St Mungo's HS receives award from Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Anthony Nolan charity

St Mungo’s High School received the Campbell Hunter Award which has been created by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service charity partnership with Anthony Nolan.

It recognises the schools support for the charity partnership, by hosting recruitment drives for stem cell donors as research shows younger donors lead to more successful transplants.

So far, St Mungo’s High School has held three recruitment events and signed up over 260 young people to the Anthony Nolan register.

The school has also recorded their first stem cell donor. A former pupil, on the register, was matched with a patient with blood cancer and donated their stem cells to give that patient a second chance at life. Next year the school is planning to climb Ben Nevis to fundraise for the charity.

The award is named after a former pupil of Peebles High who worked to promote the partnership, but sadly died almost three years ago, aged just 18.

St Mungo's High School also remembers their former pupil Declan Rennie, who sadly passed away in December 2017, after receiving a stem cell transplant which was not successful.

Receiving the award on behalf of St Mungo’s High School, teacher Heather Anderson said: “St. Mungo’s is honoured to be receiving the first Campbell Hunter award. We always look forward to welcoming the SFRS into the school and we are so proud of all that has been accomplished.

"We also want to take this opportunity to remember Declan, we are sure he would have been proud of everything his peers have achieved. To receive this award in memory of a fellow champion is very humbling and we will continue to try our best to honour Campbell’s memory.”

The SFRS partnership with Anthony Nolan was formed in 2009 after then Area Commander Ally Boyle had been diagnosed with Myelodysplasia. Ally quickly realised that both SFRS and Anthony Nolan have a shared focus – saving and improving lives. The partnership has seen over 19,000 potential donors recruited to the stem cell register with 105 of those going on to donate.

Holly Gooch, partnerships manager at Anthony Nolan said: “Anthony Nolan’s partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is an incredible part of our lifesaving work ensuring that every patient can receive a stem cell transplant and has the best access to, experience of and outcome from treatment.

"The tireless work of the SFRS has helped to recruit thousands of potential donors to the stem cell register, helping give over 100 people a second chance at life.”

Anthony Nolan recruits people aged 16-30 to the stem cell register as research has shown younger people are more likely to be chosen to donate.

You can find out more here or join here

Shirley Nolan founded the charity in 1974, after a donor could not be found for her son Anthony. His legacy has given hope and a second chance of life to thousands of blood cancer and blood disorder patients.