Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton did a few laps of the world-class children’s hospital on Monday to celebrate the launch of the Abbey and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity of the Year partnership. Hamilton met patients on oncology wards, sharing stories from the 2007 racing season, and taking a ride with the children in McLaren toy cars.

Abbey announced Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity as their first ever charity of the year for 2008. Over the next year, 16,000 Abbey staff in 714 branches and five head office sites across the UK will be raising money through a variety of fundraising activities including supporting a major charity fundraising appeal next year through the sale of pin badges. Money raised will help fund research into the causes of childhood cancer, the biggest disease affecting children today.

“Abbey and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity have forged a strong relationship which I am really pleased to be supporting - I’m looking forward to helping them raise much needed funds,” Lewis said. “Being able to meet some of the children who are being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital is a very special experience. It is a privilege to be able to bring a small piece of the F1 excitement into the wards, to see the smiles it generates and to have fun with the kids and their families.”