Following its donation of two children’s vein finding machines for use in the A&E department at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in 2019, Huntingdon-based British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has made a further donation to Cambridgeshire Community Service’s NHS Trust Specialist Community Nursing service by funding a third AccuVein machine to support practitioners working in the community.

Having first been selected as the BMRA President’s charity in 2019, following the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, Susie Burrage, President of the BMRA, decided to support Dreamdrops for a further year.

Dreamdrops, is a local children’s charity that fundraises for the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and Holly Ward (paediatric) at Hinchingbrooke Hospital as well as supporting community children’s services.

The money raised was from the proceeds of a raffle held at the BMRA’s Virtual Annual Dinner event in November 2020, an event normally held in person but sadly cancelled due to the pandemic. 

The amount was further boosted by an employee of the BMRA, Kate Magill, whose family have experienced the children’s services both at Hinchingbrooke and in the community, when she ran the Cambridge Half Marathon in March 2020. In total £4,511.00 was raised. 

Ms Burrage said: “We were so disappointed to not hold our Annual Dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. We were thrilled to be able to hold a virtual raffle, and were humbled that despite not meeting in person, our members were still able to donate generously despite a difficult year for everyone. I am delighted that the BMRA have been able to help purchase three AccuVein machines in the last two years.”  

Anne-Marie Hamilton, Chairman of Dreamdrops said: “We are thrilled to bits to receive such a generous donation from The British Metals Recycling Association as this ‘cutting edge’ equipment will be invaluable to assist staff who are caring for children in A&E who require cannulation, as well as those who are cared for by the Specialist Nursing Team in the local community.  It is extremely difficult to locate veins, particularly in very small children, and having the benefit of an AccuVein to help, will make a significant difference to the experience of young patients receiving treatment.”  

Read the press release on the dreamdrops website: https://dreamdropschildrenscharity.org/news/

Notes to Editors: 

The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) is the trade association representing the £7 billion UK Metal Recycling sector. It has been headquartered in Huntingdonshire at Hinchingbrooke Business Park. Members of the public can use the BMRA website to find a metal recycler: www.recyclemetals.org.
 
Dreamdrops fundraises for two units at Hinchingbrooke Hospital as well as supporting community children’s services. The units at the Huntingdon hospital are the Children’s Unit – Holly Ward – which provides care for children, and the Special Care Baby Unit, Huntingdonshire’s only neo-natal unit which cares for premature and sick babies. The money raised by the charity is used to provide those things that the NHS simply cannot afford but would love to have.  It is those items that can help make a child more comfortable, allow a young patient to go home to their family, get the latest equipment to improve a patient’s experience, and take a bit of the stress away. www.dreamdropschildrenscharity.org.