Metcalfe Solicitors raise £1000 at charity football tournament.

SOLICITORS, financial advisors and stockbrokers swapped their suits for football shirts as they took part in a tournament to raise money for a Bristol breast cancer charity.

Teams from Metcalfes solicitors, Richard Harding estate agents and HSBC took to the pitch against players from Towry independent financial advisors, Allianz insurance, MB Frames and Rowan Dartington stockbrokers as they battled it out at Frenchay Cricket Club on Monday night.

But it was a team from Downend Saints that put the professionals to the sword with their silky skills.

The tournament raised about £1,000 for Abreast, a charity set up by Bristol breast surgeon Zoe Winters, which funds research into breast cancer and focuses on improving the quality of life for women with the disease.

Organiser Barbara Calcutt, who is head of Metcalfes' private client department, became a trustee of Abreast after being diagnosed with breast cancer and operated on by Ms Winters in 2008.

Abreast is Metcalfes' adopted charity for this year, and the firm has raised thousands of pounds through events such as the Bristol 10k running race and wine tasting sessions.

The money raised from the football tournament will go towards buying iPads for patients to be able to give electronic feedback to their consultants on their treatment.

Mrs Calcutt, 57, from Westbury-on-Trym, said: "The charity is getting patients to give feedback on their treatment to consultants through questionnaires, to tell them about things like pain levels, anxiety and depression.

"At the moment everything is done by paper, but by giving the feedback through iPads will make it a lot easier and quicker.

"Hopefully that way the patient will be able to get the treatment that is tailored for them, not just what the consultant thinks is right for them. It will give the patient more input and a say in their treatment."

Abreast was set up in 2004 to help improve the quality of life of women who have breast cancer and undergo breast cancer surgery.

Article by thisisbristol.co.uk