WHSmith £5000 for CALM

Staff at WHSmith head office in Swindon have chosen the Swindon Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Movement (CALM) to receive a £5,000 donation from the WHSmith Group Charitable Trust.  Recent fundraising by staff at the firm’s Swindon office has enabled the Trust to award a grant to this local charity, chosen by staff from a short list of local charities.  
 

CALM aims to improve the quality of life for both the children going through treatment, and the parents and families during and after treatment.  CALM provides support to families to cope with physical, emotional and often financial strain.  All money raised for CALM goes directly to the families and children who need it most. Through the strength and support of CALM the children who suffer, together with their brothers, sisters and parents, have become one big family giving support to each other, sharing joys and success together as well as the bad times.  
 

Richard Crowley, Chairman said: “At anyone time there are between 15-25 children in the Swindon area receiving treatment for cancer or leukaemia. Each summer CALM provides convalescent holidays for as many of the children and their families as possible.  It costs thousands of pounds to run and maintain the holiday homes, and provide the families with spending money.   
 

“These breaks can make a huge difference for a child undergoing gruelling chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as well as enabling families to spend quality time together away from the stresses and strains associated with cancer treatment.  As a parent run charity we rely on the local community in Swindon to raise the funds needed to continue providing our holiday programme and other forms of support.  We are very grateful to all WHSmith employees for their generous donation.” 
 

The WHSmith Group Charitable Trust awards grants to a wide variety of charities and schools around the UK each year.  These grants may be part of the Trust’s work to promote literacy, or part of its commitment to match what WHSmith staff raise for local charities and schools. 
 

Sarah Heath, WHSmith Head of Communication and Chair of the WHSmith Charitable Trust, said: “One of the WHSmith Trust’s core objectives is to support the local communities in which our staff live and work.  As staff in Swindon raised this money we were keen that it was donated to a local charity. We are delighted to support CALM’s work with local children and their families.”

CALM's Richard Crowley & WHSmith Trust Secretary Emma Rees