Over 200 of the CL Family descended on Villa Park on Friday afternoon to celebrate their fundraising achievements from throughout 2023, as the charity named their 2023 Christmas Award Winners.

London2Paris host (and former blood cancer patient) Adam Joyce was the man on the mic for the afternoon as he kept the crowd entertained and named our award winners alongside Cure Leukaemia Chairman Geoff Cousins with seven winners announced on the day.

We heard from inspirational nurses, patients and fundraisers alike on the day – each with their own personal reasons for supporting the charity and undertaking challenges to raise funds for blood cancer patients throughout the year.

This year, we’ve seen some incredible fundraising efforts from so many people, from people taking part in our own organised events, to participating in Cure Leukaemia events, and beyond.

Here’s the full list of all of our fab 2023 award winners:

Individual Fundraiser of the Year: Matt Gaut

Matt Gaut sadly lost his son aged just six. Young Harry sadly passed away in 2013 following a battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Since then, Matt has put his body through pain to help raise funds for charity over the years. 2023 was no different! To mark the 10-Year anniversary of Harry’s passing, he took on his biggest challenge to date. Fresh after completing the charity’s London2Paris cycle in 2022 (including running the first 65 mile stage on foot), he went one step further this year and RAN the WHOLE 230 miles and raised a whopping £105,000 for Cure Leukaemia.

Team Fundraisers of the Year: Rowan Ramble

The Rowan Ramble consists of an inspiring team of 25 staff, friends, family and Nurses from the Oncology and Haematology teams from Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust. For their biggest challenge to date, they laced up their walking shoes and tackled over 30 miles in 30-degree heat in May as they completed the canal walk between the Centre for Clinical Haematology in Birmingham and the Oncology Centre in Worcester.

Whilst not a Cure Leukaemia TAP Centre, they raised over £38,000 this year on top of the £12,000 raised back in 2019 to take their overall total past £50,000 – the equivalent of funding a Cure Leukaemia Research Nurse for a year!

Young Fundraiser of the Year: Hutchesons’ Grammar School

Hutchesons’ Grammar School made Cure Leukaemia their charity partner for the 2022/2023 school year and have undertaken a number of fundraising initiatives after one of the pupils was diagnosed with blood cancer. Liv Dickson courageously battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia for three years before emotionally ringing the bell this year.  This brave young girl is incredibly strong and epitomises the fighting spirit of all of the patients in Glasgow.

Not only that, since ringing the bell and celebrating the end of her treatment, her fundraising is showing no signs of stopping with Cure Leukaemia named as the school’s charity partner for a second year in 2023/24 as they look to build on the amazing amount raised this year.

– Wackiest Fundraiser of the Year: Rosie Rand

Rosie received the most nominations of any award category this year. She raised a huge amount for London 2 Paris this year, fuelled by turning up to her local spin class’s in a variety of fancy dress costumes for a number of months. From Fred Flintstone and Elvis, to a 9-foot dinosaur and a giant toilet roll. She has epitomised the very definition of this category and helped raise over £2,800 while having a whole heap of fun!

Blood Cancer Awareness Month Champion: Priyanka Mehta

Before September, Priyanka was not a runner. She had never run a 5k in her life. But as part of the Tour of the TAP, she bought her first pair of running shoes and embraced the challenge! As a Consultant Haematologist at one of Cure Leukaemia’s newest TAP Centres in Bristol, she helped to organise an incredible welcome for the team (when they desperately needed it towards the end of the Tour) and helped the team from Bristol raise over £4,500.

– Chairmans Award: Booths

Booths takes part in all of our Cure Leukaemia events and has continued to do so for the past couple of years since their Managing Director, Nigel Murray took part in The Tour 21. This year, they have taken part in our London 2 Paris cycle with 11 members of staff taking part, held cake sales, softball competitions, summer BBQs and are the current reigning champions of the first ever Female Copa del Cure Leukaemia. This year, they pledged to raise a minimum of £50,000 for the next two years designed to fund a CL Research Nurse at Blackpool Hospital in the form of Denise Bennett, who we heard from earlier this afternoon.

Just incredible work from the team as they continue to help make a difference to blood cancer patients across the UK.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Mike Shaw and Jackie Kelly

Special Recognition Awards: Tour of the TAP team, Adam Hewitt, Glamour and Goodness, The Tour 21, Professor Rob Wynn, MacKenzie Tyler and Alex Ford.

A huge thank you goes to the businesses who generously donated towards our raffle including Rudells the Jewellers and The NEC Birmingham.