Today is International Women's Day - a global celebration of women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. Each year, this day acts as a powerful showcase of the progress being made towards gender equality, as well as highlighting the work that still needs to be done. We're proud to add our voice to this campaign, which this year has the theme "Inspire Inclusion".

Today, we're celebrating some of our fantastic fundraisers who, along with their colleagues, have made a huge difference for our family of hospitals. We're honoured that they've chosen to support us!

Anjanie MacKenzie - EMEA Lead, Global IM FTE Delivery, Microsoft

"My involvement with MFT Charity began three years ago. My daughter wanted to raise money to give back to the hospital who are looking after her. She was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2018 at 10 years old, and the support she is receiving from Royal Manchester Children's Hospital has really helped her manage her treatment.

"More recently, from knowing Jack in the Charity's corporate team through his support of our family fundraising and through partnering with my wonderful colleagues at Microsoft, I now also lead the Hospitals program for the North West Social Impact Volunteer team at Microsoft."

Anjanie is the Incident Management Lead for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Microsoft, looking after a team of Incident Managers and working towards Microsoft’s mission of empowering every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.

"My daughter initially had a dream in 2020 of walking the Gritstone Trail across the foothills of the Peak District, supported by her younger brother. But to start with, the Peak District 50km Ultra Challenge seemed an adventure. She was too young at 12 years old to enter the challenge, therefore she decided to walk the Macclesfield Canal (42km) as a training walk with her brother and family friends, collecting money along the way from online donations and strangers encouraging her onwards."

"Then both a friend and I walked the actual Peak District Ultra-challenge (50km in 13 hours) as our family and friends cheered us on. We completed both challenges in May and July 2021 respectively. Next in 2023, Olivia, her younger brother and I completed the Gritstone Trail over 3 days (56km, 1800m) ascent from Kidsgrove to Disley. It was tough but what an adventure we had!"

Through these amazing challenges, Anjanie and family have raised over £4,300 for Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and and £2,000 for Scoliosis Support and Research. These fantastic totals have been match funded by her employer, Microsoft. They're setting their sights on even bigger challenges for the future...

"We are hatching a plan to walk the Pennine Way, and at 268 miles (431 km) long, maybe we’ll split the walk into sections."

When thinking about the topic of inspiring inclusion, Anjanie draws from many aspects of her life.

"My daughter inspires me, and seeing how brave children are; the challenges with how an illness can disrupt their school and social lives. It’s hard enough fitting in as a teenager, but being in the minority, living with a hidden condition and all that brings…is incredibly brave. Every time we visit the RMCH I am humbled and inspired by what it means to CARE for one another.

"Also, the NHS inspires me. My mother arrived from Trinidad & Tobago in 1969 to work as a midwife for the NHS. She trained at The Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading before moving up North. It is a lovely coincidence that my daughter was born in the same hospital my mother trained at, 200 miles from my hometown."

Louise Logan - Strategic Social Value Manager, NG Bailey

"My role as Strategic Social Value Manager is to bring a positive impact to the communities in which we work and also for our colleagues in the business. This incudes a variety of educational reach out initiatives, fundraising, volunteering, environmental activities and health and wellbeing.

"For the last three years NG Bailey have held our annual golf fundraiser which bring together a number of our business partners for a fun day of golf whilst raising money for such a great cause."

NG Bailey's golf fundraisers have been fantastic annual highlight for our Charity, and over the three years have raised over £13,600 for our family of hospitals! And the fundraising doesn't stop there...

"Some of our colleagues this year plan to take on the huge challenge of a running a Marathon in aid of RMCH. We wish them the best of luck!"

Louise and her employer, NG Bailey, have been supporters of our Charity since 2021. NG Bailey were founded in 1921, and have grown from a small electrical contractor to an industry leading engineering and services business.

"The world of Construction & Engineering can often be quite male-dominated, so I am always inspired by the brilliant women in our business who aren’t afraid to put themselves forward in a room full of men and showcase their amazing talents."

Liz Donevan - Communications Director, ANS Group

"I have the brilliant job of working with the People team to make sure everyone at ANS feels safe, happy, inspired and included. A big part of that is the CSR (corporate social responsibility) work we do, giving back to the local community that has supported ANS over the last 20 years and showing young people in the area what a career in tech could look like.

"I work with the team at ANS to understand where we can focus our CSR activity to have the greatest impact on as many people as possible and share our unique insight as a growing tech business to benefit organisations and individuals with their dreams and ambitions."

Digital transformation experts ANS Group have been supporting our Charity, specifically Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, since our New Hospital Appeal all the way back in 2009. They've raised funds in an amazing amount of ways since then, which shows in the equally amazing total of over £237,000 raised for the hospital!

Liz herself has gotten really into some adrenaline-filled fundraising over the years she has worked with our Charity...

"I've both sponsored and gotten into the ring for Charity Boxing Nights, as well as taken on skydives. On reflection, it’s really the more extreme end of our fundraising!"

The theme of this year's International Women's Day - Inspiring Inclusion - is one that means a lot means a lot to Liz.

"It takes all of us to inspire inclusion. My Dad was a single parent who raised me and my sisters to be kind, courageous and respectful and to do great things. Now, I’m raising my sons and daughter to do the same. Likewise, the Women in ANS group thrives because of allyship. We’ve all got a responsibility."