Events Archives - East Cheshire Hospice

Review of the Year 2019

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Fun and fundraising brought lots of smiles for East Cheshire Hospice supporters over the last 12 months.

Another packed colourful calendar of events meant the charity benefitted in many different ways.

Music, art, sport, fashion, travel, leisure and business were all thrown into the mix by generous donors.

Families were out in force at Light Up The Night at Capesthorne Hall, a poignant occasion which saw many walkers remember loved ones.

Community events included Splash Out! when young and old faced a series of water challenges, while dogs and owners tackled a testing obstacle course at Tough Woofer.

Taking a dip at Splash Out.

Mayor Janet Jackson in her charity shop outfit which she wore at Buckingham Palace.

Mayor of Macclesfield Coun Janet Jackson is a regular customer at the Hospice charity shop at Thornton Square where she picked up a bargain for a Royal appointment.

When she received the MBE from Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, she wore a dress and matching jacket she had bought from there for £25. Her hat cost £10.

Nick Robinson gives his speech at the Hospice’s Business Briefing

BBC journalist Nick Robinson gave a keynote speech at the Hospice’s annual Business Briefing at Alderley Park. Nick’s late father Robbie was cared for by the Hospice.

Round-the-world sailor Heather Broadbent.

Hospice supporter Heather Broadbent starts 2020 sailing off the coast of Australia.

She is aboard GoToBermuda competing in the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race.

Heather is going from Freemantle to the Whitsunday Islands on the latest leg of her 11-month voyage.

She is raising £40,000 for the Hospice where her late husband Adam was a patient. To donate go to dreamitnowdoit.com

Heather said: “I’m loving every minute and wouldn’t change it for the world. At sea I’m making memories and friends for life.”

Mother and daughter Kim and Nina Bennett with cockapoo Elsie at Tough Woofer.

Lbs 4 £s – Get fit and healthy in 2020

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Get into shape for 2020 and shed those unwanted pounds with the help of East Cheshire Hospice.

The charity is introducing Lbs 4 £s – a fitness, weight loss and well-being programme which runs for 12 weeks from Monday, January 13.

This sponsored event gives slimmers the chance to raise money for the Hospice in the process.

Participants receive an information pack including special tips, recipes and vouchers, plus exclusive access to experts in nutrition, fitness and well-being.

Bethan Wade, Events Assistant at the Hospice, said: “This is a self-motivated programme but we want to provide everyone with the information needed to pull it off, surrounded by a group of like-minded people who’re all looking to achieve the same thing.

“We’ll give people opportunities and access to all sorts of features to help them on their journey. They can lose pounds, stress or just the fear of walking into a gym. Whatever their motivation we want to help them.

“The sponsorship will go towards funding the vital care provided here at the Hospice.”

Places are limited and to sign up go to www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/events/lbs4pounds/

A launch event to meet other participants and share ideas and inspirations and learn about nutrition will be held on January 6. There will also be classes and taster days.

Disco Bingo with What Women Want

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Disco Bingo fun at Tytherington School.

It was eyes down for 300 bingo players who danced the night away in aid of East Cheshire Hospice.

The girls took part in Disco Bingo organised by the What Women Want (WWW) fundraising group at Tytherington School.

The game sees players waiting with bated breath for numbers which trigger a disco classic to get them on their feet and earn them a prize in the process.

All brought bottles which filled a wheelbarrow and buckets of booze and by entering into the party spirit they raised a staggering £6,000.

Jayne Carter, chair of WWW, said: “A special night showed once again how we put the fun into fundraising. The place was bouncing, everyone had a wonderful time and we’d like to thank everyone for their generosity.

“Special thanks must go to our sponsors Arighi Bianchi, The Beauty Bar, Pam Hulme Accountants, Anna Carey and Alice Cartwright.”

Jayne and pals Julie Barnes, Jo Millward, Elaine Burgess and Jill Harding make up WWW who have raised almost £300,000 for the Hospice.

The proceeds most recently funded a car supplied by Ford dealers Sidney Jackson which will maintain the vehicle for its lifetime. It provides vital travel for the Hospice @Home service.

Highlights of the WWW calendar include fashion shows featuring models who have faced cancer and a glitzy Ball which returns in late 2020 after a year’s break.

Events have been sponsored by Adlington-based packaging firm Proseal which earlier this year donated £1m to the Hospice.

What Women Want group members (from left) Elaine Burgess, Jo Millward, Jayne Carter, Jill Harding and Julie Barnes with the car used for East Cheshire Hospice @Home.

£30k raised by Quiz Night

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

A quiz group have raised more than £30,000 on behalf of East Cheshire Hospice since they asked their first question six years ago.

The latest contest at Marlborough Primary School saw Doug the Rug and Friends come out on top, enjoying a narrow victory over perennial winners Ageing Athletes, previously known as The Magnificent Seven.

The organisers, including Alison Brammer, Nik Kalka and question masters Paul Morrissey and Mark Watson, raised £2,021 on the night.

The quiz is held three times a year and Storm Brewing once again donated the beer. Owner Dave Stebbings and now retired partner Hugh Thompson have been loyal supporters.

Nik, who organises the bar, said: “The quiz nights are a regular fixture in the fundraising calendar for the Hospice and we had another great turn out.

“We’d all like to thank Julie Mierzejewski and the team at Marlborough School who let us use the hall for free, Storm Brewing for the generous donation of beer, the Hospice staff and volunteers for helping with organisation and Neil Drummond for running the stand-up bingo each time.

“All those who’ve attended the quizzes over the last few years also deserve thanks, along with donors of raffle prizes.”

Art Fair Cheshire 2019 Success!

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Art Fair Cheshire raised a bumper £45,000 for East Cheshire Hospice as it celebrated its 20th anniversary in style.

The biennial event enjoyed a record year of sponsorship and the donation will fund the charity’s art therapy unit.

The Hospice, which held an afternoon tea to thank organisers and volunteers, has received around £400,000 from Art Fair Cheshire in the last two decades.

Hospice Director Karyn Johnston said: “We’re so grateful to everyone who helped make the event such an outstanding success. It’s an amazing donation and represents a huge amount of care for our art psychotherapy service.”

The Art Fair Cheshire committee adopted a new look for the autumn 2019 edition at Macclesfield Town Hall, a move that paid off handsomely.

Co-chair Georgie Johnson said: “Art Fair Cheshire went in a new direction this year with a fresh look and feel and we’re really pleased how it went.

“It was extremely well attended and we couldn’t have run it without help from more than 70 volunteers. We want to thank them all and everyone else who contributed in so many different ways.”

Each participating artist donated a minimum of 40 per cent of every sale to the Hospice with more than 80 artists and crafts experts exhibiting work.

Art Fair Cheshire also organised another exhibition, ‘Gathering’ by artist Susie MacMurray, an installation which enjoyed pride of place at Tatton Park for four months.

The art work drew wide praise from Tatton visitors, helping raise awareness of Art Fair Cheshire and the Hospice.

Co-chair Steven Dalton said: “Gathering was a huge success and we’re grateful for the massive support from volunteers. Lots of people have bought souvenir elements of the installation and all proceeds go directly to the Hospice.”

Elements available in unique editions can be bought until March 2020 via www.gatheringattatton.com.

Dreambeams Ball Debut

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Sisters Jemima and Annabelle Jordan found the recipe for fundraising success when they started baking cakes for disadvantaged children.

Little did they know that three years on their cookery skills would inspire a new charity which is now helping bereaved youngsters in Macclesfield.

Mum Katie and her daughters set up Dream Beams which has made a staggering £102,100 donation to East Cheshire Hospice to fund its Childhood Bereavement Service.

An exclusive Dream Beams Ball at Merrydale Manor was the culmination of lots of hard work by Katie, the charity’s chair, her trustees and events committee.

Katie, from Henbury, said: “We’re a family driven by challenge and always wanting to push ourselves.

“The girls would bake for weeks and want to help other children who aren’t as fortunate as themselves. Jemima had the bright idea we should all get involved and we only registered the charity in March.

“Dream Beams aims is to shed beams of light on to other children through fundraising events and supporting local charities.”

The Hospice’s Childhood Bereavement Service was the perfect fit, especially as a five-year Big Lottery grant used for funding had expired.

Katie said: “As a young teenager I lost close relatives so know how devastating it can be and how incredibly difficult the journey is. That’s why I’m so passionate about this cause.

“The Ball far exceeded our expectations and the trustees want to thank everyone who supported us so generously in many different ways.”

Main sponsors were Quanta Capital, Jordan Fishwick Exclusive and Vincentius. Donors also included Rolls-Royce Manchester, Boodles, Amazon, Mistral Gin, Coggles, Pinches Medical, Matalan, Waitrose and Virgin Atlantic.

Neil Travis, General Manager, Amazon Manchester, said: “Dream Beams does such vital work supporting children across Cheshire and when we heard about the Ball in aid of the Hospice’s Childhood Bereavement Service we jumped at the opportunity to offer our support.

“We donated 20 Echo devices for the ball raffle and £1,000 to the charity fund and hope the donation helps the team provide life-changing services to the community. ”

Guests included the Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs MBE KStJ, President of East Cheshire Hospice, and the then Tatton MP Esther McVey.

Business Briefing with Nick Robinson

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Leading BBC journalist Nick Robinson has made a personal appeal to business leaders to continue to support East Cheshire Hospice.

The Macclesfield-born presenter of Radio 4’s Today programme has first-hand experience of the charity’s work.

His late father Robbie was cared for by the Hospice and his mother Evelyn was among the audience for his keynote speech at the Hospice’s annual Business Briefing at Alderley Park.

Robinson said: “The Hospice is a place of sanctuary, welcome and re-assurance. It’s also a place that makes those last few days tolerable, manageable and removes all the other anxieties there can be when somebody comes to the end of their life.”

His entertaining talk, entitled ‘The New Chaos’, gave an insight into his career covering politics, including Brexit. He was the BBC’s chief political correspondent for 10 years.

He added: “I’m nervous because my mother’s here. When I was on the telly the test for my piece would be the ‘my mum’ test. It meant does this make sense to someone who doesn’t follow everything incredibly carefully?”

Robinson, who was treated successfully for lung cancer in 2015, said: “What angers me about politics and the New Chaos over the last three years, is we’ve spent a lot of time insulting each other and being angry with each other and taken our eye off the ball of the things that really matter and change people’s lives.”

More than 150 business leaders were urged to support the charity’s Hospice @Home service.

He said: “You’re being asked today to help make the end of people’s lives better. What’s really exciting is it isn’t just in the Hospice, but increasingly will be in people’s homes.

“It’ll mean the experience of the last few days is as tolerable as possible and that’s a great cause to be involved in.”

Other speakers included Dr Kath Mackay, Managing Director of Alderley Park; Hospice @Home Ambassador Chair Dr Simon Hayward; and the Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire David Briggs MBE KStJ, President of East Cheshire Hospice.

Hospice Director Karyn Johnston said: “We’re extremely grateful to Nick for giving up his time during yet another busy political week and all our other speakers and members of the business community who attended.

“We’re fortunate to enjoy wonderful support from the corporate community which is vital to our future. We’d also like to thank our friends at Alderley Park for hosting our third Business Briefing.”

Tough Woofer 2019

Posted on 16th January 2020 by Luke Brightmore

Every dog has its day and Tough Woofer 2019 saw the canine world support East Cheshire Hospice.

Around 300 pets tackled a 5k obstacle course at Capesthorne Hall on Sunday morning (Oct 20).

The four-legged friends, accompanied by their owners, negotiated a series of mud, water and climbing challenges, supplied by Extreme Adventure Ltd.

The picturesque estate was the perfect setting, with cars and vans having more difficulty dealing with the heavy ground than the dogs.

Beth Candy, Events Manager at the Hospice, said: “We were blessed with a lovely sunny day and want to thank everyone for coming along and making it such a special occasion.

“It wouldn’t have happened without the support of amazing volunteers and a special thanks must go to James Bunker who rescued a few vehicles from the soft ground. We’d also like to thank Capesthorne Hall for use of such a great venue.”

Owner Sue Clarke took part with eight-year-old mini wirehair dachshund Margot. Sue has an office at Alderley Park where the Hospice also has a base.

Lyndsey Annikin and her cockapoo Sky joined Abby Dellow and her Hungarian vizsla Penny. Lyndsey has a family friend cared for by the Hospice.

She said: “The Hospice has been brilliant and we’re delighted to take part in Tough Woofer as way of thanking everyone there.”

Student nurse Anna Mather was joined by mum and dad Clare and Jonathan and 18-month-old labrador Millie.

Anna said: “I’ve got friends who’ve worked at the Hospice which is so well known and we want to help such a good local cause. The dogs love the outdoors here.”

Mother and daughter Kim and Nina Bennett guided cockapoo Elsie round the course. Nina has visited the Hospice in her role as a student physiotherapist.

A Charity Village, including stalls and activities, kept dogs and owners entertained.

Are you tough enough??

Posted on 8th August 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Tough Woofer is back for 2019 and promises to be bigger, better and muddier than before!

We are urging entrants to bring along their wellies for the 5k course at Capesthorne Hall on Sunday, October 20.

More than 400 dogs and owners took part in last year’s first ever canine obstacle course event raising £30,000 for the Hospice!

The fun obstacle circuit is designed for four-legged friends and owners . The route has 15 obstacles, including water, mud and climbing challenges with the first wave leaving at 10 am.

Beth Candy, Events Assistant at the Hospice, said: “Last year’s event was extremely popular and we’re hoping even more dogs and owners will take part this time.

“Owners are telling us they want the course to be even muddier this time. It’s not a competition or a race, but simply about having a good time.

“People can enter with their dog, or by themselves or with family and friends if they don’t have a canine friend to bring along. It’ll be a fantastic family day out with live entertainment and stalls.”

People must be aged eight and over and dogs must be one year or over.

An early bird entrance fee of £30 for a dog/owner, and £20 for people only, applies until Aug 30.

The Hospice say entry fees only cover the cost of staging the event so participants are urged to raise at least £50 in sponsorship. A T-shirt, dog bandana and medals are provided.

To enter go to www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/toughwoofer

The Faces of Tough Woofer 2019

Posted on 8th August 2019 by Luke Brightmore

Meet the two beautiful beagles ready for a starring role as models for Tough Woofer 2019.

Roxy and Harley will have their pretty faces splashed all over banners and billboards advertising the canine event organised by our events team.

The dogs, owned by Abigail Henshall and partner Steve Abraham, won our Facebook competition to find the cutest canines.

Unsurprisingly, Roxy (9) and Harley (3) had the most likes, earning them a photo shoot to promote the event on Sunday, October 20.

The pair received plenty of votes from pupils at Tytherington School where Abigail is a PE teacher.

Roxy and Harley are following in the paw prints of golden retriever Teddy, winner of the 2018 award and owned by Abigail’s friend Sophie Mercer, a PE teacher at All Hallows Catholic College in Macclesfield.

Abigail, from Lower Withington, said: “We’ve had Roxy since she was a pup and she’s got such a baby face that people often get them confused and think she’s the younger of the two. They certainly get a lot of attention when we’re walking with members of our beagle club.

“While she’s confident and a little sassy, Harley is full of anxiety. He’s a rescue dog and had issues after being given up twice before we took him on at 18 months old.

“Harley had been attacked in kennels which made him petrified of other dogs. He was scared by the slightest noise but now has turned his life around. So much so that he’s confident enough to do Tough Woofer.

“Beagles are notoriously hard dogs to train but we knew the breed really well and they’re well trained. Roxy puts Harley in his place and he takes the lead from her but they’re great mates.”

Their group from the Wirral and North Wales Beagle Club were out in force at last year’s event and will again tackle 5k course at Capesthorne Hall.

Abigail said: “It’s great fun and raises money for such a deserving cause. The venue is ideal and I’d encourage as many dog owners as possible to attend.”

The photo shoot was carried out by Alex Wright at teneightstudios in Macclesfield. (www.teneightstudios.co.uk)