A year of success supporting Deltatre's UK Charity of the Year

It’s the start of a new decade and as the number of flashing lights hanging in our high streets dwindle and the bottom of the Celebrations chocolates tin is almost in sight, it’s clear that 2020 is well and truly upon us.

As we look forward to a new and exciting chapter for Deltatre, it’s also a great opportunity to reflect on the past year’s achievements. One such achievement is our work with our 2019 UK Charity of the Year, the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).

The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust is a London-based charity and helps children and their families affected by Retinoblastoma – a condition that affects vision from birth all the way through to adulthood. In the video and streaming space, much of what we do is about sight, so our partnership with CHECT was a great way for Deltatre to support children who are growing up in a world with ever-increasing visual stimulation.

On announcing that CHECT had been voted as our Charity of the Year, our London team rallied to get involved in as many ways as possible to support the cause.

Throughout the year, the appetite from the Deltatre community to make a difference was made clear in the results. 19 riders, eight football teams, five runners and a whole bunch of generous donators and event organizers rallied together to raise £6,131.48 for the charity.

Some of the year’s highlight events included:

• The Nightrider cycle through London after dark
• The Pedal4Cancer London to Cambridge ride
• The ninth annual Charity Football Tournament
• The Santa Run in Victoria Park to round off the year in the festive spirit!

We were delighted to learn that our fundraising can be of great use to CHECT in 2020 and beyond:

• £50 helps to finance regional events for affected families who feel isolated by their diagnosis
• £500 funds a grant for up to three families’ monthly hospital visits
• £5000 can fund a weekend away for teenagers affected by Retinoblastoma to help build their confidence

Speaking about our partnership, Diane Emery, CHECT’s Fundraising Manager, said: "The team at Deltatre have amazed us with their enthusiasm and energetic commitment to fundraising for CHECT and have been a joy to work with. It was fantastic to meet everyone at the Charity Football Tournament in July, and to field our own CHECT team on the night.

"The amazing total of £6,131.48 makes a real difference to a small charity like CHECT, with no government funding. Thank you, all!"

It’s important to note that as well as the funds raised, we used our platform in the technology industry to raise awareness of CHECT and the work they do through social channels and our blog. The success of our Charity of the Year pilot now means we’ll be rolling the initiative out globally, so stay tuned for further updates.

We were also lucky to have charity Chief Executive, Patrick Tonks, visit colleagues in our UK offices early in 2019. He explained the importance of supporting smaller charities who are often eclipsed by larger ones in the race for corporate backing.

Speaking in advance of our Charity Football Tournament, Patrick said:

"As a small charity, it is always a challenge to raise the funds necessary to undertake our work helping babies, young children, and families affected by quite a rare cancer.

"To everyone taking part in what I am sure will be an amazing football tournament – thank you for your support. I hope you have fun, enjoy some friendly competition, and do so knowing that every penny raised will be put to good use helping a very special group of people."

A huge thank you to everyone who was involved this year in any shape or form with this fantastic cause. We are excited to select our 2020 Charity Partner.

Do you have any ideas for charities you’d love to see us work with this year? Let us know on Twitter @deltatre.