When it comes to fundraising, a team of fundraising colleagues are ready to jump to it for a Warwick charity.
Staff at Gallagher in Brierley Hill are taking part in an Easter Bunny Hop on March 28th, in aid of children’s charity Molly Ollys.
Two groups from the insurance and risk management company will each cover half of the 22-mile route, from Gallagher’s Birmingham site to the charity’s offices in Warwick – dressed as bunnies!
The latest event planned forms part of the company’s third year of support for Molly Ollys and will take the fundraising total to more than £43k. Other fundraising has included everything from bake sales and raffles through to marathons, swimming the equivalent of the English Channel, and even a wing walk.
Molly Ollys was established in 2011 by Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw following the death of their eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer.
It works to support children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families and help with their emotional wellbeing as well as grant wishes and donate therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.
Mascot is a therapeutic toy lion called Olly The Brave who has his own Hickman line and a detachable mane which helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy. These form part of an Olly The Brave pack that has now been handed out to more than 40 hospitals, along with a book from the charity’s exclusive Olly The Brave series.
It’s a cause particularly close to the heart of fundraiser Lisa Sharman, from Halesowen, whose own son was diagnosed, aged just one, with the same rare Wilms tumour which Molly had.
She said: “We were given the awful news about Fred in September 2018. He then relapsed in August 2019 and had to go through treatment and a stem cell transplant all over again. Thankfully, Fred, now aged six, is leading a healthy life, but we’ll never forget how the charity was there for us.
“Following an operation soon after he was first admitted to hospital, a community nurse came round and gave us an Olly The Brave cuddly lion and some children’s books and explained the work of the charity. It came at a time that felt so awful and surreal for us.
“Fred loved the teddy and I remember reading the story to him again and again between one and three years old. A lot of leaflets and pamplets were handed to us but they were all in hospital language. Although you become used to it in the end, to begin with all the information is so overwhelming, but the books were amazing. They were a way for him to relate to what was happening as he got a bit older.”
She added: “Usually we switch charities each year but we have stuck with Molly Ollys for the past three years because everyone felt so invested and it’s such a personal charity and we wanted to continue building on the work we’ve done with them.”
The ‘Bunny Hoppers’ will set off from the Colmore Row site at 9am and are expected to arrive at the Molly Olly’s Swan Street offices, in Warwick at around 5pm.
They will be supported by a driver who will carry first aid kits as well as drinks and energy bars.
Rachel Ollerenshaw, pictured above, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming the Bunny Hoppers when they reach Warwick after a long walk. Please support them if you can and give them a shout out if you see them on their travels. They are an inspiration and show how companies and individuals can make a very positive difference when they truly get stuck in.
“All the team at Gallaghers have been a great support to Molly Ollys now over a number of years fundraising in a variety of ways. They have helped to make a very real difference.”
Donations can be made here
