Tag: charity

Santa To Visit Autistic Children At St. James’ Park

By on 23rd October 2015in Lifestyle, What's New?, What's On?

A North East mum, worried her autistic son was missing out on the fun of Christmas, has come to the rescue – by arranging a festive lunch with Santa…

Not only will it be held at one of the sporting world’s most well-known venues, but all families living with autism are welcome, and Santa Claus himself will be making a special visit to meet them.

Samantha Doyle, from Chester-le-Street, set about planning the event (to be held on Monday 21st December at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park stadium) after realising six-year-old Freddie was missing out on a lot of the events and activities other children take for granted.

“Due to Freddie’s autism, his reactions to things can be extreme and unpredictable and, over the years, I’d gradually stopped taking him to the sort of events most children go to,” said Samantha.

“He couldn’t stand in a queue in a department store to meet Santa Claus, for example, and even going out to a restaurant for lunch can be difficult,” she added.

“And, because you can’t see autism, people don’t realise he has the condition. They just think he’s being naughty and badly behaved.

“Then I realised that my concerns about what other people might think were stopping Freddie having the sort of fun all children should have, especially at Christmas, and so I decided to organise this special event.”

And when it came to choosing a venue, Samantha, area sales manager for leading UK catering company, Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, at St James’ Park, had a head start.

“The stadium’s the perfect venue,” she said. “Not only has it got the space and the catering facilities, but it’s a venue that attracts kids and families.”

On the day, the children will not only meet Santa Claus but also enjoy a festive three course lunch with their families and a special mini tour of the stadium.

Samantha’s idea has not only received the backing of the North East Autism Society but staff have also agreed to assist with the planning and will be there on the day.

The society’s family development manager Kerrie Highcock said, “I think it’s a great idea. A lot of families can feel socially isolated and the children do miss out on a lot so I think this is amazing – it’s going to be fantastic.”

Tickets cost £18.95 for a three course meal for adults and £10.95 for those aged 12 and under, with two course options also available. Bookings are now being taken and tables can be reserved by calling 0191 201 8525 or e-mailing candb@nufc.co.uk.

Marie Curie: Dinner Down Memory Lane

By on 20th October 2015in Events, Food & Drink, Local Biz, What's New?, What's On?

Marie Curie is calling on food fans in The North East to hold retro-inspired dinner parties in aid of the charity this November…

Retro food is enjoying a revival, and Marie Curie’s new fundraising campaign, ‘Dinner Down Memory Lane’, is all about holding a dinner party and recreating your favourite nostalgic food.

Recreate time-honoured classics or put a contemporary twist on some old classics, like duck a’l orange or prawn cocktail. The money raised from every dinner party will help Marie Curie provide more free care to people living with a terminal illness and their families.

Hayley Revell, Community Fundraiser for Marie Curie said, “We’re really looking forward to seeing what the local community cooks up, whether it be a classic recipe from the past or putting a new twist on an old favourite.

“Holding a ‘Dinner Down Memory Lane’ is a great alternative to a normal dinner party, and by inviting friends to make a donation in return for a dinner with a difference, you’ll be helping Marie Curie Nurses to provide care and support to people living with a terminal illness and their families.”

For more information and to sign up for a free fundraising pack visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/dinner or call 0800 716 146.

A Smile For A Child: Getting In Gear For Charity Bike Ride

By on 20th October 2015in Events, Local Biz, What's New?, What's On?

Cyclists of all ages are being urged to get on their bikes and do their bit to help a County Durham charity…

Schoolchildren from Barnard Castle and members of the public are invited to take part in a special fundraising bike ride at the recently refurbished Teesdale Leisure Centre on Wednesday 21st October.

The challenge involves cycling a mile, using either a normal bicycle or one of the leisure centre’s new state-of-the-art exercise bikes, to help complete a total of 300 miles across the day to raise money for local charity A Smile for a Child.

Christopher Read, from Barnard Castle, set up the charity three years ago to provide grants for disabled and disadvantaged children so they can take part and progress in sport.

He said, “I started working part time as a sports coach and wanted to do something different and give something back to society in my spare time.

“I decided to set up the charity and run it on a voluntary basis. It has gone from strength to strength and last year we raised over £100,000.

“The cycle challenge at Teesdale Leisure Centre is a great way to support the work we do and I would encourage as many people as possible to take part.”

Pupils from Montablo, St Mary’s and Green Lane primary schools will be invited to get involved in the challenge.

Cllr Maria Plews, Cabinet member for leisure, Durham County Council, said: “We are pleased to be supporting this event, which is a great opportunity to get active while helping a really worthwhile cause.”

The event takes place between 10am and 5pm and anyone who signs up for a gym membership on the day will receive a month for free.

For more information visit www.durham.gov.uk/leisure.

Oxjam Darlo: One-Day Festival Returns For 2015

By on 13th October 2015in Entertainment, Music, What's New?, What's On?

After the mammoth success of Oxjam Darlo 2014, the festival is back for 2015, and intends to build on the huge achievements from last year. After raising a staggering £8,000 and smashing the original target by more than double, the money raised by Oxjam Darlo contributed hugely to helping those who are in need in the UK and abroad.

Takeover manager, Chris Jenkins, reflected on last year’s festival. “Oxjam Darlo was an amazing experience for everyone involved in 2014; the bands, venues, volunteers, gig goers and of course us, the organisers! It was a fantastic event for Darlington and was a huge success for Oxfam and the people that ultimately benefited from the money raised.”

The date is already set for this year’s event, where venues across Darlington will once again open their doors to music lovers from a wide range of genres. The one day festival (on October 25th) will also focus on promoting home-grown talent as it showcases some of Darlington’s finest musicians.

Fundraising efforts are in full swing, with the Oxjam team holding a very successful ‘Ultimate Music Quiz’ in early September at the Voodoo Café. Takeover Manager Chris also took part in a white knuckle bungee jump during a recent trip down under, and team member Jonny Lancaster endured the 13.1 miles of the Great North Run on behalf of the festival.

Music fans also enjoyed getting revved up for the main event by attending the festival’s launch party at The Green Room on September 25th, where they got a little taster of what to expect from the main event!

Tickets (which will be exchanged for wristbands on the day) are on sale for the one day festival and are priced at £8. – Take a look at Oxjam Darlo’s social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) for details on where they can purchased.

Alzheimer’s Society: My Fight Against Dementia

By on 11th October 2015in Have Your Say, Local Biz, What's New?, What's On?

Rebecca Scott, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society, explains why the charity’s work is so crucial to the North East…

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia support and research charity, here for anyone affected by any form of dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We provide information and practical and emotional support to help people live well with dementia, and we invest in world-class research with the ultimate goal of defeating it.

We also campaign to improve public understanding of dementia and the devastating impact it can have, and make sure it’s taken seriously and acted on by our governments. At Alzheimer’s Society, we believe passionately that life doesn’t end when dementia begins. We are here for anyone affected by dementia, and we do everything we can to keep people with dementia connected to their lives and the people who matter most.

There are currently over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK, with numbers set to rise to over 1 million by 2021. In the North East alone, there are over 35,000 people living with dementia, and shockingly, more than 1,125 of these people live in the North Durham constituency alone.

My role as a Community Fundraiser is vitally important, to raise funds in the North East region to help contribute to supporting as many families living with dementia as possible, as well as continue to fund vital research and campaigns across the country, and ultimately allow Alzheimer’s Society to continue to lead the fight against dementia.

I first became involved with Alzheimer’s Society after I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s disease in June 2011. Seeing first-hand what devastating effects the disease had on Nana and our family really spurred me on to give some time volunteering in our local fundraising group in early 2013. From this my interest in fundraising began to grow.

 

The difference we were able to make as a team was great, and I got a real boost from hearing what our total amounted to after every event! Our first big success was raising more than £5,000 at the Chester-Le-Street Memory Walk in 2013, an event that now, in its fifth year, we hope will raise more than £25,000.

I was successfully recruited into the Community Fundraiser role in September 2013, and it’s been so rewarding to watch our efforts go from strength to strength, and see the profile of dementia rise in the North East.

Our Christmas Fair, taking place on Saturday 14th November, has been held at the local Chester-Le-Street office for the last few years, and this festive season we wanted to take it to a bigger level. With the support of the brilliant volunteers across County Durham, we will be taking over the Upper Room of Cornerstones Centre for the Community in Chester-Le-Street from 10am-2pm, with all kinds of stalls and gift ideas to get people in the Christmas spirit.

On the day, attendees can expect to enjoy our special festive raffle, with prizes from Frazer Hart, Maften Hall and Newcastle Gateshead Marriott, in addition to tombolas, Christmas gifts and decorations, and cakes made especially by our volunteers. Plus, we have special guests hosting their own stalls, including Must Have Charms, Sand Art, Gill’s Floristry, The Hat Hut, Little T’s, Usborne Books, Handcrafted Wood, and even Santa will be popping in to say hello!

 

Events like this are so important to Alzheimer’s Society and to the local community. If we can raise £1,000 from the fair, we could help pay for an experienced Dementia Support Worker to spend an hour a week for an entire year with someone affected by dementia, helping them to build their own support network, and feel less isolated.

Services like this are absolutely vital to families, and we want to continue to be there for as many people affected by dementia as possible, as well as to help raise money to reach the ultimate goal: finding a cure.

For more information about Alzheimer’s Society, visit www.alzheimers.org.uk. To find out more about the Christmas Fair, visit the Facebook page.

For fundraising queries, you can contact Rebecca at rebecca.scott@alzheimers.org.uk.

Risk-Free Fundraising? Local Artist Has A Suggestion…

By on 10th September 2015in What's New?

Charities have been in the news a lot recently, though often for less-than savoury fundraising campaigns which bully old and vulnerable people out of their savings. So, I was pleased to hear about an arthritic 89-year-old pensioner by the name of David Hughes, who has come up with a novel way for charities to raise money whilst also giving something useful to the donor…

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