issue two: may 2009 - Halcrow

Swindon therapyMultiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers in Swindon willsoon have access to a diverse range of holistictherapies, thanks to a £5,500 donation from theHalcrow Foundation.Tough girlAs the UK experienced its most severe winter for overa decade and heavy snow brought London and othercities to a standstill, the ultimate endurance event wasin full swing near Wolverhampton.A not-for-profit organisation supporting peoplewith MS and other neurological conditions, SwindonTherapy Centre for Multiple Sclerosis (STC) is a longstandinglocal charity. STC is upgrading to larger,modern premises, and a dedicated therapy room ishigh on the agenda.With holistic therapists offering reiki, reflexology,Indian head therapy, aromatherapy and bodymassage, the centre will provide an invaluableresource for MS sufferers.Anna Price“These therapies can help people manage theircondition more effectively and remain in work,keeping them as mobile and independent aspossible,” explains Halcrow’s project sponsorCharlie-Louise Presley.Restoring a semblance of normality to people’s lives,the centre boosts self-esteem and confidence byreconnecting potentially isolated groups with thewider community.Located near Halcrow’s Burderop Park office, arelationship already exists between centre staff andHalcrow employees.Log on and make a differenceHalcrow’s Anna Price was among the thousands offearless challengers who signed their waiver forms,braving Arctic conditions for the annual Tough GuyChallenge on 1 February. On an endurance scale to rivalthe US Navy S.E.A.L.S ‘Grinder’ assault course, theaptly-titled event strikes trepidation into the hearts of theworld’s hardiest competitors.While broken bones, dislocations and over 600 cases of hypothermia forcedhundreds to retire, Anna conquered the mud, freezing water, underwater tunnels,electric fences and ropes to finish tenth in the women’s field, in under two hours.The Handforth-based ecologist signed the compulsory ‘death warrant disclaimer’prior to tackling the ‘uniquely fear-ridden’ course to raise money for the HalcrowFoundation. Supporters pledged over £450, and further contributions can bedonated online at www.justgiving.com/annaprice5.When she finally thawed out, Anna said: “It was a great experience – out of ten, I’dsay it was ten for how extreme it was. With wind chill, it was -8 degrees Celsius. Icouldn’t stop shaking. So many people got pulled out by the medics that they ranout of ambulances to get them to hospital! I am now able to take on the title of‘tough guy’, and am mad enough to do it again in the future.”Users of Halcrow’s ISIS software – one of the UK’s leadinghydrodynamic river modelling suites – have helped raiseover £850 for charity simply by logging on.In 2008, Halcrow set up the isisuser.com site to provideonline support for users of the suite, with manuals,support forums, knowledge bases and other information.Since the launch, each user has generated points whichconvert into a monetary sum – totalling £852.30.Half of this amount has been donated to the HalcrowFoundation and half to WaterAid.WaterAid thanked Halcrow for its support, saying: “Thisgenerous gift will help some of the many people livingwithout access to safe water and sanitation take their firststeps out of poverty.”Halcrow Foundation chairman David Kerr agreed, adding:“This is a great example of how money can be raised whilethe company goes about its business.”Find out more at www.halcrow.com/isis