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Once upon a time...
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In 1991 Lol Pilfold, Chairman of the Lotus 7 Club of Great Britain, decided to adopt the Leukaemia Research Fund as the club charity after club member Steve Winterberg contracted leukaemia in August 1990. The expression, ‘Nuke the Leuk’, was coined during Steve’s treatment by his family. He has seen it, done it, nuked it and got the T-shirt.
Club fund raising began on an ad-hoc basis by fellow team members, event organisers and individual club members in 1991.
Slowly the fund raising became more regular and of increasing frequency as more and more club members and area organisers took up the cudgel. Finally Lol decided that all efforts and ideas should be co-ordinated by one person who would liase with LRF, report the fund-raising activities to members through ‘Low Flying’, the club magazine, and generally assist with club members’ efforts towards fund-raising.
In August 1993, almost to the date of the original diagnosis, Steve Winterberg, now well into his third year of remission, accepted the post of club fund co-ordinator.
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Fund Raising History
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| Year |
£ |
Highlights |
| 1991 |
200 |
Best estimate, usually handed to the nearest LRF branch, but most from the sale of Christmas cards organised by Ruth Whiting and Clive Stevens. |
| 1992 |
316 |
Brooklands Roaring 40'S Event, Earl's Court Racing Car Show Raffle. |
| 1993 |
5,569 |
Target of £2500 set by team in June beaten by August, Moreton in Marsh International Event, Seven Summer Dance at Mangland Farm, Dick Dixon's Sporting Bears Club Charity event at Wimpole Hall, Kent and East Sussex Christmas raffle. |
| 1994 |
6,192 |
Colin Orsbourn’s London marathon run, Moreton in Marsh International Event, Dick Dixon's Sporting Bears Club Charity event at Wimpole Hall, Arnie Webb's EMC Computers Venus Gallagher Memorial fund. |
| 1995 |
5,043 |
Brian Poulton’s Land’s End to John O’Groats '95 run in 7s, Arnie Webb's EMC Computers Venus Gallagher Memorial fund. |
| 1996 |
14,579 |
Mal Page’s Scarborough to Morecambe Coast to Coast run, Chris Lee’s Three Peaks Challenge; Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hrs, LRF national raffle, Wheeltorque's Spectacular Spa, Lotus '96 International raffle. |
| 1997 |
9,697 |
John Shaw and Mal Page’s Coast to Coast 1997 run, Brian Poulton’s 2nd LeJog, LRF ‘Forget-me-not’ national raffle |
| 1997-98 |
33,306 |
Lotus 7 Club of Great Britain's 40th Anniversary Seven Raffle - The Car The Club Built Raffle - Chassis by Arch Motors, VIN plate and wiring by Caterham Cars, raffle tickets by Quay Bulk Services Ltd, working capital by Brian Poulton's LeJoG '98, engine by Alan Hunt, gearbox by Mark Bod, front suspension by Chris Rea, stunning livery designed by Dom Colbeck and the rest of the parts by club members and Low Flying advertisers, ticket sales by David Gordon through members and volunteer LRF branches. |
| 1998 |
9,087 |
John Shaw and Mal Page’s Coast to Coast ’98 run, Nadine Hardy Memorial Fund, International Event |
| 1999 |
8,062 |
Club member Mike Crispin nukes the leuk.
Arnie Webb’s Le Mans ’99, Alex Wong’s Belgium to Sicily Endurance Run and Angus Denny's Surrey Area NtL '99 programme, Steve Potter's 7 listers' online fundraising. |
| 2000 |
15,112 |
Anonymous Surrey member, Will Paul's London Marathon run, Arnie Webb's Le Mans 2000, Brands Hatch International Event.
£100K Target beaten in June. |
| 2001 |
12,416 |
Club member James Barrett nukes the leuk. Arnie Webb's Le Mans 2001, Barbara Swift's BlatChat Stickers, Jan Smit's Cycle Odyssey, John & Susan Howe's Ram Roast, Richard Ince's Nürburgring CDs and Jeff Deung's Bring-n-buy stand & Scalextric competition, Tony Isherwood’s 2001 Brooklands Handling Days, Chris Scott & Nora Fisher CAF donations |
| 2002 |
26,383 |
Ken & Kay Puttock's Stoneleigh Kit Car Show, Arnie Webb’s Le Mans 2002, "Clash of the Titans" – Arnie Webb v Peter Carmichael at Curborough Sprint, Andy Webber's HSBC Reading Mid Summer Ball, Mick Burrell's International Event 2002 at Hurst Castle, Tony Isherwood’s two 2002 Brooklands Handling days, Charles King-Holford's "The Rumble" round London & Lee Williams' sponsored head shave. Dave Hollington's London To Brighton 'sossige' run |
| 2003 |
19,776 |
Chris Mintoft's 7 Club Nokia phone logos, Dave 'Hoopy' Hooper's London Marathon run, Ken & Kay Puttock's Stoneleigh Kit Car Show Club International Event, Adrian Elkin's two 'Get to know your 7' days, Andy Webber's HSBC Mid-Summer charity ball, Peter Duce's sponsored beard shave at Le Sept, Chris Clark and Ray Hutchins BayWatch tour, Mike Blackadder's Academy Race Series 2003 DVD's, Nick Addison's Le Sept 2003 DVD's, John Laycock's DoningtonTrackday 'wanna ride in my car' auction, Geoff Pickin's 'wanna ride in my car' pledges at Lotus 7 Club trackdays in 2003. |
| 2004 |
43,180 |
Jan Smit's epic Netherlands to Santiago de Compestela cycle marathon, Steve Cragg's sponsored 'no-smoking', Andy Webber's HSBC Mid-Summer Ball, Dave Jackson's pushbike LeJoG, Ben Long's Thames Valley area BBQ and Newbury Classic Car show, Mark Jackson's moped JoGLe, Norman Verona's South Yorkshire Police ‘Blue Light Show’, Chris Rea's donation of the Alan Fernley original 'On the Beach' painting, Arnie Webb's Le Mans 24 hour tour, Geoff Pickin’s 7 Club trackday passenger rides, Caterham Cars Festival at Brands Hatch, Ernie Panks and Geof Carleton-Smith’s ‘Big Blat, Steve Mell’s Dunsfold Handling Day, Chris Lee’s 7 photo shoot, Dave Hollington’s London to Brighton ‘Sossige’ BBQ, Surrey Area Xmas raffle and auction of promises. £200K achieved in October. |
| 2005 |
43,187 |
Don Brazier Memorial fund, Chris Rome’s Caterham Academy Race series 2004 DVD, Adrian Elkin’s ‘Get to know your 7 day’, Mike Blackadder’s Caterham Roadsports B 2004 DVD, Nick Addison’s Year in the club 2004 DVD, Derek Davis and Roger Swift garage clear out, Matt Norris’s ‘Team Strangely Brown’ Plymouth to Dakar rally, Steve Mell’s Dunsfold Handling days, Matt ‘Bionic MattyP’ Plummer’s London Marathon, Ben Long’s Thames Valley area BBQ’s, Richard Dallaway British Grand Prix event, Norman Verona’s ‘Blue Light Show 2005’, Norman Verona’s Blatchat sale of jacks, Keith Pickin Memorial Fund trackday passenger rides, Dave Hollington’s London to Brighton Sossige BBQ, Brian Covey, Surrey area Xmas bash raffle and auction. Quarter million reached in December. |
| 2006 |
36,140 |
Mike Blackadder DVD sales, Simon ‘Crooky’ Crook, Chris Rea ‘Freedom’ painting raffle, Surrey area British GP event at Toyota, Keith Pickin Memorial Fund trackday passenger rides, Team Insaner – Darren ‘ Lazerbrain’ Prior, John Radley and Andy Blackwood complete the Czech Wrecks rally, The Rumble (Team Arnie, Stelios and Robert), Eric Stubbington Memorial Fund – Eric’s family are pleased to support LRF through their good friends, club members Ken Burrage and Sohail Ahmed, David Ford sale of an oil painting, London to Brighton Run – Dave Hollington, Sue and John Howe and team. |
| 2007 |
32,456 |
Robin Russell’s Roadsports DVD, Dick Gordon Memorial Fund, Surrey Area Christmas Bash Raffle and Auction, Andrew Walker, Wight Blat raffle and sale of shirts and stickers, Colin Swinson’s Stoneleigh event, Le Mans Trip, Mike Chadwick sale of building, The Famous Thames Valley Barbecue organised by Ben Long, Keith Pickin Memorial Fund, Ian Lathey and Simon Scott organise a LEJoG trip, Graham Nearn, London to Brighton organised by Nigel Roberts, Sue and John Howe and team, Surrey Area Dunsfold Handling days, Surrey visit to Toyota for the British GP, Baywatch, The Lotus 7 Club Members. |
| Total |
£321,701 |
On top of the highlights are hundreds of other fund raising events and members' donations. |
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Highlights
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Highlights
In addition to fund raising, many club members offer a seat in their car at sprints and track events, for patients having been or currently being treated for blood related disorders, to assist with their recovery by giving them something different to look forward to, and to offer them an experience they may never have had the opportunity to enjoy but for their illness.
In 1992, the Lotus Seven Club of Great Britain donated two tickets for ex-leukaemics to attend the Le Mans 24hr race in France including ferry fares, accommodation and track entry tickets for the whole two-day event.
1993 saw a bunch of leukaemia sufferers from Worthing Hospital have the 'ride of their lives' at a Club trackday at Goodwood circuit.
In 1997 club members attended the 21st birthday celebration of the under 17 car club at Castle Combe race circuit held on behalf or the charity, Cancer and Leukaemia in Children to offer rides round the circuit for donations.
In 1998 Ellen Jones won "The Car the Club Built" raffle. Coincidentally, Ellen was at the time the secretary of the Tenby LRF branch. Tenby branch were also the branch that sold most amount of raffle tickets that did not have an opportunity to sell tickets at a Lotus Seven Club event.
1999 saw club member Mike Crispin fighting off a particularly rare and difficult to treat leukaemia, and with the same grit and determination that took him through a kidney transplant a few years earlier, he nuked the leuk with flying colours. Many, many thanks to his brother Richard for providing the bone marrow essential for the cure.
In 2001 club member James Barrett nuked the leuk and Gary Kirage, now 3 years into remission, got the chance to join a huge convoy of 7s in Barry Sweeney's Zetec 7 to 'Rumble' around London.
Sadly 2002 saw club member Shaun Soames lose a son to leukaemia but his wife survived leukaemia and went on to have another son. Russell Sangha survived Leukaemia with the help of a bone marrow donation from his sister Rachael and then got the chance to ride a 7 at Curborough Sprint. At the same event Peter Carmichael and Arnie Webb raised over £4,000 from pledges from club members to see who would be the quickest round the sprint on the day. With less than a few tens of a second in it, Peter took the laurels, but both earned a great deal of respect for putting their cars and reputations firmly on the line.
2003 saw club member Robin Ford sadly lose a beloved niece, Jeanne Rideout, to leukaemia. Club member Phil Bishop, as one of the National Blood Service arm emptiers, cleared up a few misconceptions about giving blood!
2004 Arnie Webb hands the Le Mans reins to Chris Matthews after 10 years having raised a magnificent £21,500 for LRF with this and other initiatives. October was a record month with over £10,000 being raised.
2005 a black year with the death of Keith Pickin our club Membership Secretary, through asbestosis. Keith had been instrumental in administering the track day passenger rides collections of over £2500. This initiative has continued as the Keith Pickin Memorial Fund with a total at the end of 2005 of £4,772. The Car the Club Built is now back in the fold with club members Marc and Sarah Nelson-Smith buying the car on EBay
2006 - The raffle of the original painting ‘Freedom’ by Alan Fearnley donated by Chris Rea raised nearly £8,000 and the Keith Pickin Memorial Fund continued to raise an amazing amount of money from passenger rides at various club trackdays.
2007 – Colin Swinson organised his final Stoneleigh event before passing the reins over to Tricia Chan. Ian Lathey, Simon Scott and friends had lots of fun driving from Land’s End to John O’Groats and raised over £8,000 along the way. Nigel Roberts took over the London to Brighton Run event from Dave Hollington and continued with the sterling work.
The Club also invites LRF branches to events to assist with tombolas, raffles and the sale of programmes. Club members are also encouraged to offer their cars to local LRF branch events as a focal point of interest to assist with fund-raising and the Club provides an on-going advert in Low Flying to encourage members to part with their petrol vouchers, Green Shield stamps, old phone cards, pre Euro currency and old coins etc. for the Leukaemia Research Fund Voucher Appeal run by Sophie Shalit JP, one of the many volunteer fund-raisers for LRF.
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The Leukaemia Research Fund
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The Leukaemia Research Fund
The Leukaemia Research Fund is known today as one of the most effective medical research charities. The fund maintains a constantly expanding programme of innovative and productive work, centred on the search for a cure for leukaemia and related blood disorders. The story of how the fund reached its current position is a fascinating picture of hope and inspiration, allied to dedication and hard work.
The fund’s work over the past forty-four years has involved thousands of people; the families who have suffered the tragedy of what used to be virtually a death sentence, the doctors and scientists who have battled against one of the most intractable of diseases, and all those whose efforts have gone towards making the Leukaemia Research Fund the active, internationally recognised force that it is today.
The Leukaemia Research Fund emblem, the forget-me-not, is a memorial to those who have succumbed to the disease and for whom it is wished that more could be done, and whose memory is the inspiration towards achieving the ultimate goal.
Leukaemia Research was established in 1960 and is still the only national research charity devoted exclusively to leukaemia, the lymphomas, myeloma, aplastic anaemia, myelodysplasia, the myeloproliferative disorders and the related blood disorders in both children and adults. Over the next five years Leukaemia Research Fund is committed to a further £58 million on its national research programme through Universities, medical schools and teaching hospitals throughout the UK for research into cancers of the blood.
The fund relies wholly on voluntary donations, and is proud to have one of the lowest overheads and running costs of all the major charities, with more than 90p in every £1 raised going directly to research. There are over 160 voluntary LRF branches and sub-branches throughout Great Britain assisted by many private and corporate partners such as the Lotus 7 Club and Caterham Cars Ltd.
How near we are to the cure - depends on you.
Leukaemia can affect anyone, at any age; old and young; male and female.24,500 people in Britain every year are diagnosed with a cancer of the blood. Of these about 5,500 adults will be told they have leukaemia and around 600 children will develop leukaemia or lymphoma, accounting for half of all childhood cancer. Another 18,000 people will be told they have lymphoma, myeloma or a related disease.
Leukaemia Research Fund was established in 1960 as the first, and still the only, national research charity solely devoted to leukaemia and the related blood disorders in both adults and children. Its work depends entirely on voluntary donations as LRF receives no government grants. A substantial part of the money needed is raised by voluntary Branches throughout Britain.
The fund supports doctors and scientists within hospitals and academic institutions throughout the country to work on a wide range of projects from basic laboratory research through to clinical trials in patients. This extensive and forward-looking programme of research is carefully coordinated. The views of the world experts in blood and cancer research are sought on projects before they are assessed by the Fund’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Panel or Clinical Trials Advisory Panel. This second round of independent expert review ensures that the research is of the highest quality and has the greatest potential for translation into improved treatments for patients.
Much has been achieved over the last 45 years. From leukaemia being an almost certain death sentence, more than 7 out of 10 children and 3 out of 10 adults can now expect to be cured. For some cancers of the blood the survival rate is very much higher; adolescents and young adults now stand a very good chance of surviving Hodgkin’s lymphoma, for instance.
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