This is a guest post from Sharon Salmon, Deputy Chair of Network Rail’s Cultural Fusion network. The Sickle Cell Society thanks Cultural Fusion for their engagement with World Sickle Cell Day and their activities!

UntitledlogoFollowing the success of the Super Hero run with raising money for the Sickle Cell Society, a wear red dress down day was planned to help promote awareness of the condition and to also raise more funds. I would like to share some pictures and write ups from some of the people who took the time out to help on the stands and to wear red. I also would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to those who got involved.

Cultural Fusion Members Celebrated World Sickle Cell day, Friday 19th June 2015

In London, Birmingham and Milton Keynes

team

Capacity Analysis Team, (Line Manager Suzanne Collins not pictured) From left Nick Brand, Peter Mead, Sidey Hussain, Catherine Priestman, Stephen Hayfield, Pearson Powell, Front left to right (Shanthi Murali-Krishnan , Sharon Salmon Cultural Fusion ) and Harry Fisher .

This is what Pearson Powell and the Capacity Analysis Team had to say….

Why did you participate in World Sickle Day?
We participated in the World Sickle Cell day as we had heard about it from Cultural Fusion and thought it would be a good for the team to support

Was your awareness raised after the Red dress down day?
Some Information was known and some leaflets will need to be collected and distributed amongst the team, who don’t have the best knowledge of it.

What do you know about Sickle Cell? Have you been personally affected by the condition such as yourself, family, friend or colleague with the disorder or did you want to do your ‘bit’ for charity.
I know it’s a blood cell condition, which affects the shape of them. Their shape means they hold less haemoglobin and can cause blockages and occasionally death. The NHS is slowly becoming more aware but very slowly. I’m told it makes you immune to malaria. My sisters have the trait variant of it.

team 2

London Eversholt Street, Tolu Coker and Adeola Ogunba

I was so grateful to Ade and Tolu who gave out Leaflets and information about Sickle Cell in the foyer of Eversholt Street London. People were really receptive and genuinely interested in finding out more about the condition.

We didn’t have anyone to host the stands in Waterloo London and Birmingham but thank you to Richard Ballantine and Marcia Johnson respectively for putting leaflets in the reception and other suitable areas.

team 3

The Quadrant Milton Keynes
From Left Sharon Salmon Deputy Chair / Liaison Lead Cultural Fusion (CF) Cindy Wedderburn, Chair (CF) Shanthi Murali-Krishnan Support Lead (CF) and Tolu Osekita Cultural Fusion member who came and helped host the stand on the day.

It was great as so many passers-by took the time to come and talk to us and find out more about the condition. Tolu was brilliant he managed the stand by himself for a while as we all had leave at the same time to complete work deadlines.

Thank You Debbie Davidson (National Supply Chain Milton Keynes) for organising your fund raising in your team so much appreciated. There is still time to donate or would you like to organise a fund raising event in your teams. Please get in touch I would love some more volunteers. Sharon.salmon@networkrail.co.uk

A donation can be made on our JustGiving page open till the 30th September 2015
or by text Please text WSCD50 £3 and text to the number 70070. Every penny goes to charity.