A trio of charities are celebrating after being presented with cheques worth a total of £5,500.

 

The money was raised by staff at Northampton-based asbestos management consultancy, Acorn Analytical Services, who undertook fundraising events during 2025 in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK, Mesothelioma UK and Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

 

Over the course of 2025, the Acorn team pulled together to embark on ten charity challenges that included a white-collar boxing event, skydive, London Moonwalk, dragon boat race, colour run, abseil, Pretty Muddy 5K, half marathon, five-a-side charity football tournament, and finished with an ambitious 100 miles in 12 hours walking challenge.

 

The funds were split with £2,000 going to Mesothelioma UK, £2,000 to Cynthia Spencer Hospice and £1,500 given to Muscular Dystrophy UK.

 

The team wanted to raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy UK after sales administrator Sarah Seal’s two sons were diagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy within weeks of each other last year. The second charity, Mesothelioma UK, supports people living with mesothelioma – a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. Lastly, the team wanted to raise money for its local hospice, Cynthia Spencer Hospice.

 

Jill Lemon, Corporate Relations and Fundraising Manager at Mesothelioma UK, said: “I was honoured to meet with the team at Acorn and accept this vital contribution in support of those affected by mesothelioma. Thank you to everyone who took part and helped raise this fantastic amount. What an achievement!”

 

Nina Gandy, Corporate Partnerships and Fundraiser Lead at Cynthia Spencer Hospice, said: “Acorn have been big supporters of ours for a number of years now, taking on various fundraising challenges and volunteering in our shop. This money will help so many people, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has pushed themselves to take part in these fantastic challenges in 2025.”

 

Connal Kelleher, Community Fundraising Manager at Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: “As a charity, we support our community by funding ground-breaking research to understand the different conditions better and lead us to new treatments, along with supporting individuals living with a condition to help them live well. This wouldn’t be possible without the generous support from fundraisers, like Acorn, and their dedicated staff members. Thank you for supporting Muscular Dystrophy UK and helping to make a difference.”

Daniel Crask, Head of Operations at Acorn Analytical Services, added: “It’s been another fantastic year at Acorn, raising money for these amazing charities. The team have dug deep, faced fears and really worked together to complete these challenges. We really went for it this year, but I think next year we can go bigger! Planning is already in place and all will be revealed next year.”

For more information on Acorn Analytical Services, see www.acorn-as.com.