Plumbing Supplier Raised £15k For Sick Kids In Memory Of Beloved Colleague

Colleagues at a West Midlands plumbing supplier raised over £15,000 for sick kids at our hospital in memory of a beloved colleague and his family. 

City Plumbing, a plumbing supplier company in Halesowen, held a festive charity Christmas Ball-ble to raise funds for sick children and young people on behalf of our charity, as well as another cause close to their hearts. The event captured the generous fundraising legacy of Chris Williams, a much-loved Regional Director at City Plumbing who sadly passed away last year.  

Chris and his family became fundraising champions for sick kids after their son Barnaby was diagnosed with a rare paediatric brain tumour. Barnaby received extensive care and treatment at our Children’s Hospital and underwent major surgery, but devastatingly passed away, aged nine years old. 

Heartbroken, Chris and his family raised over £50,000 for our hospital in Barnaby’s name. But just months after losing Barnaby, Chris was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer and tragically passed away in January 2025.  

In memory of Chris and his kindness and generosity, the City Plumbing team put on a charity “Christmas Ball-ble” in December last year. 350 guests joined the evening of festive entertainment, with Christmas market stalls and live music, a silent auction and charity raffle, digging deep and raising more than £15,000. 

Inspired to keep going, the City Plumbing team will be taking on our annual Dragon Boat Race this year, where local businesses race traditional dragon boats on the canal at Birmingham’s Mailbox. City Plumbing employees have named their team ‘Williams West Midlands Warriors’ in Chris’s honour and hope raise an extra £10,000 for the cause. 

Kelly Smith, Personal Assistant to Directors at City Plumbing, said: “Raising money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity means the world to all of us here at City Plumbing. 

“Chris was such a good friend and colleague, and his memory inspires us to keep doing what he wanted, which is raising as much money as possible for this cause.” 

Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “We’re deeply moved and inspired by the passion of everyone at City Plumbing to do more for our sick kids in Chris’s memory. 

“We’re forever grateful for their generosity, which will help our brave patients like Barnaby and their families benefit from the best care, treatments, experience and environments.”