Brewery continues 106-year partnership with £175,000 donation

Manchester brewer Joseph Holt has donated £174,507.27 to The Christie charity as part of its 106-year partnership with the specialist cancer hospital.

The funds, which were raised by its 125 pubs, free trade, brewery and office teams across the region during 2018/19, will be used to help redevelop the Trust’s computerised tomography (CT) scanning department.

This will incorporate a new Joseph Holt reception area.

The community fundraising efforts included sponsored walks, mountain climbs, family events and specialist music gigs to name but a few, to help create greater capacity for CT scans by helping the Trust to buy new equipment, including a new 4D CT scanner as well as creating bigger scanning rooms and improving the existing changing rooms and consultation rooms.

The state of the art scanner, the first of its type in the UK, combines CT scans with video x-ray to produce enhanced images.

The increased accuracy of the scan means that doctors will be able to perform real-time surgeries during the scanning process.

The family brewery - which runs a number of pubs in Oldham - is The Christie’s longest-running charity partner.

The partnership began in 1914 when Sir Edward Holt raised £20,000 to help found the Holt Radium Institute.

The Holt Radium Institute amalgamated with The Christie in 1932 to form The Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute.

Louise Hadley, director of fundraising and corporate affairs, said: “The support that Joseph Holt Brewery has shown to The Christie charity is incredible and yet again it will make a real difference to patients.

“This donation will allow us to redevelop the CT department which is an integral part of the hospital’s day to day operations.

"New equipment and more space will mean we can increase capacity in the CT department which will improve the patient experience.

“We are extremely proud of the partnership that has been forged over the last 106 years and we cannot thank everybody who donated enough.

"We are very grateful.”

Richard Kershaw, Chief Executive and Fifth Generation of Joseph Holt, said: “The Christie hospital and Holt Radium Institute, has and always will hold a special place in our hearts and the hearts of our staff and customers.

“Since the partnership began over a century ago, we have been proud to support the pioneering hospital with various fundraising efforts.

"We would like to say a huge thank you to all our staff and customers for raising such an incredible amount that will help with the redevelopment of the CT department.”

The donation is the latest in a long line of significant donations from the brewery, which in the past has supported a wide range of projects at The Christie.

This has included more than £400,000 to the Integrated Procedures Unit (IPU) in 2016, a £150,000 donation to fund an entrance next to The Christie’s Palatine Treatment Centre in 2014, and in 2010 Holt's Brewery raised a quarter of a million pounds to help fund the reception area at The Christie’s radiotherapy centre at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust.

The Christie charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds.

This includes money for care and treatment, research, education and extra patient services.

Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.

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