Posted on: 13 December 2024
The festive spirit came alive as staff and supporters of the CNWL NHS Health Charity donned their Santa hats and quiz brains to raise funds for their Winter Wellbeing Appeal, aimed at providing wellbeing boxes for staff working on Christmas Day.
Santa Dash through the City
On Wednesday, 4 December, ten spirited staff from CNWL braved the chilly evening air to run a 4.5km route through the City of London, dressed as Santa and elves. A heartfelt thank you to our runners - CNWL's Chief Nurse Helen Willetts, Anthony Beschizza, Anshu Rayan, Surriya Subramaniam, Shalinie Tewarie, Nick Dorking, Neil Harman, Victoria Garratt, Georgina Wilkinson, and Stephanie Still who all brought festive cheer to the streets while raising vital funds.
Their efforts paid off as the team raised an incredible £3,000, including Gift Aid. Reflecting on the event, Shalinie, MHS Law Locality Manager (Northwick Park and Riverside Centre) said:
"As an employee of CNWL, I wanted to support CNWL NHS Health Charity as it is a cause close to me. The Santa in the City run was a fun way to come together with like minded colleagues. Seeing the swarm of Santa’s and a couple of elves courtesy of CNWL was an amazing sight. Running through the City of London at night was a great way to take in the sights of London that we take for granted. It was a wonderful experience"
If you’re inspired to join next year’s Santa Dash, email stephanie.still1@nhs.net or visit the CNWL NHS Health Charity website for more details.
Festive Quiz Lights Up Regent’s Place
The festivities continued on 9 December with the CNWL NHS Health Charity’s first-ever festive quiz at Impact Hub in Regent’s Place. Five enthusiastic teams competed across six rounds of trivia, with questions spanning reality TV, Christmas songs, and a particularly tricky history round.
Our sparkling quizmaster, Victoria Garratt (Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager for the charity), kept the evening lively and engaging, with plenty of laughter filling the room. Ultimately, Pip and Pals emerged victorious, their good fortune attributed to their furry teammate Pip, who charmed everyone with her presence.
Beyond the quiz, a raffle featuring fantastic prizes added to the excitement. Generous donors contributed items like a £200 dining voucher from AngloThai, a Beatles Hamper from Apple Corps, a bottle of gin from Sip Gin, an Olive Tree from W6 Garden Centre, and a £20 gift voucher from Strawberry Hill House.
The event raised £850, bringing the charity closer to its goal of spreading holiday cheer to hardworking NHS staff.
A big thank you goes out to all who took part, donated, and supported these events. Your contributions made them a resounding success and embodied the true spirit of the season.
Mark your calendars and get ready for next year’s festive fun! Together, we can continue to make a difference.