News 82 | Chalmers News PR

Fundraising is a piece of cake for professional baker!

Posted on October 12, 2021October 12, 2021 by admin

L-R: Debra Goodwin with Katie Steele of White Hyacinth Cake Design.

A professional cake maker raised more than £400 for charity last week after hosting a coffee morning that was certainly a cut above.

The owner of White Hyacinth Cake Design in Whatcote, collected a sweet £439 for Macmillan when locals flocked to sample some of her professionally made tasty treats on offer.

Debra Goodwin and her assistant Katie Steele also held a tombola, and raffle at the event, with prizes donated by local businesses including Winchcombe Farm Holidays in Upper Tysoe and Monsoon Estates Coffee in Stratford.

Debra said: “We are delighted that so many people came along to the coffee morning to support such a worthy cause and are thrilled that everyone donated so generously, helping us raise a magnificent sum.

“Every 90 seconds someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer. Macmillan is doing everything it can to provide vital emotional, financial or clinical support for people living with cancer who are going through a challenging time.”

For further information about White Hyacinth Cake Design, visit here

For further information about Macmillan Cancer Support visit here

Full house adds up to funds for Warwickshire charity

Posted on October 8, 2021October 8, 2021 by admin

BINGO numbers added up to a successful evening of fundraising for a Warwickshire charity thanks to local law firm Alsters Kelley.

Britanie Jeffrey, Legal secretary and event organiser.

More than £3,400 was raised for The Friendship Project, thanks to match funding by Four Acres Trust.

It was a ‘full house’ for the bingo event, at The Bulldog in Whitnash last month, which provided a much-needed boost for another charity impacted by the pandemic.

Supported by the Social Services of Warwickshire, the charity matches children who are in need, for a variety of reasons, with volunteers for friendship and fun.

Established in 1986, it has helped around 1,000 children in the Stratford, Alcester, Atherstone, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, Nuneaton, Rugby, Shipston, Southam and Warwick areas.

Alsters Kelley, bingo, The Friendship Project — Friendship Project Den building.

Angela Truman, from The Friendship Project said: “Lockdown has been extremely difficult for everyone; however, we received a lot of interest from people during this time to help and support as volunteers which is fantastic. But the requirement is constant and growing.

“The children we support may be caring for a sick parent or be limited to where they can go on holiday because of a disabled sibling or other family member. For some children, even playing in the park or going to the cinema are a rare treat. Having some time out from often difficult home situations really does improve the child’s self-esteem and self-worth. Our volunteers report that they too enjoy spending time with their Younger Friend knowing that they are really making a difference to a child’s life.”

Angela added: “Our focus is now very much on raising money so that we can provide the opportunities for the carers to take the children and young people away from their normal environment to have some fun. So we are very grateful to the team at Alsters Kelley for their ongoing support this year and for all the funds raised by the bingo night and raffle – it was great night and we enjoyed taking part.”

The Friendship Project is just one of the nominated charities being supported by Alsters Kelley, which was established in the 1980s and now has offices in Coventry, Leamington, Southam, Stratford and Nuneaton.

Legal assistant and one of the firm’s charity champions Britanie Jeffery, who organised the event, said: “We had a great evening – the support we had was fantastic and there was so much laughter in the room, everyone was so generous.

“My initial fundraising target was £500 so to have tripled it and then had it matched was way beyond what we had expected.”

Further information on how to volunteer to be a Friend or donate to The Friendship Project can be found here

Children’s charity golf day raises more than £26k

Posted on October 6, 2021 by admin

A golf day organised in aid of Warwickshire children’s charity Molly Olly’s Wishes, which supports children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses, has raised an incredible £26,252.

Jointly organised and sponsored by Nottingham companies, Oakland International (which also has a site in Redditch) and Avanti Print and Packaging, 17-teams from across England, Scotland and Wales took part despite the challenging weather to compete for golf titles including Beat the Pro, Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin.

Molly Olly's Wishes, Oakland International, golf — One of the teams made up of, *from left,* Jacob Fenwick, Ben Ollerenshaw, Henry Silk and Will Neal.

The event took place at the Nottinghamshire Golf and Country Club and was followed by an evening auction and raffle of items donated by suppliers and supporters of the charity.

Molly Olly’s grants wishes, helps with emotional support and donates therapeutic toys and books to children directly and through hospitals across the UK. It grants around 40 wishes per month, an increase of 100% during lockdown, and at a time when funding has significantly reduced.

Charity co-founder Rachel Ollerenshaw said; “The golf day and auction were a huge success. We are extremely grateful to Jane, Lee, Paul and Holly at Oakland and Avanti for organising such a great day and helping to widen the reach of the charity with introductions to a new audience. All the golfers were very generous and big thanks to all the sponsors. Molly Olly’s has seen a sharp rise in the number of requests for support and the funds raised are much needed to enable us to fulfil those wishes which help to put a smile on poorly children’s faces.”

Molly Olly's Wishes, Oakland International, golf, charity

Oakland’s Chief Operating Officer Lee Whiting commented: “Molly Olly’s Wishes is an amazing charity which supports so many ill children throughout the UK. We would like to thank everyone who joined us and supported this, our first ever joint event of this nature, which we are now going to make into an annual event, setting our fundraising target even higher next year!”

Like so many other charities Molly Olly’s Wishes has found it difficult to fundraise over the last year due to the pandemic. An average wish costs around £500 and can range from a family day trip to a computer game to supermarket food vouchers.

To find out all the ways you can donate to Molly Olly’s Wishes, please visit here

Molly Olly's Wishes, Oakland International, golf, charity

Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw with the familiar Molly Olly’s pink van.

ABOUT MOLLY OLLY’S WISHES:

Molly Olly’s Wishes was set up following the experiences of Molly over the five years she received treatment for kidney cancer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Throughout the 10 years that the charity has been running, it has:-

granted more than 2,100 wishes
supported more than 15,000 children
distributed more than 12,000 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 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.

Golf day puts Henley Rotary Club on course for £10,000 hospice target

Posted on October 5, 2021October 5, 2021 by admin

HENLEY Rotarians are certainly on ‘course’ to hitting their £10,000 total for local hospices following a recent charity golf day.

Twenty-two men’s ladies and mixed teams took to the tee to compete for prizes – and bragging rights – in a series of long and short-game competitions across 18 holes at Stratford Oaks Golf Club.

Winning team The Scramblers, *from left,* Brian Bailey, Eddie Jones, David Harvey and Jeff Masters.

The event is the latest challenge organised in aid of The Triple80HospiceTrek by The Rotary Cub of Henley-in-Arden, building on more than £4,500 already raised by three of its members for Shakespeare, Myton and Acorn’s Children Hospices in Warwickshire.

The octogenarian trio recently completed an 80-mile sponsored walk between Sharpness near Bristol to Wootton Wawen.

Golf day proceeds, which are still being counted, were collected, came from a raffle and auction, refreshments and local business sponsorship. The day finished off with a meal and prizegiving ceremony in the newly refurbished clubhouse. The winning Men’s Team Prize was presented to members of the oldest team in the competition, ‘The Scramblers’ comprising Brian Bailey, Eddie Jones, David Harvey and Jeff Masters.

Jeff Masters, who is also event organiser, said: “The theme for the event was ‘Help for Hospices’ and all our fundraising this year is dedicated to them following the harrowing year that they have endured.

“Doing the Triple80 Trek and the Rotary Club of Henley in Arden Charity Golf Day was a bit of a stretch, but we are delighted with the response and the day. We aimed to provide a gloriously happy day of friendly competition and judging by responses we achieved that. Already many participants have requested verbally and in writing that we put them down for next year.

“We must thank all the donors and sponsors who generously donated and made such a large contribution, also the hospice staff who were such a help.”

Henley-in-Arden Rotary, golf, Triple80HospiceTrek

Proceeds from the golf day are expected to take the Club’s Triple80HospiceTrek total to more than £9,000, with more donations also set to come in.

Local businesses supporting the event included Bookers, Burman Enterprises, Aspi Specialist Cars, Clarion Chase, Johnsons Coaches, the Navigation Garage, the Cowshed Café., Henley Dental, Aaron the Barber, Abigail the Hairdresser, The Co-op Henley, The Pound Café, Flower Power Henley and The Stratford Oaks Golf Club.

Helping to raise awareness as well as funds, Jeff warned: “Henley Rotary has for over 30 years supported over 40 organisations in the Henley Community and some desperate cases overseas. However, its numbers are dwindling, and the average age is close to 80 years.

“Unless we can get new members our regular contribution to the many organisations in Henley in Arden will cease to the detriment of the wellbeing of the town. Please look at our website and come and see us with a view to participating. If you are interested, please contact us on yewtreecot@gmail.com.”

The donation site is still open here.

Further information about The Rotary Club of Henley-in-Arden can be found here

Henley-in-Arden Rotary Club, Triple80HospiceTrek

More about the hospices. . .

The Myton Hospices

Each year The Myton Hospices support thousands of people and their families, in our three hospices, via patient and family support services and in the community through Myton at Home. The charity needs to raise £7.8 million alone this year to continue providing their services free of charge. Last year, despite the challenges of Covid-19, limiting ability to offer some of the services, Myton were still able to support 1,400 people and their families.

Acorns Children’s Hospice

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides care, support, fun and laughter for life limited and life threatened babies, children and young people and support for their families. In the past year Acorns has cared for over 820 children across the West Midlands from its three hospices in Birmingham, Worcester and Walsall, within the family home and community. When a child’s life is limited, family time is precious, which is why, as well as providing complex medical care, Acorns help families to create lasting memories and make every day count.

The Shakespeare Hospice

An award-winning hospice providing outstanding palliative and end-of-life care for patients, their families and carers across South Warwickshire. Its reach extends beyond the traditional hospice walls, providing expert support within the local community and patients’ own homes. It offers a diverse range of community-based services including Hospice at Home & Day Hospice (Adult Community Care), Adult Counselling, Children’s and Family Support Services and Transitional Care Services. Expert care is available not just to patients but also their families, loved ones and those who matter the most to them.

Claire’s marathon effort for causes close to her heart

Posted on September 27, 2021 by admin

Molly Olly's Wishes, Claire Hammond, Northleigh House School, London Marathon — L-R: Claire Hammond, Rachel Ollerenshaw (with Olly The Brave) and Viv Morgan at Northleigh House School.

A Warwick mum is hoping to run up big totals for two local causes close to her heart in a marathon fundraising effort this weekend.

Claire Hammond is gearing up for her first London Marathon on Sunday (October 3^rd) – in aid of charities Molly Olly’s Wishes and Northleigh House School.

It marks the culmination of five months of training for the 43-year-old who admits to having modest ambitions for the race.

“I just want to finish it safely and injury free. I don’t have a finishing time in mind – it would be good to finish before they re-open the roads!” she quipped.

“It is as much a mental challenge as it is physical one, so I want to be strong mentally and to not panic on the day and fear that I can’t do it. When you run, especially long distances, you have to learn to silence the voices in your head telling you that you can’t do it. I don’t listen to music or anything when I run, so I have been practising this as much as clocking up the miles on my training runs.”

She added: “I have built up gradually over the last five months, from running 5k, to 10k, then taking part in the Leamington Spa and Solihull Half Marathons, to running 16 miles and finally 20 miles. I have tried to run three times a week, a lot of it running up steep hills where I live!”

Molly Olly’s Wishes was established in 2011 following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer.

The Warwick-based 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.

It also works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community, including funding the first Molly Olly consultant in paediatric palliative medicine and furnishing Magnolia House, both at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

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. These form part of an Olly The Brave pack that has now been handed out to more than 40 hospitals, along with a book from the charity’s exclusive six-part series.

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the charity which, last October, moved into its first dedicated town centre premises, in Warwick – the month in which Molly would have turned 18!

Founder Rachel Ollerenshaw said: “We are so grateful to Claire for deciding to run the London Marathon for Molly Olly’s Wishes. Every penny raised allows us to emotionally support those children and their families. To date, we have helped more than 15,000 young people and we have granted more than 2,100 wishes. Huge thanks again to Claire.”

Northleigh House School was established in Shrewley in 2012 by Viv and late husband Fred Morgan who were moved by stories of bullying in secondary schools.

After discovering a lack of facilities to support these young people, they decided to address the growing need for a safe and nurturing environment for students to continue their education whilst receiving any counselling and support they need to rebuild their shattered self-confidence and self-belief.

More than 120 students have passed through its doors, and there is an ever-growing waiting list.

Viv said: “Our students have experienced traumas of some kind that have left them emotionally vulnerable within mainstream schools so they are often ‘switched off’ from learning.

“We are always incredibly grateful to friends and supporters like Claire, who literally go the extra mile to support us. We have been so impressed by her hard work and will be cheering her all the way!”

For further information about Northleigh House School call 01926 958227 or visit: https://www.northleigh.co.uk/

For further information about Molly Olly’s Wishes contact Rachel on 07747 854914 or visit: https://www.mollyolly.co.uk/

Claire Hammond, Molly Olly's Wishes, Northleigh House School, London Marathon — Claire finishing the Solihull Half Marathon last year.

Claire Hammond added: “Both charities bring light to children and families facing darkness. I know Molly’s family well, and I wanted to play a small part in helping them grant wishes to children and their families who are facing such difficult circumstances.

“I asked Rachel to share with me some of the wishes they have granted, to remind me of the joy they bring amongst the pain and suffering, and this has spurred me on in my training when things have felt tough.

“My child attends Northleigh House School, and we are truly thankful for this place. Northleigh has offered my family a lifeline and hope for the future.

“My child was unable to attend secondary school due to severe anxiety, spending two years at home but Northleigh has been central to rebuilding their mental health, enabling our child to live a full life which has, in turn, benefited us all as a family. Without it, our lives would be unthinkable. We are so grateful. It is thanks to Northleigh House that our family can breathe, smile and enjoy our lives.”

“Mainstream schools are paralysed by Ofsted rules, and performance tables, preventing them from adapting to the emotional and well-being needs of their pupils. Northleigh gets to the heart of what is important and removes those barriers.”

To sponsor Claire visit:

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=clairehammond21&pageUrl=1