Wednesday, 10 April 2013

American film star Gillian Anderson launches national children's charity's competition

Award winning American actress Gillian Anderson has launched a national school’s competition to raise money for Children with Tumours.

Gillian, the star of critically-acclaimed drama series The X-Files, will judge the charity’s annual Christmas Card Challenge which is open to all primary schools.

Children with Tumours (CWT) is the UK’s first “no frills” charity which launched last year to help raise funds to provide holiday camps for children affected by the condition Neurofibromatosis and to contribute towards vital research.

More than 25,000 people in the UK are affected by NF and every day a baby is born with the condition. NF is more prevalent than Duchenne muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s Disease combined, but as yet there is no cure.

Gillian’s younger brother Aaron suffered from the rare condition and died from a brain tumour when he was aged only 30.
She said: ‘I’m honoured that CWT have asked me to judge the competition. I think it is such a good idea and I’m sure everyone who enters will have great fun designing their cards.”

The Christmas Card Challenge is open to children of primary school age and there will be six winners. Schools are encouraged to hold an internal competition to choose an individual, overall winner or two winners depending on age (8 and under, 9-11) and then submit them to the national competition.

As a prize, the winning individual will receive six packs of cards of their own design. Packs of all six winning designs will be available in the Autumn on the charity’s website www.childrenwithtumours.org

Schools are encouraged to choose their own theme but suggestions include: The Colour of Christmas, the Joy of Christmas, Christmas decorations and Through a Window. The finished cards will be printed in a 15cm x 15cm size so a square design is essential. Designs can be drawn, painted or computer graphically produced.

To register visit http://www.childrenwithtumours.org/Pages/ChristmasCardChallenge.aspx or for further enquiries email takepart@childrenwithtumours.org.The closing date for entries is 31st May.

Chris de Winter of CWT said: “We are delighted that Gillian is judging this year’s Christmas Card Challenge. All the money raised from the sale of the cards will be used to provide care and support to families with children with Neurofibromatosis.
“Building confidence and giving hope are our two key statements in making a difference to the lives of children with tumours. We aim to build confidence through social networking in the UK and overseas and giving hope to our children and families by funding the science that will make a difference to the lives of those affected.”

About Children with Tumours
The Children With Tumours charity has been set up by Chris de Winter, previously one of the principal driving forces behind the successful Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention Appeal, and her brother Kevin Powell, an accountant with extensive experience working with charities and within the financial services sector.

Professor Gareth Evans, a consultant in medical genetics at St Mary’s Hospital and Christie Hospital in Manchester, is the Chair of the new charity.
The trustees believe CWT is the first virtual charity in the UK. There is no office to fund and instead the charity functions entirely through its website – www.childrenwithtumours.org – Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, ensuring that most of all money raised goes directly towards camps and research.

Neurofibromatosis, which has two main types – NF1 and NF2, affects the skin and nervous system including the brain. Soft, non-cancerous tumours develop on the skin and along the nerve tissue throughout the body. A tell-tale sign of the condition is often the presence of cafe-au-lait spots on the body.

In addition to raising funds to pay for children and their carers to attend respite camps and to carry out research into NF, the organisation has created an online community giving people in the UK and abroad the chance to share experiences and fundraising ideas.
CWT has also won the support of Kirsty Ashton, one of the UK’s highest profile NF sufferers who recently received an MBE for raising almost £100,000 for charity.

In addition to its work around NF1 and NF2, the charity also raises awareness of Schwannomatosis, a rare form of Neurofibromatosis.
Anyone wanting to find out more about Children With Tumours should visit the website – www.childrenwithtumours.org

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