Tutor/student relationships at the College of North East London (CONEL) are not restricted to the classroom only. Some activities start at the top of a 500 foot wall. This is what Tosi Umenyilora and a group of her learners faced when they abseiled down the walls of Guys Hospital at London Bridge for charity - The Anthony Nolan Trust.

The Anthony Nolan Trust is the largest stem cell register for bone marrow donors in the UK. The Trust was founded in 1974 by Shirley Nolan in an attempt to save the life of her son Anthony. It now holds one of the largest databases of unrelated donors in the world, which means that more than 300 of these people help patients suffering from leukaemia every year.

The Trust has a range of challenges which its supporters participate in to raise funds and awareness to the cause, abseiling, parachuting, water rafting, charity bike rides, the baby sweep stake (for expectant mothers), golf classic, a 5-day survival challenge and lots more.

Tosi, who is the programme manager of sports courses at CONEL, got roped into the challenge by one of her students Rachel Clarke a trust donor.

In five years Rachel has not been called to donate bone marrow, so she thought rather than sit around doing nothing, she would get involved in raising more awareness and support for the trust by fundraising. Rachel has personally raised an amazing 320 through the sponsored abseil and the group from CONEL have added to this total. This money will go a long way as the trust spends 70 to fully tissue type an individual. She plans to do a parachuting challenge next.

Rachel hopes that through these challenges she will be able to encourage her friends, family, tutors and people at CONEL, to get themselves registered and help this worthy cause.

 

Notes to Editors:

1. The College of North East London offers a wide range of sports courses from Fitness Instructor to Personal Trainer. For more information, please telephone the course hotline on 020 8442 3055. Or you can go to www.conel.ac.uk
2. For more information on the Anthony Nolan Trust and its fundraising activities please visit www.anthonynolan.org.uk