The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences has raised an impressive £12,653 in 2024 for the Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity’s Bereavement Suite Appeal, thanks to the generous support of staff and students.
These funds will help transform clinical rooms into peaceful, home-like spaces for families experiencing pregnancy loss or stillbirth, providing comfort during profoundly difficult times.
The successful fundraising campaign brought the Faculty together for a year of exciting challenges and events, surpassing the initial target of £10,000.
The campaign began with the School of Dentistry’s Easter bake sale, followed by a Faculty bake-off in May, judged by Great British Bake Off star Lizzie Acker. That same month, the School of Dentistry hosted a 1,000km virtual cycling and rowing event.
As summer arrived, so did some high-energy challenges. In June, a Faculty team tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, while others faced their fears with a 100ft abseil from Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium.
Other events included a Euro Fantasy Football Picks competition organised by the School of Medicine’s TEL team and a charity quiz hosted by the Institute of Population Health in July.
In the autumn, creativity shone through with a bring-and-buy sale held by the School of Allied Health Professions and Nursing, and a pet photography competition by the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences.
Another highlight was the Faculty’s participation in the University’s first Charity Staff Sports Day, where participants competed in fun activities such as futsal, pickleball, and tug-of-war.
Strictly finale
The final event of 2024 saw Faculty EPVC, Professor Louise Kenny, take to the dance floor in November as a competitor in Liverpool Women’s Strictly 2024. Professor Kenny and her dance partner, Ben Cosgrove, performed a fantastic Pulp Fiction-inspired rock and roll number to Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell in front of an audience of nearly 500 people at the Titanic Hotel.
Professor Louise Kenny said: “Strictly was such good fun. Ben was an amazing teacher who took a complete novice and made learning the dance from scratch really enjoyable. Whilst it is safe to say I won’t be enjoying a second career as a dancer any time soon I am thrilled to have taken part and more importantly to have raised funding for our amazing partner, the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, and in particular for bereavement services, supporting parents at the most difficult of times.
“I also want to thank colleagues from across the Faculty who have worked so hard all year raising funding from a wide variety of events including bake sales, abseiling and trekking, not to mention our inaugural sport’s day! I am so fortunate to work with such a fabulous team.”
Kate Davis, Head of Fundraising for Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity, said: “We have had a jam-packed year of activities and events that all members of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences have thrown themselves into. It’s been wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the team in raising much needed funds for the bereavement service at LWH. Thank you to everyone for bringing such joy and fun to fundraising.”
Watch some of our highlights from throughout the year here: