CRYSTAL PEAKS GOES HEAD TO HEAD TO RAISE A WHOPPING £15,307

15th March (15.3.07) is not only the start of Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival (with the 17th being ‘the day’), but the date also carries a very special significance to Sheffield’s “Brainwave Appeal” due to the 15,307 pounds raised by Crystal Peaks for their nominated annual charity, Neurocare based in Lydgate Lane. The Appeal, which eventually aims to buy 3 off, three-dimensional scanners designed by Norwegian technicians, was appropriately launched in 2006 by the Shopping Centre’s caring retail assistants with a ‘Dress Down Green Day’ to initiate a campaign of active fund-raising.

The Brainwave Appeal has already purchased a single Sonowand Ultrasound Scanner for the neurosurgery operating theatres at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital with another to be purchased upon the successful completion of more fund raising activities (expected later this year) and then finally to finance a further Sonowand for Sheffield Children’s Hospital.  Both of these hospitals serve over 2.2 million people in the NHS North Trent region.

Centre Manager, Chris Jones, commented “When we heard about Neurocare and their need for Sonowand’s we had to help - especially as it is a first for Sheffield and Great Britain, true cutting edge neuroscience delivering the best surgery and care anywhere in the entire UK.”  He explained, “I was told by Consultant Neurosurgeon. Richard Battersby, that this is the biggest technological breakthrough since MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) as the scanner works in real time locating the problem with pinpoint accuracy.  It will therefore reduce operating times and make surgery much safer for patients. I sincerely hope that our assistance and support will go a little way to help secure the purchase of another one of these world-beating machines. We all wish them well for a highly successful conclusion over the coming months.”