Throughout the busy academic year, Physiotherapy students from the University of Nottingham raised money for CRY in memory of Alex Reid – the daughter of one of the academic lecturers – who passed away suddenly last summer at the age of 16. Alex is believed to have died from a young sudden cardiac death which causes the deaths of at least 12 fit and healthy young people (aged 35 years and under) each week in the UK.
Alex’s mum, Heather, told us: “Alex loved her life, she told us so practically every day. She was full of enthusiasm, joy and love. She made us all feel great. She was an open and giving person and was loved by anyone who ever had the fortune to meet her. Alex had great massage skills (and was pretty famous for these with her peers) and although she had chosen to pursue medicine, I secretly hoped she might choose physiotherapy. Whichever she would have chosen, she would have been an assets to the profession.”
SUPA – the Student Union Physiotherapy Association – along with KARNIVAL and student volunteers organised various events throughout the year to raise a grand total of £2721 for the Alex Reid Memorial Fund within CRY – and donations are still being received.
-
The fundraising started with a simple cake sale situated at the Clinical Sciences Building (CSB) at Nottingham City Hospital, where the physio students division is based. There was a huge variety of cakes and biscuits, including Alex’s favourite Rocky Road. In total, £306 was raised. -
Two ‘taping and strapping’ courses were held throughout the year to allow students to advance their skills in certain taping techniques used in clinical practise and sporting occasions, whilst expanding their knowledge and understanding of the tape used. Proceeds raised from the courses were also added to the grand total.
-
Each year “SUPA” organises hoodies and stash for students to buy. This year an additional £1 charge could be added for delivery of the products to individual’s homes. This extra £1 was donated to the CRY, which added £27 to the total.
-
Pancake Day and what better way to raise money than by selling chocolate, jam, lemon and banana pancakes to staff and students at the CSB! A small group of 1st year students from the Nottingham University charity organisation “KARNIVAL” raised over £50 for CRY.
-
One weekend in May, over 20 physio students, 3 lecturers and 1 dog took to the hills of Yorkshire to hike up the 3 famous peaks “Pen-y-gent” (691 metres), “Whernside” (728 metres) and “Ingleborough” (723 metres). The aim was to complete the 24.5 mile hike in under 12 hours. The event was a huge success with everyone enjoying the day and completing the hike! Unfortunately the weather wasn’t brilliant and visibility was poor, however it didn’t dampen any spirits and over £800 was raised. This is the second year the physio students have taken on the challenge and they hope to advance to the national 3 peaks challenge next year.
-
Physiotherapy students at the University of Nottingham have fantastic opportunities to gain experience in many areas of physiotherapy to advance their skills in ways which may not be possible elsewhere. For a number of years, the students have helped out giving post-event massages at sporting events such as The Robin Hood Marathon and various Touch Rugby events. This year, two lecturers took 19 students who volunteered their time to help treat injuries, provide strapping / taping and provide massage to 20 teams. The experience gained was huge with a variety of interesting injuries being treated, acute and chronic – including a suspected ankle fracture, subluxed glenohumeral joint, thumb and finger sprains as well as partially ruptured muscles. The donations received from the event totalled £128.
-
The final event organised by SUPA was the end of year Physiotherapy Ball, where a Charity Auction was held in memory of Alex. Heather and Haz (current physio student) chaired the event and it was a fantastic success with some incredible bids being placed! The largest bid was £250 for a Sunday Roast hosted by Heather and her family, for up to 6 people. One lucky student and his 5 friends bid the highest on this prize, which helped raise a grand total of £1410 on the night. A big ‘thank you’ to all those who donated auction items – Derby County FC; Q Hotels – Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel; Nottingham Theatre Royal; CRY; Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club; Physiotherapy lecturers and students; Capture Arcadia.
The fantastic fundraising by the physiotherapy students at University of Nottingham has not gone unnoticed and a huge ‘thank you’ goes out for all of the donations received. The students always manage to raise funds each year for various charities, however the focus this past academic year has been on CRY and we hope to continue to support the charity for many years to come, highlighting the importance of cardiac screening in the young.
Charlotte Wade
Vice President of the Student Union Physiotherapy Association
