Ordinary people can do extraordinary things, that is why there is a FIERCE urgency of NOW! We cannot wait, the time is now! We must challenge ourselves to be better...
ACLT - Thanks
Looking back over the last 14 years it is amazing to see what has been achieved within the ACLT. Daniel De-Gale’s successful transplant, meeting his donor and the awarding of The Pride of Britain award to us (Beverley and Orin) has been the personal highlights. In addition the sight of many thousands of people registering at our drives as potential Bone Marrow donors and blood donors have left us all at the ACLT feeling so emotionally high. Finally getting the news of successful donors being located and known patients getting a 2nd chance of life is the most rewarding of experiences. Thank you all for your support through the past 14 years, we hope that you will continue to positively enhance the work of the ACLT in 2010 and beyond.
ACLT - The Next Phase
On Monday 28th April 2008 the unveiling of the new branding/re-launch of the ACLT took place before a specially invited Celebrity/Press audience in Central London. The Re-launch doubled up as the commencement of the 1st day of ‘The ACLT Next Phase.’ and included the showcasing of the following new charity profiles:
New Logo
Motto/Tag Line
Website
Charity Registration Number
Patrons
Trustees
Literature
New Office
New permanent staff
New Awareness campaigns
New Fundraising Events for 2008
Most importantly the planning of setting up an independent bone marrow register
The charity also updated its name from the long name of African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust to the acronym of ACLT to reflect our efforts of raising awareness and recruiting potential life savers by recruiting new potential donors from all racial backgrounds. The re-launch took place at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel on the Embankment in London, SE1 and invited guests included our new Patrons, Trustees, Celebrities, Corporates and Key Supporters. We hoped they would all dig very deep and support the charity by taking part in raising the much needed funds to enable the ACLT to flourish and grow and to reach its full potential of saving lives.
The Facts & Figures
The overall ratio of male: female potential donors on the UK registers still stand at around 2:3. The male: female ratio for actual donors is almost exactly the reverse of the proportion on our register. In working together we are now succeeding in recruiting more male donors. Similarly, with our help we need to increase the representation of black, mixed race, Asian and minority ethnic communities on the world registers. The breakdown of actual UK bone marrow transplant donors is overwhelmingly north European / white Caucasian.
Around 16,000 people worldwide currently require a donor
Every year, over 24,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with
leukaemia or a related cancer. of these patients, some are successfully
treated by chemotherapy/radiotherapy.For those patients who do not respond to chemotherapy/radiotherapy,
a bone marrow transplant is their only hope of life.
Donors
There is a one in four chance that a brother or sister will share the same tissue type.
30% of patients needing a transplant will find a matching donor from within their own family, generally from a sibling
We assist the world registers in finding unrelated donors for patients
Transplants
The success rate for transplants varies between 40 and 70%, depending on many factors. This rate is improving due to advances in transplant practice, more accurate donor matching and other factors.
It is generally higher for children.
The ACLT assists Anthony Nolan and the British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR) to directly locate donors in three ways:
We provide unrelated UK donors for UK patients
We provide UK donors for overseas patients
We provide overseas donors for UK patients
Registers around the world
There are approx. 14 million potential donors worldwide from 43 bone marrow/stem cell donor registries from 43 countries and 39 cord blood banks from 24 countries.
Breakdown of male/female volunteers on the Register: - approx 60% female and 40% male. There is an urgent need for more male donors.
There are presently approx. 785,000 on the four UK Bone Marrow and Cord Blood registers.
ACLT FACTS
ESTABLISHED:
The ACLT was established in June 1996 by Beverley De-Gale and Orin Lewis, parents of former Leukaemia sufferer Daniel De-Gale. The ACLT has helped to raise awareness and recruit new potential bone marrow donors and blood donors since 1996.
REASON:
Daniel had been suffering from Leukaemia for 3 years. Daniel's parents were informed that Daniel's only hope of survival was to receive a bone marrow transplant. This prompted them to take action to help their son overcome the overwhelming odds he faced in finding a bone marrow match.
CHARITY’S WORK:
The charity raises awareness that enables potential donors to come forward at ACLT registration drives, which are held regularly across the UK and abroad, and be involved in the process of offering hope to people suffering from leukaemia and blood related cancers. The charity is also involved with raising awareness and recruiting potential donors from many influential organisations such as:
Fire Brigade
Dept of Works and Pensions
Global Radio
Seventh Day Adventist Church
Churches
Schools, Colleges and Universities
HM Prison Service
British Telecoms
Royal Mail
Communications Workers Union
UNISON
Various Churches of all Denominations
Corporate Organisations
Corporate Banks
Private & Public Sector
Government Bodies
Local Council Offices
FACT 1:
A consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital informed Daniel’s parents that there was just an approximate 1 in 250,000 chance of Daniel finding a compatible donor; simply because he was an ethnic minority and the numbers of Black people on the UK Registry was at the time approx. 580.
FACT 2:
Since their establishment 14 years ago, the ACLT have increased the numbers of black, mixed raced potential donors on the UK bone marrow list from a paltry 580 to 32,000 as well as recruiting thousands of ethnic minorities onto the list. Their aim is to reach at least 60,000.
FACT 3:
Less than 3% of potential donors on the bone marrow registers are made up of ethnic minorities.
FACT 4:
ACLT has directly recruited at least 30 Black, White and Ethnic Minority donors who have donated Stem Cells/Bone Marrow to a sufferer, including Daniel De-Gale’s cousin Kamisha Guthrie and British Actor David Harewood.
FACT 5:
Enabled Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Registries like Anthony Nolan and the British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR) to research the many varied forms of Bone Marrow types found within the Black, Mixed Race and Ethnic Minority races due to the charity’s recruitment work.
FACT 6:
The founders of the ACLT, Beverley De-Gale and Orin Lewis, were awarded a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Special Award in 2006
FACT 7:
The founders of the ACLT, Beverley De-Gale and Orin Lewis were members of the judging panel for the Pride of Britain Awards 2007
FACT 8:
As in 2007, the ACLT was the official charity for the Notting Hill Carnival in 2008
ACLT FUTURE
The long term aim of the ACLT is to educate and raise awareness about the importance of registering as potential bone marrow donors and blood donors. Our work will enable worldwide donor searches on behalf of black, mixed race, Asian and all ethnic minority patients. The charity works in conjunction with the world bone marrow registers, the National Blood Service & NHS Blood & Transplant in recruiting potential donors. Funds raised will enable us to:
• Funds are utilised to continue the essential groundbreaking raising awareness and recruitment drive programmes.
• Marketing and PR advertising campaigns via Radio/TV/Print Media and all other media outlets.
• Help pay for future Bone Marrow, Blood and organ donation recruitment drives in association with Anthony Nolan, NBS & NHS Blood & Transplant.
• To raise awareness and recruit life savers at schools, colleges, universities, corporate organisations, government offices, community groups etc.
• The costs of presentations and filmed DVD footage promoting our life saving work.
• Attending conferences and seminars to address large audiences
• Fronting Media Campaigns to raise awareness about Appeals on behalf of patients in the UK and overseas.
Searching for donors:
Registry diversification through community outreach work
Donor retention efforts
Work with corporate supporters
Supporting patients and physicians
Patient education and advocacy
Physician professional education and consultation services
Summary
There are many sufferers fighting with tremendous courage and strength. We would like to observe that their battle would not be in vain.
PLEASE HELP US TO SAVE A LIFE TO CHANGE A LIFE
Cancer touches us all directly or indirectly because at some point in the future someone you know will possibly need a Bone Marrow donor (1 in 3 people in Britain is diagnosed with Cancer)
Our aim is to have tens of thousands of Black and Ethnic Minority people registered to choose from in order to find the matching donor for future patients
Continue to raise the profile of the work of the ACLT within the NHS and mainstream Cancer organisations via networking and news media
Demonstrative support is required from influential people and Companies sponsoring a worthy cause and a very important health issue relevant to all communities
The theme of educating individuals groups on positive health care is vital to the positive image of Britain in 21st Century
Many, many thanks to our many volunteers, Staff, Trustees, Patrons and Friends. We truly appreciate your continued support and ideas.
Once again 'Thank You'.
If you are interested in helping and most importantly FUNDRAISING for the ACLT, please call us:
Thank You
Orin Lewis, Co-Founder, Chief Executive of the ACLT
