8 minute read
Charities
Fun run helps hospice
A SMALL group of friends who are all vintage tractor enthusiasts have made a donation to Dorothy House Hospice after meeting for a run around Mendip.
Organised by Rob Uphill, the annual get-together is deliberately a low-key affair with the friends choosing to support a different charity each year.
The drivers had breakfast at Priddy Good Farm Shop before they headed off down Ebbor Gorge then towards Glastonbury and the Levels.
Rob Uphill (centre) with (l:r) Gary Haberfield, Mark Hillman, Nigel Perkins and John Dally
The friends gather on Priddy Green before heading to Ebbor Gorge Rob (left) in a 1970s German-built Deutz Intrac and Gary, on a Fordson Dexta, leave Priddy Green
Mark on his Fordson Super Major
A walk on the mild side
AROUND 60 walkers – and almost 30 dogs – enjoyed a New Year’s Day ramble around the Faulkland and Norton St Philip area, raising £660 for Dorothy House Hospice.
Despite early heavy rain, the weather stayed mild for the 5.4-mile walk organised by Rich Taylor, of Writhlington, in memory of his late wife Kate.
Festive fun boost for dementia care
MEMBERS of the Inner Wheel Club of Wells have presented a cheque to their organisation’s district chairman for her nominated charity helping people with dementia and Wells club president Liz Hamblin is pictured (left) presenting Pam with a cheque their families. The money was raised at the club’s Christmas lunch at the Cheese Yard Café at West Horrington.
Pam Brewster, the district chairman and a member of the Inner Wheel Club of Frome, later visited the Wells club to talk about her support for Dementia Care and her other activities.
Read Agri fundraiser
THErecent fundraiser held by Read Agri at Wanstrow raised £1,100 which was split between Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance and The Farming Community Network.
Helping the homeless
SOMERSETMorris presented a cheque to BillyChip, the charity set up to support rough sleepers, which is expanding rapidly across the country. It was presented to founder Meg AbernethyHope during the wassail at Bishop Sutton, where she lives.
Hospice to open new centre
WESTONHospicecare is set to open a flagship superstore and donation centre to generate funds to support caring for people with life-limiting conditions.
The new site will be based at the former Hyundai car showroom on Searle Crescent opposite Waitrose and Toyota in Weston-super-Mare.
The charity currently coordinates its retail operation from a depot in Lynx Crescent near Hutton which has no function to trade.
The new, larger, site will allow trade and donation operations to take place from one self-sufficient site simultaneously.
Director of retail, Emma King, said: “This is such an exciting project and it’s due to such fantastic support of our customers and donors that we’re able to take this calculated step to grow our retail operation.
“The pandemic has hit the hospice’s retail arm especially hard and after much deliberation, planning, forecasting and risk assessing we have decided this is the solution to kick start a sustainable source of income for our treasured hospice.
“We cannot wait to open for trading and see our wonderful supporters enjoy visiting the store while supporting their local hospice.”
The hospice plans to open the new superstore in mid-February with the date to be confirmed. The charity is appealing for members of the public to consider becoming volunteers to help staff the store.
The hospice is also able to accept more than usual donations at their current stores to stock the superstore for opening. The new site will have a drive-through donation centre, parking and a community outreach room so supporters can learn about the work of the hospice.
Edie’s special Christmas present
A FUNDRAISINGtractor run has meant that Edie Brown, from Chew Stoke, can now have the Vanraam wheelchair bike which her parents had wanted for her.
It was back in 2016 when we first reported on Edie, a remarkable nine-year-old, who despite battling with many health issues and disabilities, loves life and loves going out and about with her family. Due to her disabilities this is very difficult.
The family originally approached the Rotary Club of
Three of Santa’s helpers Daniella Bryant, Hannah Pearce and Lynne Wilmot
Jubilee grants
QUARTETCommunity Foundation has launched a fund to provide grants to help West of England communities celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
It is one of the network of community foundations across the UK distributing the Arts Council England £5million Let’s Create Jubilee Fund.
The grants of up to £10,000 per project will support community and voluntary organisations to develop creative and cultural activities.
The deadline for applications is February 28th.
Edie's sleigh ride
Chelwood Bridge to help them get a special walker for her and the club unanimously agreed to help, purchasing the Hart walker in April 2016.
This changed life for Edie, who took to the walker straight away. Her ability to move when and where she chose was a real thrill for her. After that Edie used the unit on an almost daily basis and in February 2017 she stunned everyone by taking some independent unaided steps.
Last October the Rotary club were approached again by Edie’s parents for help in providing the specialist Vanraam wheelchair bicycle.
They agreed to organise crowdfunding for the bike, which costs £8,000, through a GlobalGiving platform, but didn’t quite reach the target.
So Carrianne Summers and her friends decided to try and raise more funds by organising a tractor run on Christmas Eve.
Carrianne said: “It was a total honour to be able to raise funds on the annual Christmas Eve tractor run this year for the beautiful Edie and her family. Such a happy little girl. Of the £1433.40 raised every single penny will go towards Edie’s wheelchair. We thank everyone who braved the weather to come out and see us and to all those who donated.”
Rotary Club member, Rob Taylor, said: “With their help the family now have sufficient funds to buy this essential equipment for Edie.”
Edie’s mum, Sharon, said: “Thank you so much to Carrianne Summers and Gracie Dursley for organising this and to Rotary for their support. Edie had the best Christmas Eve and sleigh ride and thank you to all who came and donated. We feel incredibly lucky to live in such a supportive community.”
Chance to run the Bath Half
MENTORINGPlus is appealing to the local community to fill the last remaining places on their team for the Bath Half which is taking place on March 18th.
This is the charity’s biggest fundraiser of the year and with community fundraising taking a huge hit last year the funds raised from this event are vital.
The main event is a sell-out and final registrations are January 31st.
Here’s to a great year!
MORE than 100 people gathered in Kilmersdon for the return of the village’s traditional wassail celebrations.
After processing to the community orchard for the first ceremony, music and dancing by Cam Valley Morris, everyone then gathered around the trees in the garden of organisers Martin and Frances Horler for a second wassail, followed by the burning of an ashen faggot.
Wassail queen Bella Whitelaw-James and master of ceremonies Martin Horler with The Village Band and Cam Valley Morris
Singing the traditional wassail song
Martin and Bella with Alban Bunting who, as the eldest person present, had the honour of burning the ashen faggot Bella pours cider around the base of a tree in the community orchard
Dancers took Bella by surprise by lifting her into the air
Wassail was a sell-out
A CAPACITY crowd enjoyed a wassail evening at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury.
Tickets sold out well in advance of the event, led by master of ceremonies Les Davis, which saw Tyler-Mae Saunders crowned wassail queen.
Ceilidh and dance band Rapscallion in the tithe barn
Wasssail queen Tyler-Mae Saunders
