Southampton port operators have raised in excess of £10,000 for a project that supports parents of children with cancer.
ABP employees completed a series of gruelling challenges in aid of Young Lives vs Cancer, the company's Charity of the Year 2023.
Teams tackled the Three Peaks Challenge and the ABP Southampton Marathon, plus the London, New York, and Boston Marathons.
Young Lives vs Cancer runs Jean's House, a "home from home" that offers free accommodation for families with children who are receiving cancer treatment at University Hospital Southampton.
Jean's House is within walking distance of the hospital, enabling families to stay together during difficult times.
People using the facility live an average of 80 miles away - and parents are often unable to work while their child is having treatment.
Alastair Welch, ABP's regional director, said: "We are proud to support local charities as part of our charity of the year initiative and make a big difference to those who need it the most.
"Jean's House is an inspiring home that enables parents to stay close to their children during treatment and also offers accommodation for siblings to stay.
"It's particularly important to keep families together at such a devastating time.”
Liz Blunt, Young Lives vs Cancer Senior fundraising engagement manager, added: "It’s been wonderful to work with the fantastic staff from ABP Southampton.
"Our research shows that whilst a child is having treatment a family needs to find on average an extra £700 a month.
"On countless occasions, I've heard from parents who say they don’t know what they would have done without being able to stay at Jean’s House.
"We don’t receive any government funding so a massive 'thank you' to ABP Southampton for helping to ensure that families have a home to stay in, with the huge amount they have raised.”
Jean's House is an 18-minute walk from the hospital and a five-minute walk from the nearest shop.
It boasts a raft of facilities including seven en-suite bedrooms, two kitchens, and two lounges. It also offers a large garden and free parking. A total of 94 families stayed there in 2021/22, with one living at the property for more than 100 days.
Jean's House is named after a girl who raised funds in memory of her 14-year-old brother, who died of leukaemia in 1986.
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