News 74 | Chalmers News PR

Friends climb back in the pedalo for canal fundraiser

Posted on May 30, 2022 by admin

PEDAL power will once again be driving two Warwickshire fundraisers who are preparing to travel ten miles along The Grand Union Canal – in a pedalo!

Friends Alex Pearson from Stratford and Emma Brayne from Warwick are preparing to navigate tunnels and locks as part of their intrepid challenge, in aid of local children’s charity Molly Ollys.

The pair, who will again be joined on their journey by Alex’s canine companions Archie and Chester, are hoping to beat last year’s total of £2,000, including match-funding by The Morrisons Foundation.

The fundraiser will take place on June 15^th – a hugely significant date for the charity – the anniversary of eight-year-old Molly Ollerenshaw’s death. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the charity.

The ladies, who have had the support of Leamington Boats and The Canal River Trust, will be pedalling between The View at Wootton Wawen and Hatton, where Molly’s family live. The end of the challenge will also be marked by a poignant release of 20 butterflies outside Hatton Café.

Molly Ollys, pedalo, Grand Union Canal, charity — Olly The Brave with Rachel Ollerenshaw, Emma Brayne, Alex Pearson, Adam Brayne and David Fletcher and dogs Archie and Chester

Alex, a community champion for Morrisons in Leamington, said: “At the store we really want to support our local charities and when I met Rachel it was emotional to hear Molly’s story. This is a great charity which supports so many children in both our community and around the country.

“Last year’s pedalo challenge was amazing. We just hope the weather is kind to us again this year! We’ll be trying to get in stretches and protein breaks along the way to help keep us going. Our main aim is to raise money and awareness for the charity but have some fun doing it. Last year we had a lot of laughs on the way.”

Collection tins will be in the store and there is the opportunity to find out more about the work of the charity on their stand throughout the week commencing June 20^th.

Molly Ollys emotionally supports children between 0 and 18 who have life-threatening illnesses. It does that through its Olly The Brave therapeutic soft toy and award-winning books, as well as donating wishes to children who are facing unimaginable challenges.

Between 2017 and 2020, the charity funded Birmingham’s first paediatric palliative consultant as there was no such consultant for the region. That position has now become permanent and is currently funded through the NHS.

The charity works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community. One key project was the creation and refurbishment of Magnolia House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This is a safe and non-clinical space where medical teams and families can have important discussions.

Molly’s mum and the charity’s Founder Rachel Ollerenshaw, said: “This will be a bittersweet day for me as the 15^th June is the date Molly passed away 11 years ago.

“Alex and Morrisons Leamington have been such great supporters of ours for the past couple of years and following the success of last year’s pedalo challenge, Alex was keen to offer her fundraising support again. She seems to enjoy putting herself through pain! We are cheering her and Emma on from the sidelines of the towpath.”

The girls will once again be supported by Alex’s friend David Fletcher and Emma’s husband Adam Brayne who will offer moral support and lock-keeping duties along the route – as well as raising money themselves. Donations for their sponsored 10-mile walk can be made here

Emma said: “Alex’s reputation for being so kind and generous precedes her and she has collaborated on a huge number of charitable events that I have ran. We have become somewhat of a double act!

“This year’s 10-mile course reflects the tenth anniversary of the charity. Half a kilometre of this epic journey involves travelling in complete darkness through Shrewley Tunnel which fills me with complete and utter dread, but I’m sure our strong will and determination will get us through to the light at the end of the tunnel!”

To support Alex and Emma, donations can be made here

Since Molly Ollys started more than £3 million has been raised to emotionally support children across the UK. Anyone wishing to donate can do here

Rotary Club invites applications for humanitarian travel scholarship

Posted on May 29, 2022May 29, 2022 by admin

AS part of its centenary celebrations this year, The Rotary Club of Rugby is offering residents the opportunity to apply for a travel scholarship worth up to £2,500.

The lucky recipient will be given the chance to embark on an international project that will also benefit their career path and in the areas of:

Peacebuilding and conflict prevention
Disease prevention and treatment
Water sanitation and hygiene
Maternal and child health
Basic education and literacy
Community economic development and
The Environment

The scholarship will cover all costs involved but the applicant’s employers are encouraged to assist with funding, especially if the project directly benefits their business in any way.

Rugby Club of Rotary, centenary,scholarship — The Rotary Club of Rugby, which this year marks its centenary, has been supporting the Bwengu Projects for six years, funding classroom repairs and school furniture as well many of the charity’s 64 toilet block refurbishment projects since 2006.

Applicants are invited to produce an outline of their plan before the interview and a detailed proposal before departure and are expected to make all arrangements for travel and accommodation etc. But the Rotary Club may be able to assist if there is a local Rotary Club in the area where the person will be engaged on the project.

Rotarian and Centenary Committee member Julian Hall, said: “We’ve only offered this opportunity once before when, for our 75^th anniversary, two ladies were given a travel scholarship to Scandinavia to see how they dealt with and looked after children with disabilities. The time spent learning from each other was valuable to all involved and a report from the trip was sent on to Government and other interested bodies. The main beneficiaries were the children, both at home and abroad, who reaped the benefit of the knowledge exchange.

“We would hope that whatever project that was undertaken this time would have a similar lasting beneficial outcome, that would help people not just in the UK but in the country the selected person chose to work in.

“The scholarship would be a wonderful opportunity for someone to gain experience in their chosen field.”

Great Central Way, scholarship, Rotary Club of Rugby — Great Central Way completed

On return, the person will be expected to present the findings for the project to a meeting of the Rotary Club and other interested parties.

To apply this time, applicants must be studying at university, aged between 18 and 30 (on April 1^st 2022) and a resident of Rugby – or have their home in Rugby.

A summary of their project, including who will benefit, how it will be carried out and which countries will be visited, should be sent, before the closing date of June 30^th, to Julian Hall at: julian.hall@btinternet.com where further information is also available.

To mark their special anniversary, last month (April) Rugby Rotarians also celebrated the completion of their Great Central Way Centenary project.

The Club has been working in conjunction with Rugby Borough Council and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to upgrade the 1.2km section of the former railway line between Hillmorton Road and Abbey Street, a three-year project which last year received the Rotary Club of Great Britain and Ireland Environmental Award.

For further information about the Great Central Way project or any of the Rugby Rotary Clubs – Rotary Club of Rugby; Rotary Club of Rugby Dunsmore and Rotary Club of Rugby Saturday, visit here

The Castle celebrates local distillers at first Gin Festival

Posted on May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 by admin

The Castle at Edgehill, Gin Festival, Pinnock Distillery

LOCAL producers will be celebrated at the first Gin Festival hosted by The Castle at Edgehill in Oxfordshire, on July 2nd.

The brand new event, which brings together gin brands from across the county, will include plenty of G&Ts to sample as well as live music and food in the gardens, which overlook the historic Edgehill battlefields.

There will also be the opportunity to join guided tours of The Castle’s new micro-distillery and gin school, run by Pinnock Distillery, which opened in the tower earlier this year. It marked an expansion for Kineton’s Dan Beckett whose collaboration with The Castle at Edgehill also celebrates the brands’ shared historical connections.

The Castle sits at a location overlooking the spot where Charles 1^st raised the standard at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642 – the first major battle in the English Civil War between the Royalist forces and the Parliamentarian Army commanded by the Earl of Essex. King Charles was the first ruler to tax alcohol in the 1630s when many people took to distilling in their kitchens.

The Castle at Edgehill, Gin Festival, Pinnock Distillery

As well as Pinnock, the range of gins available on the day includes: Warwickshire Gin Company and Newbold Spirit, both in Leamington and Rugby Distillery.

Dan Beckett said: “It’s been a busy start for the gin school here at The Castle so we wanted to extend our celebration of this fabulous drink by inviting other producers to join us to showcase their brands. It is set to be a great event and we hope to see as many people there as possible, especially if the weather’s kind to us.”

Distilled using a small batch method and traditional copper pot, Warwickshire Gin Company celebrates the county with its five exclusive recipes: Leamington on Parade, Kingmaker, Peeping Tom, Pelota and The Philosophers Daughter.

Director Dave Blick said: “It’s great being able to get out to events, giving tasters and talking about our exciting dry gin flavour profiles. It’s been a tough few years for everyone so this is very exciting!”

Local history is also at the heart of Rugby Distillery, with its range of gins themed around the story of the town and its famous game, including Wasps Gin, distilled exclusively for the Coventry-based Wasps team.

Richard Wilson, who runs Rugby Distillery with his sister Emma, said: “We’re thrilled to be involved at the Gin Festival at The Castle at Edgehill. To have our gins featured alongside some of the great gins from our area at such a great venue that is offering a brilliant gin school is a real highlight.”

The ethos behind Ian and Victoria Black’s award-winning Newbold Spirit is a collection of small-batch gins – and rums – that reflect the flavours they wanted to drink themselves.

Victoria said: “Warwickshire has an amazing artisan food and drink culture which will be highlighted by Dan and his team at the festival. It’s going to be great fun – all we need now is a bit of sunshine!”
Tickets, which are £20pp, include a G&T on arrival and food token as well as a free gin balloon glass to take home.

The venue is one of five under the ownership of The Free Spirit Pub Company founded by Mark Higgs.

Mark said: “Here at The Castle we are looking forward to launching our first Gin Festival to celebrate the launch of our nano distillery and Gin school. We have handpicked a small selection of local artisan producers, selected some great live music and of course some delicious food.

“It’s the perfect way to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the gardens with a beautiful view, great gins, entertainment and great company.”

Tickets to the event, which runs from 2-9pm, are available through Eventbrite here

For more information about The Castle and The Gin School visit here

Further Information about The Castle Gin School:

Visitors to The Castle can choose from a one-hour Pinnock Gin Taster Session or three-hour Gin School (for parties of up to 14 people) in which they’ll learn about the history and provenance of the product and location, before being guided by Dan through the gin-making process using a range of botanicals. As well as enjoying plenty of Gin samples along the way, they will get to take home a 70cl bottle of their own unique recipe, which can also be reordered at the distillery on a later date.

Warwick gin bar’s triple celebration in aid of local children’s charity

Posted on May 10, 2022 by admin

Molly Ollys, That Gin & Cocktail Bar, Platinum Jubilee, Warwick — Steve Bazell and Rachel Ollerenshaw with the Royal Jubilee Cocktail.

A Warwick business is flying the flag for Her Majesty as well as supporting a local charity with the launch of its limited-edition cocktail this week.

The Royal Jubilee Cocktail is being served at That Gin & Cocktail Bar from Friday (World Cocktail Day) until June 5^th as part of Jubilee celebrations in the town.

Half the proceeds from the sales of the royal drink, which is also in recognition of the That Gin Company’s first anniversary in Swan Street, will benefit local children’s charity Molly Ollys.

Steve said: “We have decided to have a triple celebration marking World Cocktail Day (13^th May) our first birthday (May 17^th) and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations while giving support to a fantastic local charity at the same time.

“We are delighted to be donating 50% of the profits on all sales of the limited edition cocktail to Molly Ollys who have offices across the road from That Gin Company in Warwick.

“We understand that this year the charity is marking a milestone of its own – its tenth anniversary of providing extremely important support to children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families – so we are incredibly proud to be able to support such a worthwhile cause.”

Steve is looking forward to offering a recreation of The Royal Jubilee Cocktail recipe – comprising calvados, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice to his customers, from Friday.

That Gin & Cocktail Bar can make more than 100 made to order flavour infusions on site, with something for every palate, from the traditional juniper and floral gins through to fruity offerings such as Pineapple, Watermelon, Passionfruit and Sicilian Orange and, for spice lovers, Pink Pepper, Black Pepper and Cardamon or Jalapeno gin. Those with a sweet tooth can even choose from a desserts range, including Cherry Bakewell, Black Forest Gateau and Biscoff.

As well as gin, visitors can select from a menu of cocktails, wines, spirits and prosecco. And there’s the option of bottling your new found favourite flavoured gin to take home.

Steve added: “In what has been a very challenging couple of years for the whole country it is nice to have some good reasons to celebrate. People can also enter a raffle to win a bottle from the first batch of our new gin with the raffle money going to Molly Ollys. Tickets can be purchased at the bar with the draw taking place week commencing 6^th June so we hope to see many of you down here to enjoy yourself at That Gin Company whilst giving to a great charity.”

Molly Ollys, That Gin & Cocktail Bar, Platinum Jubilee, Warwick

Molly Ollys was established in 2011 following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer. The charity works to support children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families and help with their emotional wellbeing as well as grant wishes and donate therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.

Their mascot is a therapeutic toy lion called Olly The Brave who has his own Hickman line and a detachable mane which helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy.

Throughout the 10 years the charity has been running, it has:-

granted more than 2,500 wishes
supported more than 16,000 children
distributed more than 13,000 Olly The Brave books to more than 70 hospitals
raised more than £3 million

Between 2017 and 2020, the charity funded Birmingham’s first paediatric palliative consultant for the region, a position which has now become permanent and is currently funded through the NHS.

The charity also works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community. One key project was the creation and refurbishment of Magnolia House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, a safe and non-clinical space where medical teams and families can have important discussions.

Rachel Ollerenshaw said: “We love it when companies and individuals come up with new ways to fundraise and help raise awareness and this is a great idea from Steve and the team at That Gin Company especially as the Jubilee cocktail goes down very well. Thank you to Steve for his support and helping to raise awareness.

“There are lots of ways that people can help and get involved throughout the Jubilee celebrations so we’d love to hear from you. “

Further information about Molly Olly’s Wishes or how to donate can be found at here

Visit: http://thatgincompany.co.uk/

Final days to enter second Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards

Posted on April 29, 2022 by admin

Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards, Paul Foster, Glynn Purnell, — Foodies organiser Jonathan Smith of Talk Business UK at last year’s inaugural event

TIME is running out to enter The Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards, which returns to celebrate the best of the region’s food and drink scene – with the backing of two celebrity Michelin Star chefs.

The Awards, in partnership with Visit Coventry and Visit Warwickshire, will culminate in a ceremony at The Box at Fargo Village, Coventry in June.

Entrants will be showcasing their talents to judges, including some of the top names in the industry, including chef Paul Foster who runs Salt, in Stratford-upon-Avon and the returning ‘Yummy Brummie’ Glynn Purnell who this year opened The Mount in Henley-on-Arden.

Purnell, who has trained with Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes and Claude Bosi, is also the owner of two restaurants in Birmingham, one of which was awarded a Michelin Star in 2009 and is a regular on TV’s Saturday Kitchen.

Paul Foster’s successful career has so far earned him a Michelin star, three AA rosettes, a place in the top 50 UK restaurants in The Good Food Guide and has been awarded Observer Food Monthly ‘Young Chef of the Year’ and The Good Food Guide ‘Best Up and Coming Chef’ award.

Both chefs will be among those deciding on winners in several categories that focus on quality, service and innovation with an emphasis on farm to fork, including best artisan food and drink producers, farm shop, independent food and drink retailer, newcomer, street food trader and chef or cook of the year.

Paul Foster said: “We are very fortunate in Warwickshire to have a thriving food scene backed up by incredible suppliers, the foodie awards are a great way to celebrate what’s great about our area.”

New categories this year will also recognise Foodie Start-up, Fine Dining Restaurant and Fine Dining Chef of the Year as well as the International Taste Award.

The project brings together the creative minds behind Talk Business UK, Coventry BID and Visit Coventry, to champion the hospitality industry across the region.

Foodie Awards Founder Jonathan Smith, of Talk Business UK, said: “With just two weeks to go before entries into this year’s Foodie Awards for Coventry and Warwickshire close, we are thrilled to have the support of local food hero and Michelin Star chef Paul Foster of Salt in Stratford-upon-Avon, who has agreed to be a judge for the Fine Dining Chef of the Year category, which will take place at the Cookery School at The Farm in Stratford.

“We have been inspired by the entries we have received so far into all of the award categories and look forward to having them all assessed and the finalists chosen for the next stage and the Awards presentation event.

“The Foodie Awards shine a spotlight on the Food and Drink sector and give recognition to all those who work so hard across this sector to give us all wonderful eating and drinking experiences.”

The Foodie Awards will once again be raising money for The Trussell Trust network of eight food banks in Coventry and Warwickshire.

All finalists will be invited to a Finalists’ Night on June 6^th at a venue to be announced.

The winners of the Fine Dining and Casual Dining categories will be decided at exclusive cook-off events in June. Paul Foster and Glynn Purnell will also be joined by BBC’s Junior Bake Off judge Rav Gill to judge the Best Casual Dining Chef during a live cook-off on the demo stage at Pub In The Park event on the weekend of June 11/12^th

Meanwhile, Fine Dining Chef of the Year will be decided at a cook-off at The Farm Cookery School on June 7^th.

Entries close for nominations in all categories on May 15^th but any businesses interested in becoming sponsors are still invited to get in touch via: hello@foodieawards.co.uk

For further information and to enter, visit here

Categories are:

Farm Shop
Artisan Drink Producer
Artisan Food Producer
Independent Food/Drink Retailer
Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year
Fine Dining Chef of the Year
Best Casual Dining Establishment
Best Casual Dining Chef
Pub or Bar of the Year
Employee of the Year
Best Food/Drink Experience
Young Foodie of the Year
Food Hero/Community Award
Foodie Start-up (Business started in the last 12 months)
International Taste Award
Street Food Trader of the Year
Café/Coffee Shop of the Year
Coventry BID Award (exclusive to Coventry) – Sponsored by Coventry BID