Connect gives back to the community

Staff tackled a number of inspirational challenges and activities throughout the year to raise funds, and with over 12,000 people in the Birmingham and Black Country being diagnosed with cancer every year, their support will help Macmillan ensure no one faces cancer alone.

As well as supporting organised Macmillan fundraising events, such as Coffee Morning and Go Sober for October, staff also ran their own events supporting their passions. Keen swimmer Sam Britton swam the equivalent length of the English Channel and five talented team members – Neil Burrows, Vicki James, Marc Thomas, Sabrina Barnett-Alexander and Elena Chandler-Griffiths – hosted their own rock concert with the support of The Dudley Arms.

In addition to raising money, Connect also raised awareness of the great work Macmillan do by inviting Birmingham University student, Anthony Mayer, to speak about his diagnosis and how Macmillan helped, at the company’s annual staff event held at the Lighthouse Cinema in December.

Tracey Knowles, head of HR at Connect, said: “Macmillan is close to a lot of peoples’ hearts. Hearing Anthony’s story was both touching and inspiring. It really encouraged our people to get involved and help others by doing something they were passionate about.”

Kate Thomas, fundraising manager at Macmillan, added: “£5,000 pays for a Macmillan nurse for a whole month. It directly helps people living with cancer, and their families, receive essential medical, practical, and emotional support. We have loved working with Connect and we are really grateful for the continued support they have given us throughout the year.”