Fundraising Archives - Page 26 of 27

Great Manchester Run Participants

Posted on 17th July 2019 by Luke Brightmore

One of the country’s most popular races included runners who put their best foot forward to raise funds for the East Cheshire Hospice.

The sponsorship pennies are still rolling in, but East Cheshire Hospice runners are expected to raise around £4500 by taking part in this year’s Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run through the streets of central Manchester.

Runners included 16-year-old Joseph Sankey from Ullswater in Macclesfield who has raised well over £1000 on his own. Joseph wanted to support the hospice for taking care of his godfather, Neil Robinson, who passed away at the Hospice in March aged 53.

Joseph, who’s currently sitting his GCSE’s at All Hallows Catholic College, finished in just over 50 minutes, coming 117th in his age group from around 30,000 runners.

“I had much more energy than I thought I would have,” says Joseph. “The atmosphere was amazing – music everywhere and crowds chanting your name.”

Joseph trained for the run in between his exam revision and says that the running may even have helped with his studies.

“I got into a routine where I studied for a bit and then cleared my mind with a run, then back to studies again,” he said.

Joseph crossed the finish line almost four minutes ahead of his father, Ian, who he persuaded to do the run with him. Mum, Lynsey, was also there to cheer him on at the finish line alongside Neil’s wife, Sarah, and daughter Rebecca.

Also a few minutes behind was 38-year-old Saxon Whittle who was part of the six-strong team from McCann Complete Medical.

Completing in a time of 54’ 55, Saxon believes the crowds played a major part in helping him get to the finish line.

“I really wanted to challenge myself and get fit enough to run a 10K but I wasn’t sure I could do it,” he says. “But the crowds just spurred us all on.”

Also running from McCann Medical were Phillip Hall, Joe Shields, Marko Benes, Jack Adams and Brian Jepson.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who pounded the streets to raise money for us,” says events assistant at the Hospice, Beth Candy, “All the services we provide at the Hospice are free, and to continue to do this we need to raise £345 per night per patient so every penny raised will go towards supporting our work.”

Co-Op Local Community Fund

Posted on 17th July 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Your weekly shopping trip could be helping to support a unique service for young people in East Cheshire.

The Childhood Bereavement Service, run by East Cheshire Hospice, supports young people coping with loss and now it’s been chosen to benefit from the Co-Op Local Community Fund with 1% of every Co-Op own brand product bought by shoppers potentially going to support the service.

Shoppers will need to be Co-Op members and should sign up to support the Hospice here www.coop.co.uk/membership. Once the card is scanned after a shop, 1% will be donated to the Hospice.

The Bereavement Service delivers counselling, peer support groups and awareness raising activity such as training courses for teachers, youth workers and relatives. During 2017/18 it supported 226 children and young people and over 1000 family members.

Initially developed with funding from the Big Lottery Fund in 2013, the service now has no external funding so support from Co-Op shoppers will be hugely beneficial.

Corporate Fundraiser for the Hospice, Kate Bowmar, says research shows that support through bereavement is important for children and young people.

“The best way to safeguard a bereaved child’s emotional and physical well-being is to involve and inform them in an age appropriate way throughout the dying process and beyond,” she says.

“We’ve already received a mid-year payment of £830 donated by the local community and would love to continue this for the rest of the year,” adds Kate.

Shoppers have until the end of October to donate to the Hospice.

Damien Lacey – Marathon Man!

Posted on 17th July 2019 by Luke Brightmore

A Macclesfield man driven by both a professional and a personal cause, says he’s now got the “marathon bug” after completing his first 26-mile run in London.

Damian Lacey, 45, began running four years ago doing to “Coach to 5k” with Macclesfield Harriers and decided to tackle his first marathon to raise funds for the East Cheshire Hospice following the death of his mother-in-law, Linda Tute, last September.

“Linda was cared for by the Hospice @ Home team which is a truly wonderful service and had previously spent six weeks there as an in-patient in 2017 so I knew from personal experience the important work of the Hospice,” says Damian.

And Damian’s support for the Hospice also has a professional foundation as he encounters it regularly in his job as a specialist Macmillan nurse working in the Macclesfield area.

“I have seen the phenomenal palliative care they provide from both sides and really wanted to give something back,” says Damian, “although I knew a marathon was going to really stretch me.

But Damian, from Tytherington, knew he had made the right choice when he found out he had been successful in securing a place in the London Marathon on the day of Linda’s funeral.

“We were getting ready to leave when a letter dropped through the postbox telling me I had a place – I knew there was no backing out,” laughs Damian.

“I had a problem with my knee from mile 16 which really hampered me, and I had to stop at the medical bay and get some massage from one of the physios,” says Damian. “But I got back out. and I think Linda must have been watching me because I got to mile 24 and the pain disappeared and I was able to pick up my pace and make up a lot of time. “

£1million donation from Proseal

Posted on 30th May 2019 by Luke Brightmore

One of the region’s best-performing companies is taking the opportunity to share its success with worthy local causes.

As part of its local community support programme, Adlington-based Proseal has donated £1 million, to East Cheshire Hospice for the care of people with life-limiting illnesses.

The donation to East Cheshire Hospice will help it to further extend its outreach projects and palliative care service, providing specialist medical treatment and holistic care for local people coping with life limiting illnesses, while continuing to deliver compassionate support and counselling for carers and relatives.

Karyn Johnston, East Cheshire Hospice Director, said on receipt of the gift “I am humbled to accept this generous donation from Proseal. As a small local charity, we rely on our community and corporate partners for more than 85% of our funding, so this represents a massive boost to our future plans. The team at Proseal have been generous supporters of the Hospice for a number of years, working alongside our amazing What Women Want supporter group.”

“On behalf of all the patients and families whose end of life experience will be improved by this gift, I say thank you.”

The Christie Cancer Centre Macclesfield is also receiving the same amount. This will undoubtedly make East Cheshire, and Macclesfield in particular, the centre of excellence in palliative and end of life care.

Proseal directors and co-founders Steve Malone and Robbie Hargreaves, who set up the company in 1998, say the donation is on behalf of all its employees, whose hard work and dedication have enabled it to make this important contribution.

“We have enjoyed immense success and growth in the 20 years since Proseal was established, and none of this could have been achieved without the fantastic support and commitment of everyone within the business.”

“Proseal therefore wanted to give something back to the local community. We chose the Christie Cancer Centre and East Cheshire Hospice as the recipients because of the vital work they do, which any of us at Proseal, as well as our families and friends, may have to call on at some point.”

“The Christie Cancer Centre and East Cheshire Hospice play vital roles in the local community,” says Steve and Robbie. “We hope our contributions will help both organisations continue their great work.”

Proseal designs and manufactures high quality food packaging machinery for the food industry. Since its inception in 1998, the company has grown into a global market leader in its sector, currently employing over 350 people in the UK and nearly 500 worldwide. Last year, Proseal won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Gathering – Susie MacMurray

Posted on 1st May 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Teamwork is the key for international artist Susie MacMurray who unveils her newest creation at Tatton Park next month.

Six months of painstaking work by Susie, her assistant Helen Newman and 10 volunteers has created Gathering, an art installation of 3,750 elements of red velvet and barbed wire.

The sewing will be over in the next few days before the assembled installation is suspended from the Mansion’s grand rotunda.

There her creation, inspired by East Cheshire Hospice, will be on display from June 27 to October 6 as part of Art Fair Cheshire 2019.

Susie’s helpers are volunteers from the charity, the group spending many hours at her studio sharing memories of lost loved ones.

Susie, whose husband John died 12 years ago, said: “We’ve had some very profound conversations mixed with a lot of hilarity.

“The making of this work reflects the whole idea of the piece which is a gathering of people to support each other and treasure memories.

“I want the volunteer makers to feel invested in Gathering. This is our work. It’s a collaboration, which is appropriate.

“We’ve had the shared impetus of the Hospice and have developed a great camaraderie within the group and I’d like to thank everyone for their generous support.”

Issy Cooke, from Mobberley, and Fiona Winderam, from Knutsford, are among volunteers who will then act as stewards during the display.

Fiona said: “We’ve created around 300 elements every week. Working on the project has been so rewarding and we can’t wait to be there at Tatton Park when the public gets a chance to view it.”

Susie added: “The rich red colour symbolises the body and its preciousness and the barbed wire isn’t about conflict but facing difficulty and struggle.”

Afterwards, individual elements will be sold for a £30 donation to the hospice, with small wall pieces also on sale.

Susie has also painted a water colour of Gathering. A limited edition of 75 signed and numbered prints costs £225 each. All proceeds to the Hospice.

For more information visit www.gatheringattatton.co.uk. The project is supported by Arts Council England and The Arts Society.

Art Fair Cheshire celebrates its 20th year with a week-long exhibition of more than 80 artists at Macclesfield Town Hall (Thurs, Sept 26 – Thurs, Oct 3) when a series of events take place. Art Fair Cheshire has a new website www.theartfair.org.uk.

The newest member of our lottery team – Tara

Posted on 24th April 2019 by Luke Brightmore

A Tuesday morning telephone call to a lucky winner is one of the perks of the job for Tara Ward

Tara took over as Lottery Administrator at East Cheshire Hospice three months ago and supervises an essential part of the charity’s fundraising.

The weekly winner of the £1,000 jackpot is chosen at random with a different volunteer performing the all-important task of pressing the button.

Tara said: “It’s the best part of the job when either myself, or my colleague Celia Stanley, make the call to let the winner know they’ve won. We’re making someone’s day.”

There are 6,000 members of the lottery and their support raises around £1,000 a day towards the cost of providing Hospice care to patients, their families and carers.

Apart from the weekly £1,000 top prize, there are 22 other cash sums. The £200 second prize is rolled over if it is not won, earning a potential £10,000 jackpot.

Tara, from Handforth, was PA to the Head Teacher at Poynton High School before joining the Hospice.

She said: “I’ve also worked in the corporate sector and the Hospice is completely different. It’s a lovely set up and everyone is here for the same reason because they believe in the ethos of the Hospice.

“The lottery is an easy way to support us on a regular basis. People can play online by filling in a form online and we also accept telephone applications.”

The Hospice needs £7,500 every day to keep going and the lottery has contributed almost £3.9m since it began in 1995. Tickets are £1 a week and players can pay via direct debit at £4.34 a month.

Winning numbers are published on the website. To join go to eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/lottery or call 01625 433477 (Ext 2).

Damian Lacey’s Marathon

Posted on 12th April 201917th April 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Runner Damian Lacey has both professional and personal experience of the care offered by East Cheshire Hospice.

As a Macmillan nurse he is part of the support network which provides end-of-life palliative care for Hospice patients.

Damian’s mother-in-law Linda Tute was a recipient of that care before her death from oesophageal cancer last September, aged 75.

The family were so grateful for the way Linda was looked after that Damian is raising funds for the Hospice by competing in the London Marathon on Sunday, April 28.

It is Damian’s first marathon and when Sir Andy Murray fires the starting gun for the field of 42,000 it will complete a remarkable journey.

The Macclesfield Harrier said: “I only started running just over four years ago and it was a case of couch to 5k for me. Then I couldn’t run 10 feet never mind 10 miles.

“Linda used to joke about my figure and now she’s having the last laugh because I’m running the marathon.

“Perhaps it was fate that my application was accepted after missing out twice in the ballot, because the letter telling me I was successful arrived on the day of Linda’s funeral in October.”

Linda and husband Martin ran a grocery business in Bollington before retiring. Martin is a member of Macclesfield Male Voice Choir and a former Pott Shrigley Cricket Club player and both organisations have rallied round to support Damian, along with wife Sheona and sister-in-laws Kerry Tute and Meryl Goodwin.

Damian, from Tytherington, is part of the Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care team at Macclesfield Hospital.

He added: “We work in close collaboration with the Hospice even though we’re separate organisations. I know about the Hospice services professionally but when Linda was on the receiving end it gave me a different perspective.

“She was an inpatient and was also one of the first to access the Hospice@ Home service set up 18 months ago.”

* To sponsor Damian go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/damian-lacey

Corporate Challenge

Posted on 3rd April 20193rd April 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Six companies have already signed up to the East Cheshire Hospice Corporate Challenge.

Their aim will be to invest a £100 start-up loan and make as much profit as possible during May.

The profit will be donated to the Hospice and used directly to help care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, their families and carers.

Scientific communications agency Bioscript will be defending their title won last year when they made a healthy £2,000 profit.

Competing against them so far are Chess ICT, Pan European Networks, McCann Medical, Ashfield Healthcare and Context Public Relations.

It is not too late to enter and for more details go to eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/corporate-challenge or contact the Hospice’s Corporate Relationships Manager Kate Bowmar on 01625 433477 or kbowmar@echospice.org.uk.

Kate said: “Fundraising is great way for employees to gain new skills, develop confidence and give something back.

“Obviously, it has to be legal but it’s a chance to use your imagination and business brain to make money grow and at the same time help our patients.”

A gala awards evening will be held at The Colony HQ in Wilmslow on Thursday, June 6, when the winners will be announced.

David Pollock, CEO and founder of telecoms provider Chess, said: “It’s important for a modern business to play our part in the wider community and the Hospice does phenomenal work looking after people at end of life.

“The Corporate Challenge is great for employee engagement and staff want to participate. Our staff have jumped out of planes, baked cakes, run 10ks and dressed up in silly clothes.

“It binds them and their community together and helps their business.”

What Women Want Fashion Show 2019

Posted on 3rd April 20193rd April 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Fashion, fizz and fun turned the latest What Women Want extravaganza into a roaring success.
The glitzy fashion show at Tytherington High School drew an audience of 200 guests, raising £4,500 for East Cheshire Hospice. What Women Want is made up of Julie Barnes, Jo Millward, Elaine Burgess, Jayne Carter and Jill Harding who have spent the last decade fundraising tirelessly for the charity.
They have raised an amazing £270,000 during that time and the latest cheque for £40,000 was handed over to the Hospice during the evening.

Models strutted their stuff on the catwalk, displaying the latest High Street labels from Fuzzy Goose and Demand Attire. All models have been affected by cancer, either themselves or a family member.Community choir Do Youth Thing provided top-class entertainment. There were also pop-up shops and a team of waiters ensured the drinks flowed and everything went smoothly.

Lisa Ball, Community Fundraiser at the Hospice, said: “Once again the What Women Want excelled themselves and they certainly know how to throw a party.

“Their dedication and commitment to the Hospice is quite staggering and they work so hard to support us. All the funds raised helps support patients in practical ways by purchasing much-needed equipment.
“We can’t thank them enough for their support and everyone who contributed towards making the fashion show such a success.”

A ball marking the What Women Want committee’s 10th anniversary raised £37,000 in November, taking the group’s total beyond the magical £250,000 target.

The group came together following a chat in the back of a taxi on the way to a charity event when the women realised that prizes at fundraising events were at the time too often aimed at men and not ‘what women want.’

The group has decided not to hold a ball this year while they take a Glastonbury-style break to recuperate.

Light Up The Night – in memory of Jean

Posted on 26th March 2019 by Luke Brightmore

My name is Georgia and, along with four other grandchildren and one daughter of Jean’s, we are taking part in the Light up the Night event in memory of our Grandma and Mum.

Jean was diagnosed as terminally ill with cancer early last year and got taken in to the East Cheshire Hospice in September as her respite. Within her stay at the Hospice, Jean fell in love with the place, especially the staff and the food. Jean also loved the Jacuzzi bath (with a cheeky glass of Vimto) and all the pampering which was given to her whilst she stayed at the Hospice. When visiting Jean, all of her loved ones saw how happy and vibrant she was because of the way the staff were looking after her. After being discharged, Jean continued to go to the Sunflower Centre at the Hospice every Tuesday and thoroughly enjoyed the painting, getting her hair done and going to Reiki therapy.

The reason we have chosen to take part in this event is because we know how proud our Grandma/Mum would be of us for doing this and raising money for this very worthy cause. The way that the staff helped Jean was amazing and we want to do all we can to thank them so taking part in this event is a way for us to remember our Grandma/Mum but also raise money for the Hospice to help carry on the amazing care that they give to every patient in need.