Hi there readers and welcome to the September edition of the makeabigdifference newsletter, Young Heroes’ one stop shop for all the latest charity news and events.
Included in this edition you can read the heart-warming story of Jake Damms and girlfriend Lisa Bottomley, who have recently moved into Sheffield’s supported housing complex Wilfred Drive. Jake suffers from Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF-1) and soft tissue sarcoma and is the first young hero to live at Impact Livings’ newest properties.
We also hear from Support Worker Donna Binyon about her fundraising plans for Boxing Day and why she is recruiting volunteers to join her in the North Sea.
We also welcome back columnist Katie Brooman after taking a well deserved break last month.
Plus hot off the press cancer news and more fundraising capers in fundraising idea of the Month where this month we look at successful charity dinner parties.
Until next month, enjoy!
Kim Tetlaw
Editor
Young Heroes are looking for brave individuals and groups to take part in the traditional 2010 Seaburn Boxing Day Dip.
The invigorating swim organised by the Sunderland Lions Club, promises to be the largest and most successful in its 35 year history. Originating in 1974 the dip is one of the oldest events in the country and possibly the biggest event of its kind in Europe.
Every year thousands of hardy souls, many in fancy dress, parade down Seaburn Promenade in front of 5,000 cheering spectators before plunging into the North Sea to raise money for charity. Last year the event pulled in a staggering £50,000 for charities up and down the country.
Impact Livings’ Donna Binyon and pals braved it last year for Young Heroes and have pledged to do it all over again for 2010; this time with even more friends, even funnier fancy dress and to raise even more money!
“I’ve done the Boxing Day Dip for 3 years running” says Donna, “each time it has been a really fun experience, nerve-racking but worth it”.
Speaking about the day Donna says “On the early morning of Boxing Day, I wake up and start to get ready in my fancy dress costume, feeling very nervous knowing that in a couple of hours I’ll be running into an icy sea with hundreds of other people, nervous in case I lose the ‘bottle’ to do it.
Usually our group arrange to meet at the pub we all worked in, when we first see each other as a group in our costumes it makes us laugh so much you forget about the nerves a bit and begin to feel a bit more excited. We take a few pictures and Neighbours around our local area who are out and about visiting families pass us by as we wait for a lift to the Seaburn Centre; they wish us luck as well as saying stuff like ‘rather you than me’ and ‘you’re crazy’ but mostly positive stuff.
It all makes it feel a bit surreal as it’s not something you would normally do on a winter morning…prepare to willingly run into the freezing sea dressed as a Flintstone or whatever crazy costume idea we have thought up. (The whole process weeks before the dip is fun too, thinking of the best costume theme that could win us a first prize for best outfit, as well as telling everyone what we are going to do and what for, trying to raise as much money as possible for a good cause).
Once we arrive at the Seaburn Centre with hundreds of others, signing in and getting ready quickly, there’s lots of hustle and bustle as everyone prepares then we are asked to line up to start the parade for the judges to choose best costume. This is the build up as we look around and laugh at each other’s costumes, each year the ideas get better and better and the effort put into costumes is outstanding.
Hype builds as we all begin to exit the doors and out onto the road where crowds waiting cheer and clap, pointing to people they might recognise or to the greatest costumes. We carry on parading looking down onto the promenade at those ahead of us, being soaked with the hose pipes to prepare for the shock of the iciness, then running down the sand and into the sea, with the crowds and media also down on the beach cheering on and taking pictures ready for the papers the next day.
As we slip and slide on the frozen road, parading down toward the firemen with their hose pipes, ‘butterflies’ set in and a sense of adrenaline once you feel the freezing water spray you, then you just run!
There aren’t any words to describe how cold it is and how much of an adrenaline rush you get but physically, your legs feel literally like jelly once they are covered, there are braver people who go right out into the waves and swim about. There are numbers of people running toward you splashing about, shouting and laughing, taking deep breaths with shock, (like you do when you try to get in a hot bath ironically).
You can stay however long you like in the water but once you decide to walk back up to the centre, it feels like the longest walk ever, shoes squelching, jelly legged and shivering as the cold breeze hits you. When you arrive back you are welcomed with a cup of hot chocolate or whatever takes your fancy and urged to change into warm clothes as quick as possible. Once you are all warmed up, and while others begin to arrive back, you can mingle, talking to the others with your hot drink and a mince pie.
The after feeling is lovely, because it’s Christmas and hundreds have joined together for this phenomenal event that has taken place for years, all for the same reason, which is to raise money and awareness for the various causes. It feels heart-warming as well as big sense of achievement. I would recommend it to anyone, as traumatic as it might sound, just for the after feeling and to raise money for Impact Young Heroes”.
For those of you who wish to join Donna, be under no illusion, its going to be cold…..freezing cold (with sea temperatures around 4°C) but with such an electric and festive atmosphere, and warm drinks and mince pies to look forward to afterwards, it’s a day you won’t forget.
If you wish to put your name down or would like further information please do not hesitate to contact me kim.tetlaw@impactliving.org or you can call the organisers direct on 0191 522 5305.
Katie’s Corner
Before I was diagnosed with Bone Cancer in February 2007, my life was like any other 21 year olds, I was working as a home care assistant, lived independently and was self sufficient. I had no idea of the effect treatment would have or the disability the cancer would leave me with, luckily I had my Mum and Dad who I could rely on and so I moved back to their house to be looked after.
After passing my driving test at the beginning of 2010, I could now go where I wanted, more importantly I felt ready to live independently again, so Me, Mum and Dad worked hard to get my house ready for me to move back. We finally finished in July, and I moved back. It was tough and scary at first, but I’m feeling a lot more settled now. I would not have been able to cope without my family and friends who looked after me when I needed them, but it feels good to be independent again.
Latest Cancer News
Cancer Research UK and AstraZeneca sign deal to trial first-of-kind cancer drug
Cancer Research UK and Cancer Research Technology – the charity’s development and commercialisation arm – have reached an agreement with AstraZeneca to take compound AZD-3965 – a first-of-its-kind experimental drug to potentially treat a range of cancers- into clinical trial.
AZD-3965 targets the monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1)* which is essential in cell metabolism. Blocking this transporter limits cancer cells’ ability to generate energy, and decreases their ability to survive. The drug is ready to be taken into early phase clinical trials.
It is the sixth treatment to enter Cancer Research UK’s Clinical Development Partnerships (CDP) scheme**.
CDP is a joint initiative between Cancer Research UK’s Drug Development Office and Cancer Research Technology, to progress promising anti-cancer agents which pharmaceutical companies do not have the resources to progress through early phase clinical trials.
The deal with AstraZeneca will enable the charity’s Drug Development Office to carry out early clinical trials of the compound to see if it can benefit cancer patients.
Cancer Research UK will fund the Phase I/IIa clinical trial of up to 60 patients to start in 2011. The trial will be managed by its Drug Development Office. The lead clinical trial centre will be Newcastle’s Cancer Research UK Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Network,*** led by Professor Ruth Plummer.
Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca can decide if they wish to develop the drug further based on the clinical trial data results at the end of the Phase I/IIa trial. If it chooses not to, the rights will be given to Cancer Research Technology to secure an alternative partner and ensure the drug has every possible chance of reaching patients. In either case, the charity will receive a share of any future revenues generated by the drug.
Sourced from http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news
Jake’s Story
21 year old Jake Damms and girlfriend Lisa Bottomley, both from Sheffield, recently moved into one of Impact Living’s Wilfred Drive properties and have been together for the past 3 years.
They have a unique and emotional story to tell of which Young Heroes are most grateful to the couple for sharing with us.
When the couple met, Jake had already been diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF-1), an inherited genetic disorder characterised by skin pigment changes and tumours that grow along nerves in the skin, brain, and other parts of the body.
Because of his condition, Jake had to be extra vigilant so last year when he began to get pains in his right thigh, he visited his family doctor immediately.
He was advised to go straight to the A&E department at Sheffield’s’ Northern General where the hospital ran a series of tests and performed a bone scan, CT and an MRI scan.
Shortly afterwards, Jake received the devastating news that he had Soft Tissue Sarcoma,
a cancer of the body tissues, as opposed to those of specific organs. They arise in bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, nerves, blood vessels and other connective tissue.
Jake, Lisa and their family and friends were left shocked and upset by the diagnosis however Jake maintained a positive attitude and knew he was in the capable hands of the experts.
Days later, he was transferred to Sheffield’s Weston Park where he began 2 grueling cycles of Chemotherapy.
The side effects from the treatment left him tired and weak as expected however one side effect he wasn’t expecting was Foot Drop (a reaction to certain prescription drugs, especially those associated with chemotherapy and multiple sclerosis which causes the inability to lift one or both feet at the ankle)
After completing the last cycle chemotherapy it became clear that the treatment had had little effect on the cancer so in the weeks that followed Jake underwent 25 courses of radiotherapy.
Desperate not to be separated from her boyfriend during this difficult time, loyal girlfriend Lisa slept in a chair at his bedside every night. Only at weekends was Jake allowed home, where he slept most of the time and regained some energy for the next cycle of tough treatment.
During this time (and unfortunately what seems to happen quite often) a number of Jake’s friends walked away unable to deal with the situation but luckily he had the devoted support and love from Lisa and his family.
After 2 courses of chemotherapy and 25 doses of radiotherapy, Jake was discharged from treatment and allowed back home to his father’s house, where the couple had been living previous to the diagnosis; however he still has regular checkups.
Despite been just 20 years old, Lisa became Jake’s full time carer which included her sorting out his medications and bathing and dressing him.
A couple of months ago, Jake’s CLIC Sargent support worker at Weston Park spoke to the couple about Young Heroes’ supported accommodation at Wilfred Drive and suggested they view one of the properties.
Happy with what they saw, the pair moved in weeks later and were both assigned a support worker. Both Lisa and Jake agree that living in supported accommodation is the best place for them to be right now and feel safe and secure knowing that additional support is right there if and when they need it.
Fundraising Idea of the Month
Come Dine With Me
When it comes to fundraising, one of the most popular ways of getting people interested is by offering them food. People love home-cooked food products and there are numerous inventive easy ideas to help you raise the funds you need.
Whether you’re the person creating the foods, or simply the one arranging the buying of foods, fundraising and food go hand in hand.
Invitation
Because a dinner party is usually a more intimate gathering, you could conceivably invite everyone by telephone. For informal gatherings, email or post could be used.
Be sure to include all the necessary information on the invitation, such as date, time, location, and RSVP.
The Guest List
Of course, your guest list will be limited to how many people you can seat for dinner.
You should invite guests to your dinner party who will get along and have common interests. You’ll spend much of the evening sitting around a table together. You will want to select your guests carefully so that they will enjoy each other’s company.
Centrepiece
Because the focus of the evening will be on dinner, you’ll want to have a great centrepiece. A seasonal flower arrangement or arrangement of candles is always nice, but depending on the theme, you could do lots of different things.
Menu
Even though this is a dinner party, keep in mind that part of being a good host or hostess is to spend time with your guests – not slaving over a stove!
If you are preparing the food yourself, select items that you can make ahead of time and serve straight from the oven.
If you are using a catering service, but will be serving the food yourself, you’ll still want to keep these items in mind. Spending time in the kitchen heating and reheating is no fun.
Instead, choose something that can be kept warm until it is time to eat (or better yet something that requires no preparation.)
Italian food, a Mexican Dinner and BBQ are great examples of foods that are easy to serve and everyone loves.
A memorable evening
Your food is ready, your table is dazzling and your guests are arriving. What do you do with them?
Have a few appetisers that compliment your meal available for your guests and offer a beverage as well.
When everyone arrives and has had a drink, serve the meal that you’ve arranged.
If you’ll be using the table again later for dessert, clear the dishes, but just put them aside. Don’t worry about washing them or putting them away until later.
This is your party – spend it with your guests!
But if not using the table again that evening, just walk away and let the dishes wait.
Once finished eating you could always adjourn to a room with comfortable seating for conversation and coffee.
If conversation lags, have a plan – either some topics of conversation to bring up, or a fun game. And you can always include a theme as part of your dinner party, such as a Hollywood Theme or Murder Mystery Dinner.
Don’t forget your favourite background music to set the mood. Have fun!!
Bon Appétit!
Private Villa Rentals
During the summer months when Lanzarote weather is at its peak, Young Heroes briefly suspend their respite breaks due to the heat and humidity which is unsuitable for many cancer sufferers. Therefore Casa Nissar, the charities’ luxury villa, is available for private rental.
Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway, a family holiday or simply seek a peaceful winter retreat, Casa Nissar is the ultimate villa experience and the all round perfect destination for your next holiday.
What’s more, Young Heroes offer rental at extremely competitive rates with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity. By simply choosing the villa and Lanzarote for your next break, you are helping make a big difference to the lives of young people living with cancer.
Young Heroes receive consistently positive feedback about the villa, the location and Lanzarote with many guests choosing to return year after year.
The Villa
Tucked away in a quiet and exclusive residential area, Casa Nissar offers its guests the opportunity to experience the first hand delights and hidden treasures Lanzarote has to offer.
The duplex villa is decorated to a high standard with a tasteful, contemporary and yet homely feel. Boasting three large bedrooms, two spacious bathrooms, a large living and dining area equipped with plasma tv and dvd player, and a fully functional modern kitchen.
Casa Nissar offers breathtaking panoramic sea views to the front as well as a balcony and veranda overlooking the beautiful communal gardens and swimming pool.
Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca is a quiet beach resort with some of the best kept secrets in Spain.
Aptly named ‘White Beach’ the resort offers some of the most spectacular beaches in the whole of Spain and the Spanish islands. The most enticing stretches of sand lie hidden around the rocky headlands of Papagayo and can be accessed on foot or by car from Casa Nissar.
The villa is a ten minute stroll from the stylish Marina Rubicon and a hub of popular restaurants, sheik bars and designer boutiques. The marina has a very cosmopolitan feel with row after row of gleaming yachts and motor boats, yet it somehow maintains the traditional canary experience.
Further along the coastal path is the idyllic town of Playa Blanca where you will find an array of shopping and entertainment venues to suit all tastes, ages and budgets.
With a stream of restaurants, many of which are beach front, the choice of places to eat are endless including Mexican, Indian, Chinese, and Italian.
Why not immerse yourself in the local way of life and sample one of the delightful fish restaurants which offer a vast array of mouth watering and freshly caught fish of the day.
Things to do
Excellent tourist attractions can be found in both Playa Blanca and Lanzarote as a whole. These include Camel Rides, Caves, Water Park, Sunday Market, Lagoon and Wine Tasting to name but a few.
There are also many sports to participate in – swimming, cycling, diving, fishing, tennis, many watersports, karting, golf and walking.
How to book
If you are interested in booking the villa for your next holiday and would like to check prices and availability please email kim.tetlaw@impactliving.org or call Young Heroes on 0870 055 4313.