Rockinghorse Appeal
As the official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton, Rockinghorse raises money for items necessary to every child’s treatment; from furnishings and toys for the wards through to cutting-edge diagnostic machines and life-saving medical equipment.
We have supported Rockinghorse since 2013 and in that time have been able to donate more than £24,000 to help sick children in Sussex.
The charity’s Dress Yourself as an Elf event in December was again supported by Austin Rees with staff and suppliers donating Christmas presents and joined members of the Rockinghorse team and the Alex’s Play Team to deliver them to young patients on the wards.
As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations in 2017 they aim to raise £500,000 worth of funding in 2017 to be split between 10 children’s centres and paediatric services in Sussex.
Andrew Austin, Director of Austin Rees, said: “We have supported the Rockinghorse Dress as an Elf since its launch and as a firm are proud that we have had the opportunity to make a difference. Our Elves are busy the night before wrapping the hundreds of toys that have been so kindly been donated by staff, clients and contractors. When we visit The Alex our Elves really enjoy delivering presents that bring a smile to so many of the children.”
Apart from our support for Elf events we have made donations to enable the charity to invest in a specialist piece of equipment called a Storz C-Mac Videolaryngoscope (C-Mac) for the Theatre Ward at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital. This much-needed piece of equipment will assist paediatric staff with endotracheal intubation in children whose airways prove difficult to access.
Difficulties with intubation or failed attempts can have serious consequences, including brain damage, due to low oxygen levels.
Austin Rees are proud sponsors of Snailspace Brighton in support of Martlets
Jointly sponsored by
On 15th September, 50 giant Snails will slither onto the streets of Brighton & Hove to create an 18km public art trail. Local charity, Martlets, have teamed up with Wild in Art to deliver the free public event. Austin Rees are excited to be part of the 9 week trail as joint sponsors of Disco the Snail, who will be located outside Churchill Square.
The Snailspace campaign follows on from the hugely successful Snowdogs by the Sea, which raised £310,000 for Martlets and contributed over £10m to the local economy.
Martlets cares for people living through a terminal illness in the Brighton & Hove area. The charity is much more than a hospice – they provide counselling, therapies, bereavement support and a team of nurses who offer respite for home carers.
Speaking about the campaign, Imelda Glackin, Martlets CEO, said, “The Snail sculpture resonates wonderfully with the work we do. Our life-changing hospice care helps people do the things they love with the time they have left. In this fast-paced city, it’s often hard to remember to slow down and appreciate the things in life that make us smile”. The strikingly painted Snails and the campaign mantra of #BeMoreSnail will be a reminder to us all to stop and take a moment.
Disco is jointly sponsored by Austin Rees and RT Williams Insurance Brokers Ltd. The artist, Natalie Guy, likes to put a bit of sparkle in every piece of artwork that she creates and Disco is no exception. Taking 230 hours to create and using over 50,000 mirror tiles, Disco is a veritable glitterball – with antennae!
The Clock Tower Sanctuary
The Clock Tower Sanctuary is the only drop-in service providing all-round information, advice and support to homeless young people (aged 16-25) in Brighton & Hove. The centre is open 6 days a week.
They provide a friendly, bright, centrally-located, safe space for young people to engage with their peers and other visiting agencies – without the worry of having to share a service with older people who can be intimidating.
The charity provides crisis support services – including access to food, showers, laundry, computers, telephone, postal address and dentist visits to help young people cope with practical problems that arise from homelessness.
Our support has allowed The Sanctuary to refurbish their communal kitchen so that young people can learn to prepare their own food and also have a comfortable place to meet and enjoy the food they have cooked themselves. Kirstie Maginn, Life Skills Co-ordinator, from The Sanctuary says, “We are delighted to be able to make these urgent improvements. The kitchen is the heart of the centre and it’s always buzzing with activity! Improving young people’s cookery skills and nutrition is essential for helping our clients move away from homelessness.
Young people enjoying their meal made during a Life Skills Health Eating workshop.
