationship Manager at Teenage Cancer Trust, commented:“We are so grateful to Graeme for choosing Teenage Cancer Trust as his charity, and to all at the BCIA for their fantastic support in 2022 and 2023. Members have really gone above and beyond with their efforts, with an incredible response at the Awards and the five-million step challenge.

Every day, seven young people aged 13-24 hear the words ‘you have cancer’. They will each need specialised nursing care and support to get them through it. The money raised will help our teams support young people with cancer through treatment, helping them cope with anxiety and isolation, and connecting them to a network of other young people to chat to.”

Helen concluded: “No teenager or young adult should ever have to face cancer alone. This support from the BCIA will make a huge difference to young people with cancer.”

To find out more about Teenage Cancer Trust visit: www.teenagecancertrust.org