Aflac Northern Ireland is pleased to have raised more than £70,000 for the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity (CCUC) which supports the work of the Children’s Cancer and Haematology Unit at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Part of global insurance giant Aflac Inc., the Northern Ireland team reached the milestone following a series of fundraising events throughout 2024 including the inaugural NI Tech Crowd Quiz Night, launched by the company in September.
Aflac NI’s partnership with CCUC has expanded the global company’s primary philanthropic cause of supporting the treatment and research of childhood cancer and blood disorders.
Pictured: Three-year-old Erin Quinn helps Aflac NI mark reaching £70,000 in funds raised for children’s cancer care in Northern Ireland. She is pictured at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children with, Sarah Milliken, Head of Talent and Culture, Aflac NI, centre, and Jane Hoare, CEO of The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity (CCUC) which supports the work of the Children’s Cancer and Haematology Unit at the hospital.
In the U.S., since 1995, Aflac has contributed more than $185 million to childhood cancer and blood disorders and has provided significant resources in Japan as well, including the funding of Parents’ Houses that provide places for families to stay while undergoing treatments.
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Aflac NI brought its awarding-winning My Special Duck to Northern Ireland for the first time in 2021, providing the robotic medical play companions designed to help children facing cancer treatment and blood disorders to communicate their feelings and prepare for treatments. The ducks are given to children with cancer, free of charge, across the region.
An independent study conducted at eight hospitals across the United States has shown that these companions, 33,000 of which have been distributed globally, significantly reduce stress and anxiety for children and their families.
Aflac Northern Ireland hosted a special social event in their award-winning offices earlier this year for children and their families, providing space for respite in a relaxed setting. And each Christmas, Aflac NI employees give their time to the community, volunteering at the Children’s Cancer Unit ward to help make a brighter holiday season for patients, families and healthcare workers.
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Mark McCormack, Vice-President and Managing Director, Aflac NI said: “Supporting children and families affected by cancer is deeply embedded in Aflac’s culture globally, and we’re proud to embrace and extend this mission locally through our partnership with CCUC. The funds raised will help improve the care and support available to these children and their families, making a tangible difference to their lives.
“Our team has shown extraordinary dedication, not only through fundraising but also by giving their time and energy to support the vital work of CCUC. We look forward to continuing this meaningful partnership and driving even greater impact in the years to come.”
Pictured: Three-year-old Erin Quinn and her mum Marie pictured with their My Special Aflac Duck®, the award-winning robotic medical play companion designed to help children facing cancer treatment and blood disorders to communicate their feelings and prepare for treatments.
Jane Hoare, CEO of The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity, added: “The services that we deliver, both to children and young people living with cancer, and their families, as well as the teams within the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children who treat them, simply would not be possible without the support of partners such as Aflac.
“We truly appreciate the fantastic efforts of all staff at Aflac in Belfast and the wider company, and thank them for their incredible commitment to this cause. It is making such a huge difference to the lives of the families we support and to the work and facilities within the Unit.”
The CCUC partnership is just one element of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme at Aflac NI, which recently won the Community (CSR) Award at the Business Eye Awards 2024.
This year, its staff have volunteered for more than 20 local charities supporting causes including hospice services, mental health and animal welfare.
Meanwhile, Aflac NI employees, each of whom are supported and encouraged to dedicate one working day of the year to a cause of their choice, have amassed 900 hours of voluntary service throughout 2024.
Mark added: “At Aflac NI, we believe that corporate social responsibility goes beyond fundraising. It’s a core part of our strategy and is about creating meaningful partnerships, volunteering our time, and ensuring our efforts leave a lasting impact on the community around us.”
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Aflac NI alongside Aflac in the US have also partnered with CCUC and the Queen’s School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen’s University Belfast to develop a learning programme focused on childhood cancer nursing.
It includes a scholarship to travel to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia in the U.S., a global leader in childhood cancer, haematology, and blood and marrow transplant programmes. The facility provides care for more than 2,500 children with cancer each year and a further 5,000 children with sickle cell disease, haemophilia and other life-threatening blood disorders.
Aflac, which is the leading provider of supplemental health insurance products in the U.S., employs more than 170 specialist technology staff in Belfast, where it began operations in 2019.
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