We’ve had the big ones, now it’s the turn of their small – but equally important – cubs!
A recent shipment from abroad saw the delivery of 29 giant panda sculptures to a secret location close to Cambridge – set to grace the streets of the city for Addenbrooke’s Charity’s Panda Meander art trail in March 2027, raising money for children’s services at Addenbrooke’s and the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
Last week, 39 panda cubs were delivered to the grounds of Cambridge City Football club, ahead of a special ‘Inspiration workshop’ for the schools and community groups who have signed up to decorate a cub as part of the Panda Meander Schools and Community Groups Programme (Cub Club), sponsored by Prologis.
After a morning’s photographic session on the pitch, the cubs were taken back inside, where Wild in Art led a workshop, giving practical guidance and tips on how to decorate the cubs.
As well as being shown how to decorate their cubs, schools and community groups taking part were given a talk by a team of Cambridge Children’s Hospital staff, who updated them on the progress of the new hospital and how signing up to Panda Meander will help bring the specialist children’s hospital to the region.
It was very exciting to welcome all 39 Cub Club members to our Cub Club Inspiration workshop and for them to feel part of something truly special.
Schools and Community Groups from across Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire have signed up to be part of the Panda Meander Trail, including both primaries and secondaries.
The trail will be accessible to all with both mainstream and SEND schools/organisations taking part in the Cub Club, including Rowan Humberstone, an arts-centred organisation focusing on adults with learning disabilities, and Pilgrim Pathways, an alternative school provider at Addenbrooke’s.
SEND schools taking part are: The Castle School in Cambridge, Riverwalk School, Martin Bacon Academy, and Prestley Wood Academy.
Panda Meander will hit the streets of Cambridge from 20 March to 30 May 2027 – with 30 giant panda sculptures, and 39 panda ‘cubs’ – taking trail visitors around some of Cambridge’s most iconic landmarks.
Panda Meander will be the city’s third sculpture trail and is brought to the city by Addenbrooke’s and Wild in Art – with proceeds going towards making children’s services at Addenbrooke’s even better and building Cambridge Children’s Hospital, the first specialist children’s hospital in the east of England.
The East of England is the only region in the UK without a specialist children’s hospital. This unique new hospital, to be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, will be the first in the world to fully integrate the mental and physical health of young patients, alongside world-leading research.
Cambridge Children’s Hospital will be spread over five floors and include 108 inpatient beds, 16 paediatric intensive care beds, 42 day-case beds, seven operating theatres, imaging and diagnostics, a hospital school and a 5,000 square metre research institute.
The workshop ended with the moment everyone had been waiting for… Cub Club members collecting their panda cub sculptures to take back to their schools and groups!
Sophie Thomas, Addenbrooke’s Charity’s Cub Club Leader, said: “It was very exciting to welcome all 39 Cub Club members to our Cub Club Inspiration workshop and for our members to feel part of something truly special.
“The workshop ended with the moment everyone had been waiting for… Cub Club members collecting their panda cub sculptures to take back to their schools and groups!
“Their paw-some journey will now begin as pupils bring their ideas to life, and then see their imaginative creations proudly placed in our city-wide trail.”
Cub Club members pick up their cubsthe Panda Meander teamDropping off panda cubs for excited Cub Club members
Tom Osborne, Public Relations Manager for Prologis UK, said: “It was a real pleasure to meet the schools and community groups taking part in Panda Meander, hear their plans, and see Cub Club get under way at its first main event.
“As Panda Meander’s Schools & Community Group Partner, Prologis is delighted to support a project that gives young people the chance to be creative, work together and contribute to something the whole city can enjoy. We look forward to seeing their creativity brought to life through their cub designs and to the trail helping raise funds for Addenbrooke’s Charity and the Cambridge Children’s Hospital.”
Alice Dewey, CEO at Cambridge City Football Club, said: “It was fantastic to host the Cub Club Inspiration Event, especially as we are also proud to participate and sponsor a Cub ourselves. We will be seeking design ideas from our players and supporters to decorate our Cub, and it will be available for fans and visitors to see at the end of the trail.
“We’re also thrilled to be supporting Addenbrooke’s Charity as our charity of the year throughout this season, and we look forward to our ongoing collaboration with this amazing cause.”
Giant pandas from the trail will be auctioned off by Panda Meander’s Lead Trail Partner, Cheffins, at a special auction in June next year, with all funds going to children’s services at Addenbrooke’s and the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
Jane Horwood from Trash Chic, photography: Richard Marsham
“If there’s one message I want to share, it’s this: if you’ve had breast cancer and experience any new and unexplained symptoms – in my case back pain – insist on a referral to a specialist who can get you in for an MRI. Be proactive, be persistent, be demanding if you have to be.”
With an estimated 61,000 people in the UK currently living with metastatic breast cancer (Breast Cancer Now 2025), Cambridge’s Jane Horwood is sharing her story to raise vital awareness this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Diagnosed with secondary cancer in her spine at the end of August, three days before her 67th birthday, the news came after five months of worsening back pain which eventually left her struggling to walk.
“I’d lifted a deadweight at the gym and initially thought it must be that; that it was muscular. I had an X-ray and that didn’t show anything, so I was reassured. But the pain just got worse, not better,” explains Jane, who explored every possible avenue to find the cause and a solution – GP visits, painkillers, physio, osteopathy, acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation, yoga.
Founder of preloved fashion brand Trash Chic, Jane would usually be flying around sourcing stock and staging pop-ups, but by August, she was practically housebound. “I remember this one morning, a Tuesday morning, when I couldn’t get out of bed,” recounts Jane. “I was screaming, I was in agony. I mean I’d been struggling for a while, but that morning it was just hell. My husband, Robert, came up and said ‘What’s going on?’ and I said ‘It’s just crazy, I can’t stand it, there’s something not right at all’.”
Finally self-referring for an MRI, “the phone rang at 9am next morning and it was the doctor saying ‘You need to come down here’. Suddenly I was having this bombshell thrown at me: ‘Now it’s just a case of pain management, basically.’ I was like ‘What???’ – I could not believe it. When I got home I Googled ‘lower back pain + history of breast cancer + osteoporosis’ and what came up? Cancer of the spine with fractures. Had it not been for that MRI, I don’t know if or when the cancer would have been discovered.”
The MRI had revealed secondaries in Jane’s clavicles, spine, ribs and pelvis and three spinal fractures. When she was first treated for breast cancer in 2024, alerted by “this funny wrinkly patch on one boob”, no migratory cells were detected in her lymph nodes. When surgeons performed her lumpectomy, they excised the nearest nodes “just to be on the safe side really – it was very much a case of no stone left unturned”. Radiotherapy and medication followed. Making a good recovery and with a recent check-up mammogram coming back all-clear, “the cancer was honestly the last thing on my mind,” adds Jane.
“It’s hard not to feel angry when you see this disease stealing from people you love. But after Jo’s death and Jane’s diagnosis, I wanted to channel that energy into something positive – they’re both such positive people, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“If I can give one practical piece of advice, it’s to take someone with you along to your appointments. Often they can see what you can’t see and they can advocate for you. I thought I’d made it very clear how much pain I was in, but when you’re in the middle of it and you’re exhausted, sometimes you need someone else to say: ‘Do you realise how bad this has got? Something’s really wrong.’”
As well as having radiotherapy and bone-strengthening drugs, Jane has opted into a trial. Needing to focus on her health, she’s made the difficult decision to close her fashion brand – Trash Chic, known for selling one-of-a-kind vintage, preloved and upcycled clothing. Wanting the business ‘to go out on a high and do some good too’, she is selling all her remaining stock and donating the proceeds to Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.
Taking place in the main mall of Cambridge’s Grand Arcade on Saturday 24 October, 10am to 5pm, all proceeds from the closing down sale will go towards supporting cancer services at Addenbrooke’s, including helping to build the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.
With every piece sourced personally by Jane, a former fashion and graphic designer with an eye for cool and confidence-boosting clothing, shoppers can expect to find everything from faux furs and sequin kimonos to slogan tees and camo trousers. Adds Jane: “Organised by my friend Alice Ryan, editor of Velvet magazine, and hosted by the brilliant team at Grand Arcade, it’s a chance not only to support this important cause, but also to bag a real bargain: everything on the rails will be 50% off.”
Trash Chich modelled by Luana Martignon, Method Studios PhotographyTrash Chic modelled by Liz Barker, Method Studios Photography
The impetus to raise both funds and awareness was increased when, in the same week Jane received her diagnosis, a mutual friend of hers and Alice’s, Jo Thorndike, died suddenly and swiftly from secondary cancer. Like Jane, Jo previously had breast cancer, undergoing treatment in the early days of the pandemic. After developing abdominal pain in July, she ended up being admitted to hospital where tests revealed metastases in both her bones and organs. She died on August 26. She was 57.
“Jo was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago. It was devastating but in a strange, profound way, it also sharpened her perspective. It gave her the freedom to talk about what mattered… and she lived, really lived, with courage, humour and clarity,” her husband, Peter, says.
Alongside husband Peter, her partner of four decades, Jo was co-founder of art-meets-fashion brand Community of Creatives. She’d quit a corporate career to live a more creative life, first becoming a florist, then a stylist and, with Peter providing pop-art flair, an upcycler of preloved clothes. The venture took her and Peter to London Fashion Week with a group of students they’d mentored as part of an Oxfam project: the catwalk not only showcased planet-friendly fashion at its brightest and best, it gave confidence to young creatives just starting out. It was, says Peter, ‘pure Jo’.
“Jo was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago. It was devastating but in a strange, profound way, it also sharpened her perspective. It gave her the freedom to talk about what mattered… and she lived, really lived, with courage, humour and clarity,” he says.
“Jo would want to be remembered exactly as she was: passionate, feisty, loving, intuitive, bold, creative, generous and utterly herself. A woman who lived authentically and with intention. A woman who was beautiful and made things beautiful. A woman who loved deeply. A woman who changed the world around her in ways both quiet and dazzling.”
Says Alice: “I met both Jane and Jo through Velvet: their clothes have appeared many times in our shoots and Jo even modelled for one of our covers. Over time, both these women have become far more than contacts and collaborators; they’re my friends.
“It’s hard not to feel angry when you see this disease stealing from people you love. But after Jo’s death and Jane’s diagnosis, I wanted to channel that energy into something positive – they’re both such positive people, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Helping Jane to organise this fundraiser, and helping raise awareness of secondary cancer in the process, is the least I can do. None of this would be possible without the support of Jane’s amazing friends, dozens of whom are volunteering their time to help on the sale day, or without the team at Grand Arcade, who are generously hosting us in the main mall.”
Jo and Peter modelling their clothing collections for Velvet at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, credit Elodie Giuge Jo and Peter modelling their clothing collections for Velvet at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, credit Elodie Giuge Jo modelling her and her husband’s clothing collections for Velvet at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge, credit Elodie Giuge
Jane’s seasonal Trash Chic pop-up shop has become a fixture at Grand Arcade over recent years. “Jane is part of the Grand Arcade family, so as soon as we heard about the charity sale we wanted to help,” says the centre’s marketing manager Julie Kervadec.
“Jane has an incredible eye and Trash Chic will really be missed. This final pop-up is a chance to buy something beautiful for your wardrobe at a bargain price, knowing you’re supporting an important cause in the process – what could be better?”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Around 59,400 people are diagnosed every year – that’s roughly 160 a day – and 1 in 7 UK women will be diagnosed with it at some point in their life (Beat Breast Cancer 2026).
“If there’s one message I want to share, it’s this: if you’ve had breast cancer and experience any new and unexplained symptoms – in my case back pain – insist on a referral to a specialist who can get you in for an MRI. Be proactive, be persistent, be demanding if you have to be.”
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust has proudly funded many breast cancer projects over its 30-year history, including a £1.2m grant to seed-fund Professor Jean Abraham’s research into a new approach to treating breast cancers. The groundbreaking Personalised Breast Cancer Programme is now a multi-site programme across several hospitals and has helped change the lives of over 1,000 patients. In 2025, Professor Abraham announced that a ground-breaking trial had led to 100% survival rates for patients taking part in the three-year trial – an incredible result that draws a direct line back to that early funding that was made possible by the charity’s extraordinary fundraisers.
As well as sophisticated groundbreaking research, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust has also supported everyday improvements for breast cancer patients, including wrapping mammography machines so that they are less daunting to patients undertaking scans. Recently, the charity has funded the SPY Portable Scanning Equipment project which is looking at the benefits of using tech in breast surgery, which, among other benefits, is reducing the risk of patients needing to return to theatre for repeat surgery, and additional sentinel lymph node accuracy which is used to indicate whether a cancer has spread.
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trustcontinues to raise funds that transform cancer services today, as well as raising money to help build the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. This new hospital will bring together world-leading cancer research and clinical care, helping to detect cancer earlier, develop more effective treatments, and improve outcomes for patients locally and around the world.
What: Trash Chic 50% off charity sale Where: Main Mall, Grand Arcade, Cambridge When: Saturday, October 24, 10am-5pm Why: To raise money for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust in support of cancer services
Addenbrooke’s Charity has been crowned Charity of the Year at the 2026 National Charity Today Awards – widely recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the charitable sector. ACT also topped the Fundraiser of the Year and public-voted People’s Choice Award categories, as well as being highly commended in Volunteer of the Year and PR Team of the Year. With three wins and two runner-up placements, ACT was the most awarded finalist at yesterday’s awards ceremony.
We do an extraordinary range of brilliant things and it never, ever – not in the eight years I’ve worked for the charity – fails to stop me in my tracks and think ‘This is incredible’.
Accepting the Charity of the Year award alongside members of the team, Director of Communications & Impact Paul White said: “When I first got into this sector, I thought ‘If we get this right, we can change the world’ and 20-odd years later I am in absolutely no doubt that we genuinely do change the world. Whether that’s by improving an individual’s experience of a day in hospital or creating a new cure for a disease that impacts people all over the world, we all play a part in making this world a better place.
“Our charity, Addenbrooke’s Charity, has been around for 30 years and in that time we’ve stood with researchers, clinicians, nurses, midwives, volunteers, supporters, fundraisers. Together we share this relentless drive to push what’s possible in healthcare for the ones we love.”
Sally Laight, Volunteer of the Year – Highly CommendedDanni Smith, PR Team of the Year – Highly CommendedJack Sibbons, Fundraiser of the Year – Winner
Funding cutting-edge equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and pioneering research that helps change and save lives, above and beyond what the NHS can provide, ACT has been supporting innovation in patient care at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals in Cambridge for three decades. Over that period, supporters have raised more than £150 million to fund everything from cancer research and a robotic surgeon to children’s laughter and play specialists. The charity is now supporting the development of two new hospitals, both set to revolutionise care in the East of England: Cambridge Children’s Hospital and Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.
Added Paul: “Thanks to the extraordinary commitment of people like Sally who volunteers for us, or Jack who runs marathons for us, or Alfred’s parents who do amazing fundraising for us, we get to make projects happen that give women with ovarian cancer more time to spend with their families; give patients who’ve got incurable kidney cancer hope of a long, healthy future; create spaces that remove the fear and anxiety that children go through when they come into hospital; and bring hope that conditions like Parkinson’s might one day be cured.
“We do an extraordinary range of brilliant things and it never, ever – not in the eight years I’ve worked for the charity – fails to stop me in my tracks and think ‘This is incredible’. I feel slightly fraudulent standing here and accepting this award, as I know it wouldn’t have happened without all the brilliant people we work with: the lovely people who work for the charity and the amazing people who give up their time, sometimes because of really challenging circumstances, to give back. So thank you to all of them. And thank you to the awards team too: this is really special for us.”
“When I first got into this sector, I thought ‘If we get this right, we can change the world’ and 20-odd years later I am in absolutely no doubt that we genuinely do change the world.”
Winner of the People’s Choice Award, which was decided by a public vote, was Alfred’s Potato Day. Inspired by their 5-year-old son Alfred and the random ‘pet potato’ he found in hospital grounds during his 19-month treatment for neuroblastoma, parents Carla and Dave Johnson, from Tiptree, launched the fundraiser in his memory last November. Inviting supporters to place potatoes anywhere and everywhere – from skyscrapers to dance studios – the event invited donations from participants and captured imaginations the world over.
Carla and Dave Johnson winning the People’s Choice AwardsAlfred’s Potato DayAlfred Johnson with his ‘pet’ potato
Crediting ACT-funded services such as play and laughter specialists with helping Alfred ‘smile through it all’, right up until his death shortly before his 6th birthday, the Johnsons hope Alfred’s Potato Day, which takes place on November 21 this year, will become an annual fixture.
Taking a potato on stage with them to accept the award – complete with stick-on googly eyes, something else Alfred loved to play with while undergoing treatment – Carla and Dave also sneakily placed a spud on every table ahead of the ceremony. Sparking conversations around the room, it wasn’t until the People’s Choice category was announced that guests realised their significance.
Carla said: “Thank you so much everyone who voted. And also thank you very much to Addenbrooke’s Charity, because our son Alfred – we have him represented here with his cuddly toy and a potato – had treatment at Addenbrooke’s for 19 months for a really rare and aggressive cancer. Sadly, he didn’t make it, but we fundraised in his memory by fulfilling a promise that we made to him to replace a potato we found on the grounds of Addenbrooke’s.
“While we had our 19 months of treatment at Addenbrooke’s, every step along the way, we came across staff, services, equipment, medical trials, wonderful people, all who wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for Addenbrooke’s Charity. They fund so many incredible things, from play workers through to special scanning machines; just so many things you don’t really think about, but they make the journey an awful lot better.
Jack Sibbons with twin Amy De Silva and nephew Chester
“You might notice on the tables there are potatoes – you have probably all been wondering ‘Why is there a potato on the table?’ The idea of Alfred’s Potato Day is that on November 21 this year, we are going to leave a potato in an unexpected place and encourage everyone else to do the same, and to raise money on our Just Giving page for Addenbrooke’s Charity. And now that you all have a potato, I’m afraid you are all in on it as well – if you do want to take part, you can google Alfred’s Potato Day 2026 and find all the details.”
Colchester’s Jack Sibbons – who ran the 2026 London Marathon for twin sister Amy De Silva and baby nephew Chester, whose lives were both saved by Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals – won Fundraiser of the Year. When Amy was diagnosed with leukaemia at 10 weeks pregnant, doctors told her she may not be able to keep her son, yet despite going through four rounds of chemo and recurrent sepsis, both mum and baby made it. Through sponsorship and events, Jack raised a staggering £43,000 in a matter of months for the charity.
Speaking after the ceremony, Jack said: “I am just delighted to give some form of payback to the hospital that saved my sister’s life and baby Chester’s as well. You are the reason I ran the marathon, Sis – I’ve done it for you and am so happy, obviously, that you and Chester are here to see it. For ACT to win Charity of the Year just topped it off – it’s been a brilliant day.”
Cambridge’s Sally Laight was highly commended in the Volunteer of the Year category. Sally credits the NHS with saving her life ‘20 times over’ during a four-year battle with colon cancer, which saw her undergo multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and emergency care for septic shock. Based in Cambridge, she started volunteering to give something back to Addenbrooke’s, where she was treated, and within a year became ACT’s most prolific volunteer. Her voluntary work sees her support people waiting in Oncology, including fellow cancer patients. Accepting her trophy, Sally said: “Addenbrooke’s has been amazing: thank you for the opportunity, thank you for everything.”
Comprising just six staff members, ACT’s communications team was also highly commended in the PR Team of the Year category. Between them, they operate multiple campaigns annually across all platforms, reaching millions through print and digital press coverage alone. A focus on finding and sharing human-interest stories drives this engagement, with ACT’s Amazing People, the team’s own flagship show on Cambridge Radio, developed and presented by PR and Communications Lead Danni Smith.
Danni Smith with Gavin Richards of Cambridge Radio Sally Laight volunteering at a charity fundraiser
Speaking at the ceremony, Danni said: “At the heart of everything we do, it’s all about the people: the clinicians, the researchers, the volunteers, the fundraisers. We’ve got some very special fundraisers with us today, who’ve let us into their lives during some really hard times, and we really appreciate that. So this for all of you – thank you.”
The gala final of the 2026 National Charity Today Awards was held at Holiday Inn Peterborough West. With a blue and gold theme, which extended to the dress code, the daytime ceremony had all the glamour of an evening event, complete with celebratory balloon décor, a sit-down dinner and live entertainment between the presentations. A raffle was held in aid of the Charity of the Year, with £300 therefore going to ACT at the end of the day.
Created to celebrate “organisations and individuals who demonstrate exceptional impact, innovation and dedication to making communities better”, the National Charity Today Awards are sponsored by Sinclair Method UK and feature a rigorous judging process led by industry experts and sector leaders.
Alfred’s Potato Day: the story of a little boy’s legacy
On November 15 last year, potatoes began popping up in the strangest places. On a skyscraper balcony in Hong Kong. At a Scottish Country Dancing class in Detroit. In front of Peterborough Cathedral. And all over the grounds of Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.
The guerrilla operation was part of Alfred’s Potato Day, a fundraiser held in memory of 5-year-old Alfred Johnson who, while undergoing 19 months of gruelling treatment for stage four high-risk neuroblastoma, found a random spud sitting on the grass on his route to daily treatment and ‘adopted’ it.
“Whatever the outcome, we wanted today to be the best it could be for Alfred. And I can honestly say that he had some really happy times at the hospital – in fact he loved it there. It became so familiar to him, he felt like he owned the place.”
“We had to visit it every day on our way to treatment; he liked to check on it,” smiles mum Carla. “Then one day it wasn’t there – or it was, but it had been mown over and squashed! We promised Alfred we’d replace the potato next time we went back to the hospital, not knowing then that we wouldn’t be going back. . .”
Tragically, Alfred’s cancer had gone beyond treatment and he died in August 2025, just a month before his 6th birthday. “It sounds mad, but we knew he’d want us to go back and replace the potato for him, so we did,” continues Carla. “And that’s how Alfred’s Potato Day came about.”
Along with “a never-ending curiosity in the world around him”, Alfred had, says Carla, a tireless sense of fun – the silliness of having a ‘pet potato’ tickled him. “Alfred loved to play. Of course he did. He was 5 years old. But Alfred loved to play even when the high-dose chemo was so strong it had wiped out all of his bone marrow.”
Set to become an annual fixture, the debut Potato Day event spread across the world via nothing more than worth of mouth. As well as placing tubers in strange places for others to discover and wonder over, just like Alfred did, supporters ate jacket potato lunches, whipped up batches of potato soup and, in the case of one Johnson family friend, even dressed up as a potato.
Every participant was invited to make a donation to Addenbrooke’s Charity, whose supporters fund many of the services and activities that brought Alfred joy in what could have been the darkest of times, from the play and laughter specialists, toys and games to the arts programmes. In total, £1,180 was raised.
“I actually work for a children’s mental health charity myself,” says Carla. “People might think things to make kids smile are kind of secondary when they’re in hospital; the main thing is saving their life, which, yeah, fair enough. But actually, you’re not going to get through the treatment if you don’t feel resilient, and you’re not going to feel resilient if you don’t feel like the hospital is a place you want to be.”
Seemingly small things – like playing with a toy MRI machine ahead of a scan, reducing fear and stress of the real thing – can make a big difference, adds Carla. “Because those things aren’t statutorily funded, supporting ACT is a good way to make sure they are happening; to make sure that other children can benefit. It sounds cheesy, but supporting ACT is our way of giving back.”
It was in the January of 2024 that Alfred, suffering with recurrent tummy aches, first went to the doctor. On the third visit, with no explanation obvious, he was referred to hospital for ‘belt and braces’ tests. His parents, Carla and Dave, thought he might have a dairy or gluten intolerance; aside from his tummy problems, Alfred was fit, well and – passionate about everything from arts, crafts and gardening to volcanoes – as full of beans as always.
“We’re doing something that we know Alfred loved, and if it makes other people smile – if it makes someone at Addenbrooke’s walking past ask themselves why on Earth there’s a potato there and pop back and visit – that’s brilliant.”
Within an hour of the first scan being done, the Johnsons’ world was upended. A 17cm tumour – “about the size of a watermelon” – was discovered in Alfred’s abdomen, along with metastases on his liver and lung. Transferred by ambulance to Addenbrooke’s that same morning, Alfred’s treatment began immediately.
“I didn’t know what it meant at that time; whether he’d live, whether he’d die,” recounts Carla. “But both Dave and I were of the same mindset: whatever the outcome, we wanted today to be the best it could be for Alfred. And I can honestly say that he had some really happy times at the hospital – in fact he loved it there. It became so familiar to him, he felt like he owned the place.”
Alfred with his favourite toy and his dinosaur-themed art.
“He knew he was getting medicine to hopefully make himself get better,” continues Carla, who initially described the cancer to Alfred as a ‘cheeky tumour’. “Even though he didn’t like being poked and prodded, he knew the people there were doing it for good reasons. And he really trusted and he really loved them all. And that really surprised me.”
Alfred, from Tiptree, Essex, battled through aggressive induction chemo, abdominal surgery to remove the main tumour, high-dose chemo that wiped out his bone marrow as well as a life-saving stem cell transplant, 20 sessions of radiotherapy and months of immunotherapy. Following his relapse in early 2025, he went through a further eight months of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Throughout everything – and despite serious complications that caused sickness, loss of appetite, veno-occlusive disease and dangerous levels of pressure behind the eyes – he still found joy in every day.
“For people on the outside looking in, it was hard to believe how ill Alfred was, as he really didn’t let cancer and hospital get in the way of having a great time,” says Carla. “Even when bedbound and in isolation, he still managed to have fun, making friends with hospital staff and other patients, playing with his favourite toy Mee Mee, watching Wallace and Gromit films, playing hide and seek in his hospital room, learning about volcanoes and earthquakes and coming up with new crafts and inventions. . . Even when we were at the hospice, he got all the staff on board to create a lemonade stand for him to make and sell lemonade.”
Bright, enquiring and engaging, Alfred’s interests were many and varied. Nursing an ambition to become a farmer, he enjoyed tending his vegetables and herb garden at home – and adored the wildflowers grown at Addenbrooke’s so much, Carla has them tattooed on her abdomen along the same line as Alfred’s surgery scar.
Alfred loved spending time with his family and friends; Carla recounts him getting up early every morning he was at home to play with his sister, Matilda, now 9, and “making cake mix out of anything he could find in the kitchen”. A natural explorer, he enjoyed trips to the Lake District, Norfolk and Cornwall, going up mountains, inside mines, to the beach and playing in fields and woods, and scooting all over the Addenbrooke’s site – which is how he, Carla and Dave stumbled across that first, now-famous potato.
Taking place on November 21, Alfred’s Potato Day 2026 is set to be even bigger than the first. Updates are being shared @AlfredTheGreatest on Instagram and participants are encouraged to share their potato fun using #AlfredsPotatoDay.
Potatoes everywhere!Alfred’s Potato DayAlfred at Addenbrooke’s
Says Carla: “Wherever you are in the world you can take part, you just need to leave a potato somewhere safe but unexpected – we don’t want potatoes in the middle of the road or anything like that! But leave a potato somewhere in your local area and if you google Alfred’s Potato Day 2026, you can find our Just Giving page where we are fundraising and there’s also information on there about how to tell us about where you are in the world. If anyone doesn’t feel entirely comfortable leaving a potato in an unexpected location, we are also encouraging people to cook their favourite potato meal, so that might be mashed potato and gravy, it might be a baked potato with your favourite topping – anything potato related and you can get involved.”
“We’re doing something that we know Alfred loved,” Carla adds. “And if it makes other people smile – if it makes someone at Addenbrooke’s walking past ask themselves why on Earth there’s a potato there and pop back and visit – that’s brilliant.”
As Carla wrote in her eulogy for her son: “Alfred didn’t get the chance he deserved to make a name for himself. But there are some things you can do to keep his memory alive. Never stop being curious about the world around you. Be a kind friend, and find a bit of silliness in every day. Plant some flowers and grow some veg. Buy all the craft supplies; cover everything in wool and glitter. Do whatever you can to make this world one where no child dies, whether by cancer, war, poverty or other illnesses.”
A special delivery of 29 giant pandas and 40 panda cubs has arrived in the UK – brilliant white sculptures set to be decorated and celebrated as part of the Panda Meander art trail coming to Cambridge in Spring 2027.
An array of beautiful and unique designs, from artists in Cambridge and across the UK, have been selected by a host of local businesses sponsoring a panda to raise funds to build the first specialist children’s hospital for the East of England as well as supporting children’s services at Addenbrooke’s.
The Panda Meander art trail will be Wild in Art’s third trail in the city and is hosted by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT). The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and pioneering research that helps change and save lives, for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, above and beyond what the NHS can provide.
Never did I ever think in my professional life that I would be quality controlling a large panda, but I’m pleased that they’ve arrived in one piece from their journey from a factory in Poland.
Already, friendly little black and white panda decals are springing up all over Cambridge – peeking out from shop windows across the City, popping up online, and in bus shelters and on digital billboards – as well as Addenbrooke’s.
Teasing the trail, the friendly animals – known for their playfulness in real life – will soon be popping up on the back of delivery lorries from the Welch Group too, ACT’s logistics partner for the trail.
The last time real pandas were in the UK was when Tian Tian and Yang Guang were loaned to Edinburgh Zoo, where they lived from 2011 until their return to China in 2023.
They’re the most popular cargo we’ve ever had on board, and I’m not sure any load has made more people smile.
But in an exciting turn of events, pandas returned to the UK with an overnight shipment of 29 giant pandas and 40 panda cubs delivered to Welch Group’s warehouse first thing on Thursday morning (8 October).
Pandas lined up inside a lorry arriving at Welch Group
Matt Moore, Head of Commercial at Welch Group, joked that pandas were a ‘first’ for the company, saying: “We have moved parcels, pallets, plant machinery and planes, but 29 giant pandas is a first. They’re the most popular cargo we’ve ever had on board, and I’m not sure any load has made more people smile. Cambridge is counting on them, so we took extra care to get every one there safe, sound and with their paws firmly on the ground.”
Celebrating the delivery with a welcoming party from ACT, Georgia Pallett, ACT’s Wild in Art Project Manager, said: “It’s been a fantastic morning watching our pandas and cubs be unloaded safely into Welch Group’s warehouse ahead of being painted by artists, schools, and community groups later this month.”
“Never did I ever think in my professional life that I would be quality controlling a large panda, but I’m pleased that they’ve arrived in one piece from their journey from a factory in Poland. Today has been such a fun part of Panda Meander’s journey, and it’s made the team even more excited for what’s to come in Spring 2027! We’re incredibly grateful for all the logistics support that the Welch Group are kindly providing to the charity for this trail to help us raise funds to build the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital as well as supporting children’s services at Addenbrooke’s.”
Cambridge Children’s Hospital will be the first in the world to fully integrate the mental and physical health of young patients, alongside world-leading research. Building works are due to start next year, with construction set to complete by the end of 2030.
The hospital will be spread over five floors and include 108 inpatient beds, 16 paediatric intensive care beds, 42 day-case beds, seven operating theatres, imaging and diagnostics, a hospital school and a 5,000 square metre research institute.
Save the date
Panda Meander will hit the streets of Cambridge from 20 March to 30 May 2027. A total of 30 giant panda sculptures, including the original ‘hero’ sculpture decorated with striking black and white illustrations of famous Cambridge landmarks from artist Robin Mackney, will take visitors to some of the city’s most iconic buildings and places of interest. Also included in the trail will be mini pandas, known as cubs, decorated by schools and community groups.
The giant pandas will be auctioned off by ACT’s Lead Trail Partner, Cheffins, at a special farewell auction at the end of June 2027.
Sally Laight volunteering at a charity fundraiserAlfred Johnson with his ‘pet’ potatoJack Sibbons with twin Amy De Silva and nephew Chester
A marathon runner inspired by his twin’s leukaemia battle, parents fundraising in memory of their 5-year-old son and a volunteer who supports her fellow oncology patients have all made the finals of this year’s National Charity Today Awards in recognition of their work with Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT).
The official hospital charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, ACT has been shortlisted in five categories altogether: Fundraiser of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, PR Team of the Year, Charity of the Year and the People’s Choice Award. The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and pioneering research that helps change and save lives, above and beyond what the NHS can provide.
With the National Charity Today Awards widely recognised as the ‘Oscars’ of the UK charitable sector, to be shortlisted is, says ACT’s Director of Communications & Impact Paul White, a real achievement. “We have a small team and this is testament not only to their skills, but also their dedication; they are incredibly passionate about everything we fund, from the pioneering research projects to the children’s play specialists. More than that, it gives well-deserved recognition to our fundraisers and volunteers, without whom none of this work would be possible. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them all: our staff and our supporters are brilliant and these shortlistings recognise that.”
Alfred’s Potato Day
In the running for the People’s Choice Award – decided by a public vote, open from now until October 12 – is Alfred’s Potato Day. Inspired by their 5-year-old son Alfred and the random ‘pet potato’ he found in hospital grounds during his 19-month treatment for neuroblastoma, parents Carla and Dave Johnson launched the fundraiser in his memory last November. Inviting supporters to place potatoes anywhere and everywhere – from skyscrapers to dance studios – the event invited donations from participants and captured imaginations the world over. Crediting ACT-funded services such as play and laughter specialists with helping Alfred ‘smile through it all’, right up until his death shortly before his 6th birthday, the Johnsons hope Potato Day, which takes place on November 21 this year, will become an annual fixture.
Our fundraisers are selfless with their time and generosity in helping to make a real difference to patients and families, often at very difficult moments in their own lives.
Shortlisted for Fundraiser of the Year is Colchester’s Jack Sibbons, who ran the 2026 London Marathon for twin sister Amy De Silva and baby nephew Chester, whose lives were both saved by Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals. When Amy was diagnosed with leukaemia at 10 weeks pregnant, doctors told her she may not be able to keep her son, yet despite going through four rounds of chemo and recurrent sepsis, both mum and baby made it. Through sponsorship and events, Jack raised a staggering £43,000 in a matter of months for the charity.
Says Emily Wildigg, ACT’s Community Relationships Manager: “Our fundraisers are selfless with their time and generosity in helping to make a real difference to patients and families, often at very difficult moments in their own lives. It is a true privilege to celebrate their achievements and recognise their dedication. We’re incredibly proud of everything they do and grateful for the lasting impact they have on our hospitals.”
Cambridge’s Sally Laight is a finalist in the Volunteer of the Year category. Sally credits the NHS with saving her life ‘20 times over’ during a four-year battle with colon cancer, which saw her undergo multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and emergency care for septic shock. Based in Cambridge, she started volunteering to give something back to Addenbrooke’s, where she was treated, and within a year became ACT’s most prolific volunteer. Her voluntary work sees her support people waiting in Oncology, including fellow cancer patients.
Comments Volunteer Programme Lead Alex Innes: “In many ways, our volunteers help celebrate why Addenbrooke’s is such an important and valued hospital. They recognise the impact hospital staff have on our lives and those of our loved ones, and they want to show their support in a tangible way.”
ACT’s staff and volunteers at workGavin Richards of Cambridge Radio with Danni Smith
Comprising just six staff members, ACT’s communications team has made the shortlist for PR Team of the Year. Between them, they operate multiple campaigns annually across all platforms, reaching millions – even billions – through print and digital press coverage alone. A focus on finding and sharing human-interest stories drives this engagement, with ACT’s Amazing People – the team’s own show on Cambridge Radio, developed and presented by PR and Communications Lead Danni Smith – a flagship.
Says Danni: “At the heart of everything we do is the special relationship we have, not just with hospital staff but patients and fundraisers too, who never cease to amaze us with their loyalty to Addenbrooke’s and our charity, as well as their dedication and willingness to share their personal experiences and journeys with us during some of the most difficult moments in their lives.
“The fact that they are still able to think of others while navigating their own challenges is what makes all of them so special. So really, this nomination is for them. For the hospital teams and researchers who work tirelessly throughout the year to push the boundaries of what is possible for patients, and for our fundraisers who so selflessly share their experiences to raise awareness and to help others. The charity wouldn’t be what it is today, nor achieve half of what it does, without them. So, thank you.”
Finally, ACT is in contention for Charity of the Year. ACT has been supporting innovation in patient care at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals in Cambridge for three decades. In that time, its supporters have raised more than £150 million to fund everything from cancer research and a robotic surgeon to children’s laughter and play specialists. The charity is now supporting the development of two new hospitals, both set to revolutionise care in the East of England: Cambridge Children’s Hospital and Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.
The winners of the 2026 National Charity Today Awards will be announced at a gala final on October 14. Created to celebrate “organisations and individuals who demonstrate exceptional impact, innovation and dedication to making communities better”, the awards are sponsored by Sinclair Method UK and feature a rigorous judging process led by industry experts and sector leaders.
A portable backpack for young cancer patients to allow them to spend less time in hospital and more time at home with family and pioneering infrared scanners that are improving the five-year survival rates in cancer patients by up to 28% are just some of the many projects being funded by supporters of Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT).
Last night’s annual John Addenbrooke Lecture, following the theme Strategy for Life-Changing Care, brought medical experts, clinical staff and ACT donors and supporters together under one roof to hear how funding from the charity is having a huge impact on patient care and outcomes.
As the official hospital charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, ACT funds cutting-edge equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS can provide alone.
Last night’s lecture, held at AstraZeneca’s eye-catching Disc building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, began with a welcome from ACT’s Chief Executive Shelly Thake.
Addressing the special relationship between ACT and the hospitals was Nicola Ayton, Chief Executive of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) which governs Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie as well as Chief Nurse Lorraine Szeremeta.
Nicola Ayeton, Chief Executive, Cambridge University HospitalsLorraine Szeremeta, Chief Nurse, Cambridge University Hospitals
Leading experts on the night included Consultant Paediatric Oncologist Jonathan Abrams, known within his field for pioneering efforts in the UK and around the world to introduce a treatment for young cancer patients which can help protect their hearing whilst receiving cancer treatment.
Jonathan Abrams, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist
Jonathan, who is based at Addenbrooke’s, spoke about plans to introduce a special backpack for young cancer patients which would allow them to have part of their treatment at home.
The backpack – which if introduced at Addenbrooke’s would be a first for the East of England – is to feature as ACT’s Christmas Campaign this year – with supporters of the charity being asked to help fund a trial of the alternative home treatment which will mean young cancer patients will be able to spend more time with loved ones over Christmas and throughout the year.
Currently children receiving chemotherapy at Addenbrooke’s are admitted as inpatients. Following their treatment, patients need to stay in overnight to have a fluid infusion to wash out the toxins in their system so that the chemotherapy can be repeated the following day.
Whilst the chemotherapy has to be administered in a clinical setting, the fluid infusion does not. By providing families with a special CADD backpack – effectively a fluid pump – and some training, families can return home each day and complete the toxin flush at home.
Isabelle and her mum
Guests at the event heard from Isabelle, a young cancer patient with osteosarcoma. Isabelle and her mum talked passionately about what it would have meant for them had they been able to benefit from this new ambulatory service, and what it would mean for future patients to be able to spend as many as 70 extra nights at home in their own beds, rather than in hospital.
Addenbrooke’s award winning Histopathology department, which looks at the study and examination of diseased tissue, was also represented, with a presentation from Jim Neal and Refaie Rassool.
Jim Neal & Refaie Rassool, Advanced Practitioners in Histopathology
Jim, an Advanced Practitioner in breast dissection and Refaie, an Advanced Practitioner and reporting scientist in gastrointestinal pathology, spoke about the huge impact that two lymph node scanners, funded by supporters of ACT, were having on cancer patients – not just in Addenbrooke’s but across the country – with tissue samples sent to the department from across the UK.
Lymph nodes are used to help diagnose cancer and to determine the best treatment plan for patients. Prior to having the two scanners, practitioners would look for lymph nodes manually. However, lymph nodes are traditionally hard to find and are often lost within fat and tissue, making it difficult for practitioners to collect sufficient numbers for accurate diagnosis.
However, using an infrared light, the scanners locate the lymph nodes instantly – saving the need for further biopsies if the first yield is insufficient.
This more thorough examination of lymph nodes leads to more accurate cancer staging and provides clinicians with clearer diagnostic information to help guide decisions on patient treatment.
The impact of the scanners – used across Breast, Head and Neck, and Gastrointestinal cancer services – is huge: improving the five-year survival rates in cancer patients by up to 28%.
Histopathology received national recognition at this year’s Institute of Biomedical Science Awards (IBMS) earlier this year – winning the Best Use of Innovation category, contributing to the department being named Biomedical Science Champion for its impact on patient care.
Paul White, Director of Communications and Impact at ACT, said supporters of the charity are helping CUH deliver its key strategies – allowing the trust to harness research and improve patient outcomes and giving patients access to earlier, more personal and more convenient support in their communities, aided by digital tools and stronger partnerships.
“Last night’s event was an outstanding demonstration of how, together with supporters, researchers and clinicians, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust is pushing what’s possible for patients and staff at our hospitals in so many ways,” he said.
“From transforming the way in which we diagnose cancers using pioneering infrared scanners, reducing anxiety and creating calm by transforming the spaces where patients and staff spend time, to helping children spend more time at home with their families thanks to a simple backpack. All of the projects guests heard about at the event share two things in common.
“Firstly, they make a significant and lasting impact on the care and experience of patients. Secondly, they are devised by staff in the hospital who have a relentless drive to push what’s possible for their patients, and to make sure that every experience they have is the best it can be. We’re proud that together with our supporters we’re able to make these ideas a reality. The evening left us in no doubt of the difference the charity and its supporters can make in helping the hospital to do more than it can achieve alone.”
Claire Billing, ACT’s Director of Fundraising, said: “Every breakthrough we celebrate has been made possible because of people who believe in continuing to push what we are able to do for patients and staff, above and beyond what the NHS is able to do alone.
“As a charity, we are privileged to see first-hand how these investments are transforming lives. This evening is our chance to thank everyone who makes that possible and to show the real-world impact of their support. Together, they are helping to turn pioneering ideas into better care, better outcomes, and brighter futures for patients and their loved ones.”
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Sarah Bush from Cheffins gifting the panda cub to Nadine Gooding-Hébert, Headteacher at Pilgrim Pathways
A donation of a baby panda cub from Cambridge’s first Wild in Art sculpture trail to feature pandas will help keep children undergoing treatment in hospital stay connected to the outside world, says the head of the school which has received the gift.
Addenbrooke Charitable Trust’s (ACT) Panda Meander trail will raise funds for children’s services at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie, including helping to build the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
ACT is the official charity for Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie and funds cutting-edge equipment, specialist staff, extra comforts and vital research above and beyond what the NHS is able to provide and is also raising money to help build both the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and the Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
Sarah Bush from Cheffins with Pilgrim Pathways student Ava
Set to hit the streets of Cambridge in the Spring, the trail will run from March 20th through to May 30th, taking in the whole of Easter and both Bank Holiday Mondays.
Thirty giant panda sculptures will take visitors along a route that features some of Cambridge’s most iconic landmarks. ACT’s media partner for Panda Meander, Cambridge Independent, will next year publish a special pull-out map and guide which will feature the route and include stories and information about the panda designs.
In addition to the giant pandas, there will also be some 30 plus mini panda sculptures – ‘cubs’ as they are being referred to – which will also feature as part of the trail. All of these will be decorated by local schools and community groups as part of ACT’s Learning and Community Programme, sponsored by Prologis, making the trail accessible to all. All the cubs will be homed in indoor locations including the Grand Arcade and the Museum of Zoology.
One of these cubs has been donated to the Pilgrim Pathways school, where teachers work with young patients in Addenbrooke’s to ensure they don’t fall behind with schoolwork during their treatment.
“Being held in mind through the gift from Cheffins and given the opportunity to take part in an art initiative helps our children and young people to stay connected to their wider life and to connect with the parts of their identities which are not defined by illness.”
Panda Meander is ACT’s first Wild in Art sculpture trail – bringing an array of individually-designed pandas to Cambridge, decorated by artists from across Cambridge and the UK.
ACT’s Lead Trail Partner, Cheffins, this week donated a panda cub to Pilgrim Pathways School, reinforcing their ongoing support for children’s services at Addenbrooke’s and the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital, following their £212,000 donation to the charity last year which will see a brand-new, permanent playroom built at the new children’s hospital, leaving a lasting legacy for the region in what was the company’s 200th anniversary year.
Pilgrim Pathways School provides support to school-aged children aged between 4 and 18 with complex physical or mental health needs who are undergoing treatment in hospital, as well as at other medical facilities. Their teachers also work with home-based students, aged 12-18, who are unable to attend school due to complex mental health conditions.
Headteacher Nadine Gooding-Hébert said: “At Addenbrooke’s we work with oncology, neurorehabilitation (road traffic accidents, stroke recovery, serious falls), children who have long-term gastro problems, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell to name a few. In mental health we see a lot of students with high levels of anxiety, eating disorders, depression, OCD, self-harm and suicidal ideation. Many of our students have a high level of SEND and many have experienced significant trauma.”
Welcoming the donation of the panda cub from Cheffins, Nadine said it meant a lot for her students to be remembered during such a challenging and difficult time in their lives.
“All of them face significant barriers to education and are at risk of becoming completely disengaged with education without specialist educational support.”
Headteacher Nadine Gooding-Hébert from Pilgrim Pathways, Sarah Bush from Cheffins, and Ava
Explaining why the donation means so much to the school, Nadine said: “Our children and young people often miss out on the more normative aspects of school life, such as enrichment or whole school events, including events such as coming together towards a common art project like decorating the Panda Cub.
“Being held in mind through the gift from Cheffins and given the opportunity to take part in an art initiative helps our children and young people to stay connected to their wider life and to connect with the parts of their identities which are not defined by illness.”
Nadine said the school offers art and music to pupils because it recognises that creative engagement and self-expression is key to building a child’s identity and confidence.
She said the school is working on a plan to involve as many of their young people across all its physical and mental health sites, including outreach.
“We will involve our young people in the design of the panda and will ask them to contribute something which is meaningful to them and their life journey, probably a collection of vignettes around a theme,” she said, adding that once the trail is finished the school will rotate it around its different sites, “providing the panda has enough space to live happily, so that our children and young people can enjoy and interact with it.”
Pilgrim Pathways student Ava cuddling Emily the panda cub
Eight-year-old student, Ava, who lives in St Ives, had a chance to cuddle the panda cub – calling it ‘Emily’ and saying she would decorate it with lots of glitter if it was her design.
Ava describes herself as a ‘singer in the making’ and wants to be a make-up artist and singer when she grows up. She has been a pupil at Pilgrim Pathways School at Addenbrooke’s for several months now, since being diagnosed with leukaemia in November last year.
Mum Jess said: “When it all started it was very fast paced because they had to put her feeding tube in, her Hickman line, they put all the drugs in… She lost her hair within three weeks. She put weight on because of the steroids she was on and lost her personality. Everyone said ‘she will come back’ but you never believe it, but they see it all the time here. She’s fully back now, full on sass!”
Ava’s symptoms began last year with a limp that wouldn’t go away but it was a blood test in hospital that revealed she had leukaemia. Now in remission, Ava receives maintenance treatment for the leukaemia and is expected to ring the bell, to say she is cancer-free, in January 2028 – with Jess thanking hospital staff, family and friends for all their support.
Handing their donated panda cub to Ava and Nadine, Sarah Bush, Head of Residential, at Cheffins said: “As Lead Trail Partner for Panda Meander, we wanted to find another way to support the project and the children and young people at the heart of it. Donating a panda cub to the hospital school felt like a wonderful opportunity to help bring creativity, enjoyment and a sense of connection to children spending time in hospital.”
“We know that many children receiving treatment in hospital are facing one of the most challenging periods of their lives. While hospital staff work tirelessly to provide the very best care, opportunities to learn, create and express themselves can make a real difference to a child’s experience, and memories, of their time in hospital. We hope our panda will inspire imagination, bring moments of joy and help pupils leave their own mark on a project that will be enjoyed by thousands of people across Cambridge.”
“Children’s services and the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital is a cause that is very close to our hearts. We have already donated over £200,000 towards building a playroom at the new children’s hospital, so our gift of a panda cub felt like a natural extension of that. We hope our cub will be especially meaningful for all of the young patients who attend the hospital school as pupils.”
Sophie Thomas, Cub Club Leader, said: “We are hugely grateful to Cheffins and we’re so pleased young patients at Addenbrooke’s will have the chance to create their own special cub and be part of this exciting city-wide event.”
Nadine Gooding-Hébert from Pilgrim Pathways, Sarah Bush from Cheffins, and Sophie Thomas, ACT’s Community Fundraising Lead
“These generous corporate donations are helping schools and community groups be part of something truly special and I’m incredibly excited to see how our schools and community groups will bring their cubs to life, I am sure we shall see plenty of imagination and creativity!”
Georgia Pallett, ACT’s Wild in Art Project Manager, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that our Lead Trail Partner Cheffins has kindly decided to gift a panda cub to Pilgrim Pathways School so that they’re able to paint a smaller sculpture that will feature alongside other wonderful designs on our Spring 2027 public art trail, Panda Meander.”
“Our Cub Club, which is Panda Meander’s Schools and Community Programme, is such an important part of the trail, giving schools and groups the opportunity to be involved in Wild in Art’s and Addenbrooke’s Charity’s very first panda trail, sparking creativity in our younger generation. It’s really important that Panda Meander is inclusive to all – we are working with both mainstream and SEND organisations as part of the Cub Club to bring imagination and colour to our local community, and with thanks to Cheffins’ kind gift to the hospital school, into the lives of children and families connected to our hospitals too.”
Cambridge Children’s Hospital
The East of England is the only region in the UK without a specialist children’s hospital. This unique new hospital, to be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, will be the first in the world to fully integrate the mental and physical health of young patients, alongside world-leading research. Construction is due to start next year, with building works set to complete by the end of 2030.
Cambridge Children’s Hospital will be spread over five floors and include 108 inpatient beds, 16 paediatric intensive care beds, 42 day-case beds, seven operating theatres, imaging and diagnostics, a hospital school and a 5,000 square metre research institute.
Panda Meander currently has over 33 Cub Club members with a mix of schools and community groups including nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools – as well as Cambridge City Football Club.
Schools can design and paint their cubs exactly as they would like – with the one restriction of no 3D items in case they get damaged during transportation or during the trail.
ACT will host a Cub Club Inspiration Workshop on Thursday 15th October at Cambridge City Football Club. With a representative from each school and community group attending, the workshop will be an afternoon of ideas, creativity and practical advice on how to paint the cubs.
There is still time for schools to sign up – but they need to be quick! With just one week to go until sign up closes, schools and community groups can find out more by visiting the Panda Meander website.
This year’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival saw a day of firsts, a day of celebrations and a day of coming together to remember why everyone involved was taking part.
At what marked the festival’s 20th year, the 43 teams that took part smashed the £50,000 target, currently £52,500 and rising – with money raised for Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) going towards cancer services, helping to build the pioneering new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.
Last year, the hospital charity set an ambitious target of £50,000 – after hitting £40,000 in 2025. But in a day of surprises and lots of ‘firsts’, ACT and all their supporters surpassed their target, with money still coming in.
Buffaload Logistics became the team to raise the highest amount for the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival ever, following a surprise donation of £5,000 from one of their clients; with another ‘first’ marking the £5,000 they received as the highest single donation made to a team ever, for the event.
“This really does go to show that together we will change the story of cancer! When the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is built, every one of our supporters can say, ‘I was part of this historic moment’. How awe inspiring is that?”
Headline sponsor Illumina returned to sponsor the event for the third year, entering three teams, and throwing themselves into the spirit with every rower in fancy dress.
Illumina Team: Genome ExplorersIllumina Team: Sequencing the SeaIllumina Team: IllumiNation
The Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival has become known as a special community event, bringing teams together to raise money for a groundbreaking new cancer hospital in Cambridge which is set to change the story of cancer – and in the true spirit of community and giving, the event reached its target after a very special, last-minute donation.
With only two hours to go before the event finished, organisers NewWave Events made an announcement on the public address system that ACT was only £450 short of hitting the £50,000 target – only to be told minutes later that the husband of a member of the Rosie maternity hospital had donated the amount himself, taking the target over the finish line.
Em Robson, Corporate Account Lead at ACT, who led the event for the first time, said she was “over the moon” to have smashed the £50,000 target.
“We are living in tough times, the cost of living is testing many of us and yet, together we have proven that collaboration is key to success. Every team, supporter, volunteer, staff, friend, and family member who donated the gift of time, to be with us on the day, as well as dug deep to raise the most we have ever raised in the history of ACT participating in the Dragon Boat Festival has made an impact. This really does go to show that together we will change the story of cancer! When the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is built, every one of our supporters can say, ‘I was part of this historic moment’. How awe inspiring is that?”
Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital team on the riverCambridge Cancer Research Hospital
Dr Hugo Ford, Clinical Lead for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and Director of Cancer Services at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our sincere thanks go to everyone who supported this fantastic event for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. The funds raised will help create a groundbreaking new hospital that will transform cancer care by enabling earlier diagnosis, more precise treatments, and better outcomes for patients.”
Mark Robinson, VP & General Manager, UK & Ireland and North Europe, Illumina, said: “Illumina is proud to sponsor the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival for a third year. It’s a fun-filled event that brings together organisations from across the region for a great day of competition, teamwork and fundraising.”
“As a company committed to advancing health through genomics, we’re particularly pleased to see the community uniting to support Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and its vision to transform cancer care through innovation and research.”
Winners: Best fancy dress, the Rosie hospitalWinners: Best Mixed Team, TWI LtdWinners: 4th place, Insmed Innovation UK LtdWinners: 3rd place, RingWinners: 2nd place, TTP Plc
Lucy Morton, Executive Director at NewWave Events, said: “Wow, what a turn out for the 20th Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival! As the event organisers, we’re thrilled to see the event continuing to grow year on year, and to see teams enjoying themselves and genuinely bonding and working together is so rewarding for us. We’re so proud to have ACT as our long-standing charity partners and the final fundraising total is just the cherry on top of another fantastic day! Thank you to all teams and supporters for making this event what it is and of course to our sponsor, Illumina, and media partners Cambridge Radio and Cambridge Independent for their continued support.”
Money from the event will go towards cancer services and building the new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital. The hospital will unite world-class clinical expertise with cutting-edge research to transform the way we prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Collaboration across Cambridge University Hospitals, the University of Cambridge, and partner organisations is creating an extraordinary community unmatched in scale or calibre in the UK. This will speed discoveries into practice, deliver life-saving treatment sooner, and fuel scientific and economic growth across the UK.
Speaking at the event on Saturday, John Kerrigan, CEO of Buffaload Logistics, said he was delighted that his staff had raised the highest amount ever for a team competing in the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival, at over £10,000, with donations still coming in.
The BuffaRowers, from Buffaload Logistics, this year’s biggest fundraisers
“It’s absolutely amazing. It’s been a really good, combined effort from colleagues, customers and suppliers. We set out with a target of £2,500 and to get as much as we could but to know that we have raised the most ever for a team is a really good feeling for such a good cause.”
Their largest donation came from one of their clients, Gray & Adams, who donated £5,000 – the largest single donation to a team competing in the Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival ever.
Thanking them for their generosity, John said: “We were all in shock when it came through. We actually had to ring and make sure they hadn’t put an extra nought in there by mistake. That it was intentional, we were absolutely delighted.”
Pledging to enter three teams next year, and set themselves a fundraising target of £20,000, John stressed that it was the efforts of everyone involved that helped the firm hit its impressive target.
“We did it with good internal engagement, social media and LinkedIn too, as that is where lots of our suppliers and customers are. And it was lots and lots of individuals internally, lots of ten pounds, five pounds, twenty pounds. It’s nice we had some large donations but actually the amount of people who put what they could afford in was equally important to us and we are delighted.”
Stuart Racher, who helped meet our £50,000 goal with that last £450 donationStuart rowing with the Rosie team
A special mention also goes to Stuart Racher, aka Captain Hook (part of the Never Never Land team rowing for the Rosie hospital). Stuart, whose wife Joanna works as a maternity support worker at the Rosie, heard the announcement on the public address system that the event was £450 short of its £50,000 target and decided to donate the amount himself, saying: “I did it because it’s difficult times and if you can, you should.”
“It’s nice we had some large donations but actually the amount of people who put what they could afford in was equally important to us and we are delighted.” – John Kerrigan, CEO, Buffaload Logistics
Saturday’s event pulled in one of the biggest crowds yet, there to watch the 43 teams competing, as they raced up a 200-metre stretch of the river at Fen Ditton. The Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital project team was one of the teams that took to the water, entering a boat and joining teams from across the region in raising funds for the hospital they are helping to deliver.
Lion dance by the Cambridge Chinese communityFun science activities with IlluminaDragon ribbon dancer
As well as the races, bankside entertainment included lion dances from the Cambridge Chinese community, and family-friendly science activities provided by Illumina such as strawberry DNA extraction, nature microscopy, experimenting with coloured light mixing and making dragon paper chains. There were games and face painting at the ACT stand, along with a prize raffle, with live media coverage and interviews on the day from Cambridge Radio, with That’s TV and Cambridge Independent reporting on the day also.
Ric Da Silva, co-founder and CTO of the Dragon Boat Festival champion winners, Flok Health Ltd, described the festival as “a fantastic day” adding: “We are super chuffed for all the money raised for Addenbrooke’s.”
Our 2026 Dragon Boat Festival winners, Flok Health Ltd
Movingly, one of their own paddlers took part following treatment at Addenbrooke’s for bowel cancer earlier in the year, using the festival as a marker to get back to full fitness so he could participate and raise money for cancer care at Addenbrooke’s, with ACT’s Em saying: “A remarkable story of triumph, courage, strength and hope that I will hold onto as I support friends during times of diagnoses and treatment.”
3rd place – Ring, who’ve been competing for four years
Long-standing competitors, Ring, spoke about why they have been competing for four years. Two of the team members ACT spoke to on the day talked about having family members who’d had cancer. Zhanna’s grandmother had breast cancer and Jon sadly lost his dad from cancer four years ago, saying: “Cancer is there and can happen in every single family and the Dragon Boat Festival is a really good opportunity to raise funds for the cancer hospital.”
TWI Ltd have been competing since 2015 so have competed in a total of nine races, outside of COVID. Guy Hughes, who was in a boat with his colleague Pedro, said the firm competes every year, despite the weather.
“It’s a great team building exercise. We all have great fun and the amazing thing is everyone who comes wants to come back. Most of the people here today from our team are people who have returned multiple times and have fallen in love with the event like I have and Pedro has.”
Winning Teams
Festival Champions
This year’s Festival Champions were Flok Health Ltd with a winning time of 58.95.
Runner-up went to The Temporary Paddlers – TTP Plc – with a time of 59.70
3rd place – Cache me if you can – Ring – with 60.48
4th place – Insmed Innovation UK Ltd – with 61.10
Best Dressed
Highly Commended – All 3 Illumina teams (Genome Explorers, IllumiNation and Sequencing The Sea) and Paddlesaurus Rex from VNC Automotive.
Winners – Never Never Land team from the Rosie Hospital, dressed as Peter Pan and clan, with costumes made by Senior midwife Annie West.
Charity Champions
Commended – Arm (3 teams) for one of the highest raised bake sales.
Charity Winners – The BuffaRowers from Buffaload Logistics Ltd who raised over £10,500
** Thank you to The Tivoli for donating the special mini golf, prosecco and pizzas experience for the top fundraisers!
Mixed Competition
3rd place – We Thought this was a Hackathon – Arm
Runners up – The Savillians – Savills
Winners – Admiral Hughes – TWI Ltd
Special thanks to…
Special thanks go to all our amazing volunteers on the daywho helped on the ACT stand; to Cambridge Camera Club, there with our digital team on the day, capturing photos live; and to our media partners, Cambridge Radio and Cambridge Independent.
Thank you also goes to all the businesses that donated prizes to the raffle, which this year raised over £1,596 in ticket sales, including donations for face painting. Raffle prizes included a £150 voucher from Sticks’n’Sushi; a 50-piece fruit box from The Cambridge Fruit Company; a Ring doorbell from Amazon; afternoon tea vouchers from The Fellows House; Barracudas Activity Day Camp vouchers; a £50 Abbot Lyon voucher, a Hot Numbers Coffee voucher, a Reformer at The Barn voucher and goodie bag, plus many more!
Team sign-ups for 2027
Em, from ACT, said plans for 2027’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival will be as ambitious as ever.
“We are super ambitious, and year on year we have grown this event with NewWave Events to make it even more fun to attend as a spectator and participant which we did aplenty this year, with feedback from local villagers and supporters being so grateful for the free activities for the children. Of course we will always aim higher, so the total to raise will I’m sure be boosted yet again.”
Entries for next year’s Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival are on track to go live in December so keep an eye on our events page.
