Our giving back culture

Two of our people, Natalie and Fraser nominated Parkinsons UK for our UK charity of the year for 2023 after their fathers were both diagnosed with the condition.

Natalies story: In 2013, at just 48 years old, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and was told he’d probably already had it for five years. For the past nine years my family and I have watched my dad slowly change. Once an avid cricket player representing the combined forces in global competitions, he’s now only able to play walking football with fellow Parkinson’s sufferers.

Now my dad’s a different man every time I see him. There’s always a new change, shuffling when he walks, loss of movement in his arms, the onset of tremors, and increasing piles of medication. The hardest part is knowing that this will only get worse.
I’m so thankful for all the amazing years we’ve had with our dad, but I dread the future and would give anything to help find a cure for this awful disease, that will rob my dad of his dignity, mental health, wellbeing and ultimately his life.It may be too late for my dad, but our support can help save other families from going through this terrible experience. Thank you for supporting Parkinson's UK.

Parkinson's UK are here for life beyond diagnosis. They’re on a mission to change attitudes, support one another and find a cure. Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition. This means that it causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time. Around 145,000 people live with Parkinson’s in the UK. And it's the fastest growing neurological condition in the world.

They’re close to major breakthroughs. Funding the right research into the most promising treatments, they get closer to a cure every day. Until then, they're here for everyone affected by Parkinson’s. Fighting for fair treatment and better services. Making everyone see its real impact.

Sitting next to your child when they’re telling you that they no longer want to live is one of the very hardest things for a parent to hear. Hannah’s illness has meant that she has lost friends and family members from her life.

Extended periods of dark depression have made her working life difficult. After 25 years of struggling with life, Hannah was finally diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder but stability in her life is still fragile, even after 5 years. It took a recent admission to the Mental Health Unit to give her access to a psychiatrist and to get her current medications reviewed.

Bipolar UK has given our family the knowledge and understanding we needed to support Hannah. It has given Hannah strength and hope for the future, knowing that she is not alone. Hannah is now 35 years old, navigating through each year of her life has not been easy for her but with the support of her family and the awareness and skills that we have all gained through Bipolar UK, Hannah has a bright future.

Bipolar UK works tirelessly in its efforts to reduce the time it takes for patients, like Hannah, to get a diagnosis.

Our UK charity of the year for 2021 carried over from 2020. Due to the lockdown restrictions imposed on everyone from COVID-19, our people were unable to reach our target fund amount - it was therefore agreed unanimously that we should roll it over for another year.    

Our colleagues Kayleigh and Adam were over the moon when baby Henry Winston Freeman was born in November 2017. At just one day old Henry failed his newborn hearing test. 10 days later Henry failed the tests again and was referred to audiologists at the hospital, and at 2 weeks old it was confirmed that Henry was profoundly deaf.

Hearing aids were fitted but didn’t work as Henry was too deaf. Fearful for their beautiful baby boy, Kayleigh and Adam reached out to the NDCS for support. The NDCS gave guidance and support on how to stimulate Henry through his other senses – such as touch and sight. They also supported the family by teaching them sign language which gave them the ability to communicate.

In 2019 Henry had an MRI scan to assess his suitability for cochlear implants. To his parent’s delight, he was put forward for surgery. Henry had a chance to hear! Henry had the complex surgery to insert the implants into his auditory system, and on the 18^th April 2019, something very special happened – Henry’s hearing was switched on and he heard sound for the first time. Now, with the aid of technology, Henry can hear. The NDCS was chosen as the Access charity of the year, so that we could support them and give back to such a well-deserving charity.

UK charity DEBRA, the national charity supporting those living with genetic skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), was voted for by our staff to become the company’s charity of the year in 2019 . DEBRA was brought to our attention through a poignant and personal connection, staff throughout the company became determined supporters after learning that a colleague had tragically lost their son to EB.

Throughout the year staff raised funds to support the charity through both companywide initiatives and activities in local offices.  Gruelling physical challenges included two Access runners in the London Marathon, 49 team members taking on Tough Mudder races, and a team of five Access staff taking part in a ‘Steel Day’ that saw some complete seven 45-minute workouts in a single day.

DEBRA focuses on providing care and support to individuals and families living with EB, and to fund pioneering research to find effective treatments and, ultimately a cure EB.