RSM Audit Director supports Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
To support the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s mission with improving their combat against the lethal disease, the foundation ran a Strictly Ballroom charity event. Following a crash-course in dancing from experts working with the charity, RSM Audit Director Anna Spencer-Gray won the competition, raising over £1,000 for the foundation along the way.
The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation was originally founded as the Lung Cancer Fund in 1990, by Professor Ray Donnelly, a thoracic surgeon working in Liverpool. In 1993 Donnelly proposed the creation of an international centre for lung cancer research. As well-known UK entertainer Roy Castle had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, he agreed to raise £12 million to build, equip and run the new centre. The Lung Cancer Fund was therefore renamed Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Castle, whose eclectic career included stints as a jazz musician, an assistant of Dr Who, and the presenter of children’s TV show ‘Record Breakers’, continued fundraising for the charity until his death in September 1994.
The charity’s mission today covers three key aspects of dealing with the disease: fundamental research, support of those affected and prevention. The charity received around £4.8 million in funding in 2016, much of which went to fundamental research. Recently, in the search for more donations, the foundation organised a Strictly Ballroom charity event, which offered members of the public the opportunity to receive ten hours of ballroom dancing tuition from some of the best in the business. Following the training, an event was held at which the new dancers were able to show off their new skills, and be scored.
Anna Spencer-Gray wows judges
One of the participants to take part in the event this year was RSM Audit Director Anna Spencer-Gray. Dancing with Chris Tighe from Fusion Ballroom Dance Academy, an RSM statement said she “wowed the judges” with her waltz to ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ by Alicia Keys. Scoring the maximum points available, Spencer-Gray topped the leader board, alongside the more important victory of raising a total £1,100 for the foundation.
Regarding her performance, Anna Spencer-Gray commented, “As a novice dancer, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn a new skill, meet some incredible people and raise much needed funds to support vital lung cancer research. As a client, we have a greater understanding of the work the Roy Castle Cancer Foundation delivers, so we know the money raised on the night will help support ground-breaking, and potentially life-saving research which makes it all worthwhile.”
The organiser of the event, Ashleigh Quarless, remarked, “We were delighted to have Anna take part as a contestant in our Strictly Ballroom event. The money Anna has raised through her fundraising is incredible and will go towards patients and family living with lung cancer – the UK’s biggest cancer killer. We are so proud of all of our contestants who took part in this event – huge congratulations to Anna for winning with her show-stopping waltz.”
RSM are not the only consulting industry figures to have donned their dancing shoes in the name of charity in 2017. During the Summer, representatives from Mazars raised £900 for the Lewis-Manning Hospice, at a Business Come Dancing event hosted with the rest of the South West business community.
