Charities - Issuu

from Issue 3 - Volume 18 - Mendip Times

Riding Jane Paterson

Talking newspaper

Patron Bill Bailey with some of the volunteers

THEKeynsham & District Talking Newspaper service is free to people who are unable to read newsprint and is keen to have more users.

Local news and listeners come from around the region, including Compton Martin, Cheddar, Keynsham, Bristol, Bath and surrounding villages; the service is open to anyone based anywhere in the UK.

One of the sources is Mendip Times.

Started in 1983, the KTN service is a free weekly audio magazine on memory stick, sent through the post weekly via yellow wallets using the Royal Mail’s Articles for the Blind scheme which gives free 1st class delivery to items for blind or visually impaired people.

If listeners do not have the means to play memory sticks, they can supply an easy-to-use box to play them on.

Details: www.ktn.org

Walkers wanted

BATH-based Mentoring Plus, which supports over 250 local young people each year with mentoring programmes and activities, is appealing for support for its fundraising Bath Marches on September 3rd. They are a fantastic day out suitable for all the family; you can choose from a 15-mile, nine-mile or four-mile walk. Routes are all marked out and there are stops and snacks along the way.

Fundraising manager Jenny Perez said: “We are still very much feeling the impact of the pandemic and are still experiencing a huge demand for our services. Funds raised will enable us to keep providing support to young people in need through our mentoring programmes.”

Details: community@mentoringplus.net https://mentoringplus.net/events/bath-marches

Beach Walk returns

WESTONHospicecare’s Moonlight Beach Walk is returning on Saturday, September 24th, when hundreds of ladies will gather on Weston seafront to walk either 5km or 10km along the beach for the hospice. It will start and finish from the Grand Pier, who are the event’s main sponsor.

Event manager, Jane Murch, said: “It promises to be a wonderful event and we cannot wait to see all our amazing ladies there on the night.”

Registrations are now open via the hospice’s website and will close a week before the event. Early bird prices cost £15 for adults and £12.50 for children. Prices will rise to £18.50 for adults and £15 for children at the end of July.

Details: https://www.westonhospicecare.org.uk /event/moonlight-beach-walk/

End of life care

BATH Hospital’s charity, RUHX, has secured more than £100k in funding from The Liz and Jack Daniel Foundation for the Compassionate Companions Service at the Royal United Hospitals (RUH) Bath, which supports patients in their last days of life.

The service was originally set up in 2019 as a joint partnership between RUHX, RUH’s palliative care team and Dorothy House Hospice Care, where volunteers offer support, compassionate listening, comfort and companionship for hospital patients in the last days or hours of their lives.

Helen Meehan, lead nurse, Palliative Care and End of Life Team said: “The Compassionate Companions Service is making an exceptional difference to patient care.

“Sometimes it is the little things, the small acts of kindness, the holding of a hand, the words of comfort, and being present that give so much support to those nearing end of life and to their loved ones.

“It also gives families the chance for some respite during what is an emotionally and physically exhausting time.”

Milo Popperwell, trustee for The Liz and Jack Daniel Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be able to fully fund such an important project in our first year as a trust. I know that both Liz and Jack would be so pleased to be a part of something so special.”

River poet

ANavid Somerset boater and poet has landed the role of the first ever official Poet Laureate to the Avon Navigation Trust, the river guardian and statutory navigational authority for the mighty Warwickshire, Worcestershire and

Gloucestershire River Avon.

Alison Bergqvist, from Wells, was inspired to put pen to paper by her time spent travelling the waterway between Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire and Stratford-upon-Avon – home to that other Bard of Avon.

And now a collection of her poems lauding the waterway has been published and will be used to raise money for the trust, which is also a charity. Alison had planned just to share her musing with friends and family and admits that the news that her audience will swell immensely was a life changer. The retired literacy and dyslexia support worker inherited a love of poetry and wildlife from her late father John. The book costs £4.

She said: “It is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. I thought pootling up and down the Avon would be boring, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I love every minute, there’s inspiration everywhere and the poetry gushes out.”

Details: www.avonnavigationtrust.org

Supporting young people

THE North Somerset Schools Physical Education Association (NSSPEA) has chosen The JHF Youth Charity as the beneficiary of their massively popular Schools Dance Festival.

A cheque for £1,330.35 was handed to JHF Trustee Kim Hazeldine by players taking part in the North Somerset Primary School girls Cup and Plate finals.

The Jack Hazeldine Foundation is a youth mentoring charity founded in 2012 to support young people in North Somerset and Bristol.

Theatre trips

THEcharity theatre trips organised by Chris Cox in support of the British Red Cross in Langport are now taking bookings from September until next June.

He’s booked a range of top shows at the Bristol Hippodrome. Coaches start in Curry Rivel picking up in Langport and Somerton then en-route using the A35 or A37 to the theatre.

Protecting donkeys

JANET Parsons is pictured meeting Princess Alexandra at a lunch at St James’s Palace to thank supporters of the charity Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land.

Princess Alexandra is patron of the charity, which was set up in 2000 to help the thousands of donkeys facing overwork and cruelty in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Today the sanctuary in Israel is providing life-long care to hundreds of unwanted and abused donkeys of all ages.

Meanwhile, Janet is holding another of her popular traditional garden parties in aid of the charity, at her home and garden in Stowey on Sunday, July 31st, 2-5pm, Hollowtree House, Folly Lane, Stowey, BS39 4DW.

All are welcome.

Janet Parsons meets Princess Alexandra

Light for a life

DOROTHY House Hospice at Winsley has launched its Firefly Appeal, following the success of last year’s inaugural event.

The beautiful outdoor light display in woodland at the hospice celebrates the life of somebody special, while raising essential funds.

The opening celebrations will be during the early evenings of September 22nd and 24th at 7pm.

Details: www.dorothyhouse.org.uk 01225 721 480

Time for walkies

BATH Cats and Dogs Home is inviting local people, walkers and animal lovers to sign up for their annual Wag Walk fundraising challenge on Sunday, September 4th. The event is open to all keen walkers with or without a dog to bring.

There is a choice of a two-mile flat route staying close to the home or a five-mile route along the National Trust Bath Skyline with more challenging terrain.

Supporting the homeless

BILLYCHIPcofounders, Jon Hope, and his daughter, Megan, were named finalists in the Entrepreneur for Good Award category of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. The pair were selected out of over 5,300 entrants - the most the awards has ever had.

BillyChip was created to continue the legacy of Billy Abernethy-Hope, a 20-year-old ambulance driver from Bristol, who was Jon's son and Megan's brother.

BillyChip is a social enterprise platform which allows people to purchase a token from participating food and drink outlets which can then be given to rough sleepers and homeless people as an alternative to cash.

Jon, from Bishop Sutton, said: "Last year was a real milestone for BillyChip, and we set new records in terms of grants received, new volunteers signing up and outlets coming on board to operate the scheme.

“Being recognised for what we do and how we do it is amazing and Meg and I are very proud to be finalists in these incredible awards which champion our work and help us share BillyChip's purpose and mission."

Lifeboat awards

RNLI lifeboat volunteers in Westonsuper-Mare have been awarded Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and long service medals.

The Queen’s medals were presented to 25 boat and shore crew volunteers who have completed more than five years’ service with the RNLI, some

Bryan Kemp Crew and volunteers

Chris Payne receiving his medal from Holly Giles, whose late father, Paul, volunteered for the RNLI in Weston. Holly is now the youngest volunteer in the RNLI shop at Marine Lake.

having served upward of 30 years.

Two additional medals were presented at the event. One to Bryan Kemp, for his 40 years of volunteering, the other to mark 30 years of volunteering service for Chris Payne, who has held almost every post on station.

Marathon men

A FUNDRAISINGevening at Draycott Memorial Hall raised £1,300 for the Hounds for Heroes charity which provides assistance dogs for disabled military and emergency service personnel.

Ian Maclachlan and Chris Hewett from Cheddar gave a dramatic account of their epic 250km Marathon des Sables ultra-marathon across the Sahara Desert in October 2021 to a packed audience.

Ian, a local postman, suffered terrible blisters in temperatures of up to 56C and Chris, an NHS paramedic, found he couldn't swallow in reaction to the tremendous heat. However, they both completed what is generally accepted as one of the toughest races on the planet.

They have now raised over £10,000 for Hounds for Heroes.

The photograph shows Draycott Memorial Hall Chairman, Martyn Warne, together with event organisers Rob Elliott and Chris Fulton, presenting the cheque to Ian and Chris.

Ladies fundraising lunch

Lunch is served in the marquee

MIDSOMER Norton resident Rosemary Blatchford welcomed the return of Ladies who Lunch to a marquee in her garden.

Absent from the calendar for two years due to the pandemic, the lunch raised £3,650 for the breast care unit at Bath’s Royal United Hospital. It was the eighth year that Rosemary had organised and catered for the event which was attended by 111 people, and included a large raffle.

Dementia charity’s appeal

CEO Melissa Hillier with some of the clinical team

LOCAL charity RICE, the Research Institute for the Care of Older People, has launched its Delivering Healthy Ageing – President’s Appeal to fund a dementia research programme and support its clinical and research capability into new

areas of age-related illnesses.

Its research focuses on improving three areas of health for older people: Thinking Clearly, Moving Well and Staying Strong. Its aim is to fight for a cure for dementia and the appeal will help fund research into Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, Parkinson’s disease and the decline of bone and muscle health which impacts greatly on the wellbeing of older people and their families. Based at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, RICE is an internationally recognised research institute, treatment centre and memory clinic for Bath and North East Somerset, which has so far cared for over 12,000 local people with memory problems and supported their families.

Lady Pratchett, patron of RICE and Sir Terry Pratchett’s wife, said: “My family and I know from personal experience that the care and support provided by the charity is exceptional. The dedicated and experienced staff at RICE help families to deal with the life changing news of living with dementia as well as carrying out vital research.”

President, Professor Roy Jones, said: “I am delighted to be leading this appeal in my new role as president and to hand over the reins of RICE to a talented team whom I know will take the Research Institute and Memory Clinic from strength to strength.”

Big Avon paddle

PADDLEboarders, kayakers and canoeists are coming together again to raise funds for Dorothy House Hospice Care. The Big Avon Paddle takes place on September 17th with participants taking to the water from 10am at The Boathouse, Newbridge, Bath.

Dorothy House launched the event last year with huge support from Channel Kayaks and The Boathouse pub. Participants paddled a collective 763 miles on the day and raised over £12,000 for local hospice and end of life palliative care both in the community and at Winsley.

Any form of “paddle powered” craft is welcome to take part. Entry is managed by Dorothy House via their website. The entry fee is £20 and all entrants will receive a free event T-shirt as well as refreshments along the route on the day.

Details: www.dorothyhouse.org.uk/getinvolved/events/the-big-avon-paddle-2022/

Aid for Ukraine

CHELWOODBridge Rotary’s Water Survival Box charity based at Westfield Industrial Estate, Midsomer Norton has sent five separate consignments of aid to Ukraine for families affected by the Trustee Hugo Pike with boxes destined ongoing conflict there. for Ukraine In March they sent two pallets, one containing some 9,000 toothbrushes and one containing 450 tubes of toothpaste. These were items specifically requested by the coordinating group – the Pallet Network. In April they sent three pallets, one again containing 9000 toothbrushes and one containing 450 tubes of toothpaste; one with 660 solar lamps. These were requested items sent with other medical equipment as part of a Rotary initiative from Somerset.

In June they sent three pallets of multi-packs comprising 150 Family Water Filters (each capable of providing safe drinking water for a family of five for up to five years) – paid for by Rotary in Switzerland and safely delivered to Rotary in Lviv. It also sent 200 standard Water Survival Boxes were sent to Kyiv for distribution by the club’s partner NGO – International Medical Corps, probably in Odesa. Finally in July they sent 600 Family Water Filters and 20 Community Filters, each capable of meeting the daily water needs of 400–500 people. These are now en-route to Lviv via the Slovak Republic.