Nursing assistant comes out fighting to raise money for spinal charity

A Mid Yorkshire nursing rehab assistant swapped her scrubs for boxing gloves as she stepped into the ring to raise money for charity.

Annalie Joyce works with patients in the Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Centre (YRSIC) at Pinderfields Hospital. Around 120 patients from across the North and West Yorkshire and Humberside areas are admitted to the state-of-the-art centre after suffering a spinal cord injury each year.

Having seen firsthand the positive impact the Spinal Unit Recreational Fund (SURF) has on the patients she supports, she decided to take on a personal challenge and raise some money at the same time.

Annalie said: “I’ve never done any boxing before, but I saw this event advertised and I thought, why not give it a go, and raise some money for a really good cause at the same time?

“I went on a nine-week intensive training programme to get ready, which meant a strict diet and no alcohol – which isn’t the easiest thing to do in the run up to Christmas. While everyone else was enjoying Christmas parties and mince pies, I was on a diet of chicken and rice.

“The programme included two training sessions a week, but I picked up four more so I was doing six sessions a week to make sure I’d be ready.”

And all the hard work paid off as not only did Annalie win her three-round match on 21 December, but she also raised a whopping £1,230 for the charity.

Wayne Cunningham, from SURF, said: “Our aim at SURF is to give patients a break during their stay at the spinal unit, and show them what they still can do, with trips out like bowling, the cinema, and going for meals.

“In order to do this, we need to raise funds. Sadly, Covid changed things for us, with things like supermarket bag packing and collection buckets no longer an option. So, what Annalie has raised is a godsend.

“The money has enabled us to provide inpatients with some Christmas presents, put on a festive buffet, and host a quiz, bingo and Christmas fayre evening for patients, their families, and friends. It’s helped make Christmas really special and I can’t thank Annalie enough.”

Dr Ram Hariharan, clinical lead for the YRSIC, added: “I want to thank Annalie for her dedication and hard work, which goes above and beyond the amazing job she does on the wards. As well as raising this money, she also helped during the recent SURF Christmas meal for our inpatients. We are really proud of her and lucky to have her as part of our team.”