Volvo Buses
UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND
All six members of the Volvo Bus executive team will be taking part in a gruelling 102 mile Coast to Coast cycle and walk, as part of a programme of fund raising events running to the end of 2010.
The TCT exists to improve the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer by providing them with specialist care and focusing on providing the quality of life they need and the attitude necessary to combat such a life threatening disease.
The new unit planned at Birmingham Children’s Hospital will care for young people with cancer from across the West Midlands, including Warwickshire, and the charity needs to raise over £1 million in the region to help fund its development.
As well as a number of activities at and around this week’s Coach & Bus Live show, including the annual Coach Industry Awards Dinner, other signature events planned for 2010 include an evening of fine dining and music featuring up and coming jazz star Gwyneth Herbert which is being scheduled in March, with a special Golf Day taking place on 13th May, a week before the Volvo team embark upon their Coast to Coast challenge in Devon.
Speaking at the show, Volvo Bus Managing Director Steve Dewhurst said, “It is a staggering statistic that in the last 30 years the incidence of cancer in the teenage and young adult group has increased by 50%, and that more teens than children are being diagnosed with cancer.”
“All our staff were greatly moved when we got the opportunity to see at first hand the excellent work that the Trust is doing. The TCT is providing immeasurable support to teenagers and their families to help them cope with the traumatic effects that a disease like cancer can cause, especially at such a formative stage in their lives.”
“So much so that we decided to not only nominate the TCT as the company’s official charity, but to really put the pedal to the floor and get all of our stakeholders actively involved in a whole range of events and activities. Hopefully we can call upon the goodwill of our many friends throughout the industry to help us raise these vital funds and that’s why a number of our team have squeezed into cycling shorts today to show just how serious we are about this cause.
Joining the Volvo Bus team at the show, the TCT’s Regional Appeals Manager for the West Midlands Paula Hancox said, “Teenage Cancer Trust units aren’t like ordinary wards – everything about them has been designed to give teenagers the very best chance of a positive outcome. We want every young person in the West Midlands to have that chance.”
For more information about Teenage Cancer Trust and how you can get involved in the Appeal, contact Pam Matthews at Volvo Bus (pam.matthews@volvo.com) or Paula Hancox at the TCT (paula.hancox@teenagecancertrust.org) .
ENDS
7th October 2009