Over the last three years, Access has increased its employee fundraising total by 775% while supporting charities that have a strong emotional connection with a member of staff, through support they or a close relative have received from the charity.
Fraser Graham and Natalie Giles-Grant from Access nominated Parkinson’s UK to be Charity of the Year as they have both experienced first-hand the distress that the condition causes for sufferers and their families.
Parkinson’s UK is the largest charitable funder of Parkinson’s research in Europe and supports everyone affected by the disease, fighting for fair treatment and improved services. Natalie Giles-Grant’s father has Parkinson's and has welcomed the support the family has received from Parkinson’s UK. She commented:
“In 2013, at just 48 years old, my dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's and was told he’d probably already had it for five years. For the past nine years, my family and I have watched my dad slowly change. Once an avid cricket player representing the combined forces in global competitions, now he is only able to play walking football with others living with Parkinson’s.
I’m so thankful for all the amazing years we’ve had with our dad, but I dread the future and would give anything to help find a cure for this awful condition that will rob my dad of his dignity, mental health, well-being and ultimately his life.
Parkinson's UK is making huge advancements in the development of drugs to help other families. It may be too late for my dad, but our support can help save other families from going through this terrible experience. So please join us in supporting Parkinson's UK. Thank you.”
Fraser Graham experienced a similar situation when his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he commented:
"My dad has lived with Parkinson's for 20 years, he was diagnosed at only age 47, but he has benefited from some of the truly ground-breaking treatment that has been funded by Parkinson’s UK.
Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition that steals the physical and mental functions that we all take for granted and there is not yet a cure. I have just cycled from London to Bruges with the charity, raising over £3,000 and have a real desire to do much more for them to help support finding a cure and supporting those who live with Parkinson's.”
Claire Scott, chief people officer at The Access Group commented:
“It has been saddening to hear both Fraser and Natalie’s stories of how their loved ones have been affected by Parkinson's, but we are encouraged that there is hope for the future through research and the phenomenal support families receive from Parkinson’s UK.
Last year the team at Access raised an amazing £448,738 for Bipolar UK; this year we are committed to raising funds for Parkinson’s UK, to help families access the kind of support that was available to Natalie and Fraser.
We are delighted to make Parkinson’s UK our Charity of the Year and we will endeavor to do everything we can to support their fantastic work in research, clinical trials and the education process to drive better understanding and awareness of the condition.
Tom Ingram, corporate partnerships manager at Parkinson's UK, said:
"We are so grateful to The Access Group for making Parkinson's UK their Charity of the Year. With more than 40 potential symptoms, Parkinson’s can devastate lives. We’ve made huge breakthroughs in the last 50 years, but there is still no cure and current treatments are not good enough.
The funds that The Access Group will raise this year will help us drive forward the groundbreaking research we need to transform the lives of people affected by the condition. Without the generosity of businesses like them, our work would not be possible.”