Molly Ollys children’s charity is delighted to have received a $10,000 (circa. £8,300) grant from the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation.
The MDRT Foundation gives to charitable organisations worldwide, demonstrating the generosity, service and impact of MDRT members. It is a global, independent association of the world’s leading life insurance and financial services professionals.
Molly Ollys is a children’s charity, based in Warwickshire, which emotionally supports children in the UK who have life-threatening illnesses. The Charity delivers wishes to make the children smile; it donates its Olly The Brave therapeutic toy lion and story books directly to families and through more than 70 hospitals, and it carries out bespoke projects with NHS hospitals to improve the care of children with life-threatening health conditions.
The grant from the MDRT Foundation will be used to help fund the training of two Paediatric Palliative Consultants at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Co-founder of Molly Ollys, Rachel Ollerenshaw explains how this money will help; “Molly Ollys funded BCH’s first Consultant in Paediatric Palliative Medicine for three years, before the NHS took the role on. We know first-hand how crucial these Consultants are in helping children with terminal illnesses to have the best quality of life – even if there is not quantity.
We are very grateful for this grant which will help improve the palliative care of children and young people treated at the hospital.”
The grant was officially awarded to the Charity on 28th February by Michael Bibb who has been a member of the MDRT for many years. Mr Bibb explains why he put Molly Ollys forward; “I have been a supporter of Molly Ollys for a number of years. I have seen how the work the Charity does brings joy to these extremely ill children. Being a father-of-four, I cannot imagine how devastating it must be to have a child with a life-threatening health condition. It is so important there is the right treatment and care for these children whose lives may not be long. MollyOllys will be using this grant to make a real difference to these children and their families.”
This year, the MDRT Foundation will award over $1.6 million (£1.3 million) in MDRT member-endorsed grants to over 300 charitable organisations worldwide. For more information, visit mdrtfoundation.org.
ABOUT MOLLY OLLYS:
Molly Ollys was set up following the experiences of Molly over the 5 years she received treatment for kidney cancer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Between 2017 and 2020, the Charity funded Birmingham’s first paediatric palliative consultant as there was no such consultant for the region. That position has now become permanent and is currently funded through the NHS.
The Charity works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community. One key project was the creation and refurbishment of Magnolia House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This is a safe and non-clinical space where medical teams and families can have important discussions.
The Charity is well-known for its therapeutic toy lion, Olly The Brave, which has its own Hickman line and a detachable mane. The soft toy helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy. These form part of an Olly The Brave pack which includes a six-part book series. For more info, please visit www.mollyolly.co.uk
About the MDRT Foundation:
The MDRT Foundation was created in 1959 to provide MDRT members with a means to give back to their communities. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated more than $40 million in more than 70 countries throughout the world and in all 50 U.S. states. These funds were raised by MDRT members and industry partners. For more information, visit mdrtfoundation.org.
About MDRT:
Founded in 1927, Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), The Premier Association of Financial Professionals®, is a global, independent association of more than 86,000 of the world’s leading life insurance and financial services professionals from more than 500 companies in 70 nations and territories. MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognized internationally as the standard of excellence in the life insurance and financial services business. For more information, please visit www.mdrt.org and follow them on Twitter @MDRtweet
