WideCells Group PLC (LON:WDC), the healthcare services company focused on providing stem cell services and ground-breaking insurance for stem cell treatment, was today delighted to announce that it has finalised a corporate charity engagement plan as part of its active corporate social responsibility programme. Reflecting his commitment to promoting medical development and health and well-being at both a corporate and personal level, the Group’s Chief Executive Office (‘CEO’) João Andrade has commenced training to participate in a 135 mile ultramarathon in the Californian desert in order to raise money for three primary charities: BigMoose, a non-profit organisation which aims to tackle homelessness by training homeless people as baristas, the Portuguese Association Multiple Sclerosis (‘SPEM’ – the Sociedade Portuguesa de Esclerose Múltipla) and CHAMPS Appeal, which helps children with Hirschsprung’s Disease and bowel/bladder diversions.
A blog post covering Mr. Andrade’s training and the Company’s charitable commitments can be found here: http://widecellsgroup.com/newsroom/blog
The Challenge
WideCells Group hopes to raise £50,000 in the first year of its charity commitment programme to support three charities.
The achieve this, the Group is finalising a comprehensive sponsorship package and CEO João Andrade has commenced training so that he can participate in an ultramarathon often referred to as “The World’s Toughest Foot Race”, covering 135 miles. The start line is at Badwater, Death Valley, California, which marks the lowest elevation in North America at 85m below sea level, and finishes at Whitney Portal, which is the trailhead to the Mt. Whitney summit, the highest point in the contiguous United States, at 2,530m above sea level. The Badwater 135 course covers three mountain ranges for a total of 4,450m of cumulative vertical ascent and 1,859m of cumulative descent.
Application to the race is, and always has been, by invitation only. Applicants must meet a number of qualifying standards, including the completion of at least three running races of at least 100 continuous miles in length, at least one of which must be completed within 12 months of running Badwater. Accordingly, Mr. Andrade hopes to be in a position to participate in the race in 2020.
The Charities
BigMoose
BigMoose, is a non-profit organisation with a very clear intention – to do fun stuff that inspires people to live better, healthier, kinder lives. The charity organises multiple fundraising and charity events to support a spectrum of causes and is currently focussed on tackling homelessness in Cardiff, Wales. They intend to do this through a Big Moose café, which has been founded in Cardiff to train people who are currently homeless as baristas, so that they have the skills and support to start a new life. For further information please visit: www.bigmoose.co
SPEM – the Portuguese Association Multiple Sclerosis
SPEM is focussed on improving the living conditions of Multiple Sclerosis patients and the people who live with them. MS is a chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease affecting the Central Nervous System (CNS). It is a disease that often occurs between 20 and 40 years of age and currently affects an estimated 2,500,000 people around the world, with more than 8,000 in Portugal alone. The charity is based in Lisbon, Portugal and has a close affinity with the Group’s operations given that stem cells are currently being used in clinical trials to treat MS. Furthermore, the Group’s CellPlan Limited division, which recently launched a first-of-its-kind stem cell healthcare insurance plan in the UK, is based in Porto, Lisbon. For further information please visit: www.spem.pt
CHAMPS Appeal
CHAMPS Appeal helps children with Hirschsprung’s Disease and bowel/bladder diversions. They give solace to children by providing activities with other children like them, whilst parents/carers get the opportunity to relax and discuss their family’s journey with like-minded families. For further information please visit: www.champsappeal.co.uk
WideCells Group Plc CEO, João Andrade, said, WideCells Group is committed to supporting future medical development to ensure a brighter future for healthcare globally. We have already proven this through our work to make stem cell treatment more accessible and affordable worldwide, which resulted in us being ranked as the 21st most disruptive company globally by DISRUPT 100. Nonetheless, as our shareholders will know, we are committed to driving and supporting change at all levels. Accordingly, we are delighted to be working with and supporting a number of very worthy charities as part of our Corporate Social Engagement plan. These charities have already positively benefitted thousands of lives and we want to help them to continue their incredible work. That is why I have personally undertaken the challenge to run the Badwater ultramarathon. I am passionate about transforming the future medical landscape both within my capacity as CEO of WideCells Group and personally. Now is this time for change and we look forward to being at the fore of this.
