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City-based fundraiser breaks all records!

The October Club have raised £850,000 to transform the lives of 3,000 spinal cord injured people

  • City-based philanthropy group – The October Club – announce they have raised £850,000 to support Spinal Injuries Association (SIA)
  • Charity to use the money to provide expert care and support to 3,000 spinal cord injured people, train 3,000 healthcare professionals and drive policy change.
  • “A unique moment to change forever the lives of spinal cord injured people” says charity Chief Executive Nik Hartley OBE.

Wednesday night saw The October Club’s annual fundraising efforts culminate at London’s iconic Savoy Hotel and raise £850,000 for SIA, the leading national charity for spinal cord injured people, their families and friends and carers.

SIA was selected by The October Club – a group of city-based business people to be their charity partner for 2019. Over 400 guests attended the dinner and the evening included speeches by Henry Knapman, Chairman of The October Club, Martin Hibbert, who survived the Manchester Arena bomb that left him paralysed and Spinal Cord Injury Nurse Specialist, Carol Adcock. The SIA’s Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, sent a special message to The October Club to thank them for their support.

The monies raised will help the charity take its successful Nurse Specialist pilot programme to scale. Each year, approx 2,500 sustain a spinal cord injury but just one in three get the expert care and support essential to rebuilding their lives and living independently once again. The programme will directly support 3,000 newly injured people over three years, train a further 3,000 healthcare professionals to provide care and support and finally develop the evidence to influence policy and practice at a national level.

Funds were raised on the night via a live and silent auction. Lots included a David Yarrow original image, a Monaco Grand Prix experience as the personal guest of ROKiT Williams Racing Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams OBE,  and a unique behind the scenes experience at the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden. Additionally, guests were able to make pledges to support SIA’s Nurse Specialist programme.

SIA, Chief Executive Nik Hartley OBE said: “Our heartfelt thanks to The October Club. Their fantastic support through both their Race Day in July and this remarkable event, will truly transform forever the lives of spinal cord injured people. It is terrible to think that people in the UK, paralysed by an accident or medical condition, are then at risk of poor care to the point of risking their lives. Scaling up our Nurse Specialist service will not just be life-saving but give us the chance to train a new generation of care-givers so that we can ultimately support the whole community of 50,000 people with a spinal cord injury in this country.”

Chairman of The October Club, Henry Knapman, said: “In 1987, a group of City professionals created The October Club to and held a fundraising dinner in aid of Leukaemia sufferers.  Since then, the Club’s annual dinners have raised over £11 million for transformational charity projects. This year we are delighted to support Spinal Injuries Association. Their work is so important in helping people rebuild their lives after a devastating spinal cord injury and it is great to know that our efforts will help transform many more lives.”

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