11 minute read
Charities
Book supports dementia research
NANCYThorne, from Claverham, has produced a book called Embarrassing Moments to support BRACE, the dementia research charity, based at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. Celebrities and MPs are among those who have revealed some of their nightmare moments, including Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, and the Rt Rev Mike Hill, former Bishop of Bristol.
Nancy said: “I first became aware of BRACE a couple of years ago when I attended a local fundraising event. They are a small charity which funds dementia research. I was amazed to hear that the government offers NO funding for this.
“Last year my lovely dad died with dementia. After 71 years of marriage mum rapidly went downhill and is now in a care home living with the same. I was wracking my brains: what could I do to help? That was when I came up with the idea of a book.
“Supporters of BRACE started sending me stories of their experiences of living with dementia hence the word ‘poignant’ in the title. So I decided to give these a section on their own.”
The book is 80 pages long and includes stories to make you laugh . . . and cry. It costs £4.95 and all proceeds go to BRACE.
Details: https://www.alzheimers-brace.org/product/brace-yourself-for-the-unexpected-book/
Read, relax and talk
And we’re open! Karla (left) with (l to r) charity CEO Jenny Clifford, charity patron Karen Cameron and Paul Kendall, chair of trustees
MIDSOMER Norton-based charity PEOPLE has opened a special area at the back of their fundraising shop as a reading and coffee room for the public and the people they work with.
The Latte Lounge also offers a book exchange and will act as a training facility for the charity and other groups. It was set up with help from the SSE Programme.
PEOPLE offers help and support to low-risk male ex-offenders who have recently left prison.
Local writer Karla Neblett cut the ribbon to open the Latte Lounge, in the High Street, and signed copies of her latest novel, King of Rabbits, about a boy growing up in a mixed-race family on a council estate in Somerset.
Karla (right), signs a copy of her book for Rachel Howland
Jenny Clifford and Chris James, from the town’s masonic lodge, in the café and reading room
Hospice wants fundraising champions
A purr-fect day
DOROTHYHouse is launching its most ambitious fundraiser ever, hoping to raise £500,000 in 36 hours for its Always Here Appeal to fund its work.
The appeal takes place in November and for the first time they will be using the online crowdfunding platform, Charity Extra.
Thanks to a generous group of donors, they have secured pledges that will mean all donations will be doubled.
The hospice said: “This is an incredible opportunity, which will help us raise the vital funds we need to sustain our compassionate, dedicated care for patients facing the end of their life.”
They are looking for “Champions” to reach out to friends, family and contacts during the appeal asking if they will make a donation.
It says research shows that by 2025 over 5,200 people each year across B&NES, parts of Wiltshire and Somerset will need palliative and end of life care –a striking increase on current levels.
Dorothy House’s ambition is to significantly expand and enhance services over the next three years. Their projections show that they will need to raise an additional £2 million, on top of their general fundraising, to achieve this. The Always Here Appeal aims to raise £500k of this funding shortfall.
Don Kennedy, head of fundraising engagement, said: “It is vital that we act now and invest in the future of hospice care if we are to meet the growing need for our services. This new fundraising idea is both simple and accessible so we hope as many people will join in as possible.
“You don’t have to leave your house, or even directly donate to make a huge difference. It’s about spreading the word!”
Details: www.charityextra.com/alwayshere/signup • 01225 721480
FROME-based charity Cats in Distress has held a fundraising and awareness day at its satellite rescue and rehoming centre in Oakhill.
Visitors were taken on tours of the cattery at Bramley Farm and met volunteers who care for the animals.
Cats in Distress will be holding a Halloween Fair at Beckington Memorial Hall on Saturday, October 29th from 10.30am-2pm. There will be a black cat theme and visitors are being encouraged to wear fancy dress.
Volunteers Holly, Anna and Ginny welcome visitors to Bramble Farm Kittens at Bramley Farm
The charity cares for both feral and domestic cats
Striding out for Benny Boy
AROUND 70 people walked, ran and cycled the annual Mells 10k charity event in aid of children’s charity Young Lives vs Cancer.
This was the penultimate 10k for organisers Su and Nige Crutchley, who live near Vobster and who have been fundraising tirelessly for the charity – formerly known as CLIC Sargent – since the death from a brain tumour of their son Ben “Benny Boy” in 2012.
Su and Nige say the amount raised from the morning is expected to top £4,000 –which means the 10ks alone have raised £76,000. The 2023 Mells event will bring their fundraising campaign – which has so far raised more than £1m in total for the charity – to an end.
Heading for home Walkers, runners and cyclists ahead of the start on Mells Recreation Ground
Nige Crutchley (centre) who walked the 10k challenge
Coffee and cake all round
The team from Suzanne Elizabeth Hairdressing, Faulkland, at their event at the nearby Tuckers Grave Inn
A coffee morning at Binegar Memorial Hall raised £256.20
Pictured (l to r): Nicky, Gayle and Michael, at the Bourne & Bargery event in Chilcompton which raised £1,07.45 Ayla and Taylor facepainting at Tuckers. The afternoon raised £1,757
Happy faces at the Upton Noble School coffee morning
Upton Noble pupil Ivor Scott with mum Anne
Sycamore class pupils at Upton Noble Primary School baked all the treats on offer and raised £226
THOUSANDS of pounds has been raised by a series of coffee mornings and afternoons in aid of Macmillan Cancer Research.
Fun ways to wellbeing
PUPILS at Bishop Henderson Primary School in Coleford enjoyed a week of special activities aimed at developing their wellbeing.
The school already boasts 25 wellbeing “pupil champions” who take it in turns during break times spending time looking after children who may be feeling upset or not included. They also take part in assemblies raising awareness of different ways to look after themselves, such as healthy eating, exercise and the importance of sleep.
Volunteers spent time teaching the children new hobbies and skills to help them look after themselves. Activities included a sensory music workshop, archery, dance, storytellers, forest school, a bus from the I Can and I Am confidencebuilding charity and therapy charity Dogs for Health.
The wellbeing champions with teachers Kirstin Tesoriere (left) and Chris Lane (right) High fives! Endurance runner and motivational speaker Jim Plunkett-Cole took children on a run around the playing field after leading an assembly
Enjoying pizzas on board the activity bus, run by the Beckingtonbased charity I Can and I Am James Lewis, from the charity Dogs for Health, with Owl Class and spaniels Molly, aged six, and Clover, aged just eight months who was meeting children for the first time
Details: www.icanandiam.com www.dogsforhealth.org.uk
Charity marathon
SARA Box of Temple Cloud has raised over £500 for the charity Livability by running this year’s London Marathon. This is the second marathon she has run after raising over £800 for the Royal British Legion last year.
Sara said: “Yet again, I decided to run the London Marathon. You would have thought last year would have put me off. But no, I laced up my trainers and set off again.
“I ran for an amazing charity called Livability which helps disabled people live in the community with all the help and support they need.
“I had the most amazing time and met incredible people on the way. I met the most amazing lady called Joyce who was ready to give up at 11 miles –and yes . . . we both finished it!
“I wasn’t as quick as last year but the London Marathon is not about time. It is about the memories you make, and the people you meet on your journey.”
How right we were –a busy time on Mendip!
ONour page in September we were anticipating a busy autumn to come –and how right we were; Mendip life is fairly hurtling along! But before we showcase what is to come this month, we must congratulate our chairman, Tina Bath, who was placed second in the hedging competition at the North Somerset Ploughing match, Claverham, in September. All first three winners will be meeting again at the National Hedging Championships in Wallingford, Oxfordshire on October 29th; all our best wishes go with her.
We have also been part of two exciting events which will undoubtedly be well reported on elsewhere in these pages. The opening of the Mendip Rocks! Festival 2022, went with a bang at Westbury Quarry. Most of the gazebos and displays managed to survive the slightly inclement weather and attendance was good in spite of it.
A week later came a big weekend on the Hills with The Mendip Way Relay Walk taking place. This was part of the Mendip Hills 50th anniversary celebrations, working together with the Ramblers, the Rotary and ourselves.
Groups from either end of the well-known long distance walk met up in Wells where a new plaque was unveiled by our president, Les Davies MBE, to mark the meeting of the two routes, the West Mendip and the East Mendip Ways.
Our stage of the relay was the one between Priddy and Wells; the wooden baton carried from the start in Weston-super-Mare was received outside the Queen Vic by Richard Frost from Kelly, an AONB Volunteer. Also part of the group handing over were Jim Hardcastle and Megan Godley, of the AONB plus four Rotary members.
There are still several events in the Mendip Rocks! programme until the finale in Cheddar Gorge on October 29th and then for the society, November will be just as busy. We have teamed up with Windrose Rural Media Trust to help the Mendip Hills AONB mark their 50th anniversary at the end of this year with a celebration show “50 Years, and more, of Mendip in Film with Songs and Music” at Shipham Village Hall, on Saturday, November 19th, 7-9pm.
Some of the films will be from the silent era so the cast of volunteers from the trust will accompany the films on screen with the songs and music on the stage. Windrose Community film archive is an important catalogue of rural life, rescued and restored by those same volunteers; it receives no external funding save that which it can raise itself.
The show will be a not-too-often seen chance to relive and enjoy old memories and can be booked on eventbrtight.co.uk (search for title above), adults £10, U-16s £5. Alternatively ring 01761 221995 or 462338 to pay by cheque. All profits will go to the trust towards the very expensive digitisation rescue process. Many of the songs from the show will be among those folk songs collected and saved for posterity by Cecil Sharp in the early 20th century. To link up with the show in Shipham there will be a society talk in the Wells & Mendip Museum on Tuesday, November 15th, 2pm, entitled “Cecil Sharp and Folk Songs of Somerset” by Chris Storie. Chris will be accompanied in some of the songs by Bernard Coulter. No need to book for this talk, nonmembers £3, info from Richard 01275 472797.
