Altecnic IT projects co-ordinator Matt Lee has presented the Donna Louise Children’s hospice with a cheque for £2020.40 following his successful Stafford half marathon charity raising efforts.

Matt was inspired to raise money for the hospice after visiting its facilities and meeting six-year old Lyla Blakeman and her Mum Megan. More than a dozen different medical conditions mean that Lyla has restrained movement, breathing difficulties and is unable to feed herself. 

Says Matt,

“When I mentioned that I would be running the Stafford half marathon and raising money for the Donna Louise charity, my employers Altecnic offered to match the money that I raised and also see what else they could do for the charity.

“We visited the hospice where I had the privilege of meeting Lyla and her family. Lyla’s life and that of her family has been difficult and when I heard first-hand what the Donna Louise charity has done for them and how they have been given the opportunity to fully enjoy being a family throughout all these years, I decided that I had to do something to help.”

Matt managed to raise £1010.20 after successfully completing the half marathon, which Altecnic matched to bring the total up to £2020.40.

Says Mark Mogey, Head of OEM sales for Altecnic,

“Matt has done incredibly well to raise so much money for the hospice to help children such as Lyla and their families.  As a company we are delighted to be able to support such a worthwhile cause and have also donated bicycles for the play area and provided plumbing and heating services for them.”

The Donna Louise charity provides care and support services for children and young adults with shortened life expectancy or those who have a life threatening or life limiting condition.  It supports every member of a child’s family from initial diagnosis until a point when their help is no longer required. 

Joshua Slater, Corporate Partnerships Manager says,

“Our number one focus is to support the child or young adult and their family with respite stays, counselling and even sibling support in our purpose-built facility. We also provide support in their own home and at Hospital.  We facilitate support groups, for Parents and Siblings in the community, and sometimes we are simply on the other end of the phone. The Donna Louise supports families from across Staffordshire and South Cheshire whatever their circumstance, whenever they need it.

“As a charity we very much rely on support from people like Matt and local companies, such as Altecnic, and would like to offer our sincere thanks for their ongoing help.  Whether it’s through raising money or offering practical assistance, we need the help of the local community and local businesses so that we can continue to support our children and their families.”